Oklahoma, 2009

Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 2009

April 1 to 30, 2009 · NWS OUN · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Dry conditions continued over much of southern and western Oklahoma, despite more normal precipitation for April. The precipitation definitely helped the parched earth, although the much of the region's wheat crop was an almost total loss in some areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

Dry conditions continued over much of southern and western Oklahoma, despite more normal precipitation for April. The precipitation definitely helped the parched earth, although the much of the region's wheat crop was an almost total loss in some areas. Farm ponds began to fill back to normal levels, but several remained low, making it hard to keep cattle on grazing lands. Wheat prices fell to their lowest values of the season as a result of the dry conditions. The cotton crop in southwest Oklahoma fared better, but some overall quality may have been lost. Grass fires were less numerous due to the greening of vegetation, but several were still reported over a large area, and burn bans continued off and on for most of the month. Monetary damages estimates were not available.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 8:19 PM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 8:19 PM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
919 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

.DISCUSSION...WINDSDROPPED OFF QUICKLY THIS EVENING AS AMS
DECOUPLED. WITH LOW DEWPOINTS AND LIGHT WIND...TEMPS HAVE DROPPED
QUICKLY. EXPECT TEMPS TO LEVEL OFF...ESP WEST WITH INCREASING
SOUTH WIND AND SOME INCREASE IN HIGH CLOUDS. HOWEVER...WILL LOWER
MINS A BIT...ESP IN THE SE WHERE LIGHTER WINDS WILL PERSIST FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. OTRW NO SIG CHANGES.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 645 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009/

AVIATION...
HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER EASTERN TEXAS WILL DRIFT EAST TONIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WESTERLY WINDS TO DIMINISH QUICKLY
AROUND SUNSET THIS EVENING... THEN CAUSE THEM TO SHIFT TO
SOUTHERLY AND INCREASE IN SPEED LATER TONIGHT... AND ESPECIALLY ON
WEDNESDAY.  VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 344 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009/

DISCUSSION...
WIND SPEEDS WILL SLOW CONSIDERABLY THIS EVENING AS A SURFACE LOW CENTERED
OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS CONTINUES TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST.
DEVELOPMENT OF A LEE CYCLONE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL INDUCE A
STRONG LOW LEVEL JET...WHILE ALSO ALLOWING WIND SPEEDS TO PICK UP
FROM THE SOUTH. SOME MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO RETURN NORTHWARD AT
MID LEVELS...BUT A PRONOUNCED DRY LAYER SHOULD PREVENT ANY RAIN
SHOWERS GENERATED BY ISENTROPIC LIFT FROM REACHING THE SURFACE.
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH RELATIVE
HUMIDITY LOW ENOUGH IN SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA TO JUSTIFY
A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

PRECIP CHANCES ENTER THE FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY EVENING AS ANOTHER
POWERFUL SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVES FROM THE ROCKIES TOWARD THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS. NAM FORECASTS INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF A WIND
SHIFT BOUNDARY FROM SOUTHWESTERN INTO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WED EVENING
WHICH MAY PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR SHOWER/TSTM DEVELOPMENT. AS
EXPECTED...GFS FORECASTS DEPICT A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK TO THE
UPPER LOW AND THE SURFACE LOW THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...WHICH IS IN
CLOSER AGREEMENT WITH OTHER GUIDANCE. A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK WILL
LIKELY MEAN DRY AIR BEING PULLED INTO MORE OF THE CWA FROM THE
SOUTHWEST...LESS PRECIPITATION ON THE BACK EDGE OF THE LOW...AND ALSO A
WARMER THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE. THOUGH MODELS HINT AT AN INCH OR SO
OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IN NW OKLAHOMA THURSDAY MORNING...WE FEEL
THAT A FEW SNOWFLAKES MIXED IN WITH RAIN ON THURSDAY MORNING IS
THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO.

RAIN SHOULD EXIT THE CWA BY LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH BREEZY
SOUTH WINDS AND ANOTHER WARM DAY EXPECTED FRIDAY. VERY LITTLE
CHANGE HAS OCCURRED IN MED RANGE MODEL OUTPUT WITH REGARD TO THE
SATURDAY/SUNDAY SYSTEM. IT APPEARS THAT SOME SHWR/TSTM DEVELOPMENT
MAY BE POSSIBLE IN EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA AHEAD OF A DRY
LINE...WITH MOST OF THE AREA ENVELOPED BY DRY AIR THEREAFTER. NO
CHANGES TO THE FORECAST WERE MADE BEYOND FRIDAY.

TAYLOR

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK  40  70  46  57 /  10  10  40  40
HOBART OK         38  75  39  57 /   0   0  30  20
WICHITA FALLS TX  41  83  49  60 /   0  10  20  20
GAGE OK           32  66  32  51 /   0   0  50  20
PONCA CITY OK     36  68  42  50 /  10  10  60  60
DURANT OK         40  76  55  65 /   0  10  30  40

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
     EVENING FOR OKZ033-034-036-037-044.

TX...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
     EVENING FOR TXZ083>090.

&&

02/23
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 5:05 PM CST, 6 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
605 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-011200-
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
605 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED.

DISCUSSION...
THE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION WILL BE TOO COOL AND STABLE TO SUPPORT
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT WEDNESDAY APR 1.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...0 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
ADDITIONAL STORM SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA WITH A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... AND
AGAIN SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE STORM
SYSTEMS... SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
WILDFIRE CONTAINMENT CONCERNS WILL BE ELEVATED... PRIMARILY OVER
SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY... FRIDAY...
AND SATURDAY.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY 7 AM
WEDNESDAY.

CJS/II

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Johnston

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Johnston forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.317, -96.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Murray

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Murray forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Carter

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Carter forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jefferson

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.111, -97.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stephens

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Stephens forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Tillman

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Tillman forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.373, -98.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cotton

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cotton forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.290, -98.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Harmon

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Harmon forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.744, -99.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jackson

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.588, -99.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Roger Mills

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Roger Mills forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.688, -99.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ellis

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ellis forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, April 2009

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 166571, 166572, 166573, 166574, 166575, 166576, 166577, 166578, 166579, 166580, 167263.