Oklahoma, 2011

Drought in Oklahoma, August 1 to 31, 2011

August 1 to 31, 2011 · NWS OUN · 48 events in 48 counties and zones

The exceptional drought maintained its cruel grip over much of Oklahoma during the month of August. Although some beneficial rainfall occurred early in the month, it was not near enough to erase the climbing precipitation deficits that began during the late summer and early autumn of 2010.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 48 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
48

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.

The exceptional drought maintained its cruel grip over much of Oklahoma during the month of August. Although some beneficial rainfall occurred early in the month, it was not near enough to erase the climbing precipitation deficits that began during the late summer and early autumn of 2010. Since October 2010, the statewide average rainfall is over 12 inches below normal, with the most severity over western Oklahoma. The agricultural industry has obviously taken a huge hit from their crops to their cattle. The shortage of hay this year has caused farmers to sell the majority of their cattle, with some of them selling off their entire herd. The long-range forecast is for La Nina to establish itself once again by later this year, with below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures.

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 Jul 31, 9:31 PM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 9:31 PM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1031 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

.AVIATION...
/06Z TAFS/
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL REMAIN PARKED OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WHICH WILL RESULT IN GENERALLY VFR
CONDITIONS WITH ONLY SCATTERED AFTERNOON CUMULUS CLOUDS AOA 7K FT.
THE TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT IN THE AFTERNOON WILL ALSO CONTINUE.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 926 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011/

UPDATE...
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE FORECAST FOR THE
REST OF THE NIGHT. STORM DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT SOLAR HEATING IS
UNLIKELY. OTHERWISE... WE EDITED HOURLY TEMPERATURE GRIDS TO SLOW
COOLING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING.

CURRENT GRIDDED FORECASTS SUGGEST THAT WE MAY GET CLOSE TO MEETING EXCESSIVE
HEAT WARNING CRITERIA IN AT LEAST OUR EASTERN TWO ROWS OF
COUNTIES OR SO MONDAY AND TUESDAY... WITH POSSIBLY SOUTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE OUN CWA MEETING CRITERIA LATER IN THE WEEK. HEAT
INDEX VALUES ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO DEW POINT... SO WE WILL TAKE A
CLOSE LOOK AT DEW POINT FORECASTS THROUGH THE NEXT SHIFT TO
DETERMINE A COURSE OF ACTION.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 633 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011/

AVIATION...
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER SE OK WILL DISSIPATE SHORTLY
AFTER 00Z THIS EVENING. MEANWHILE... AN UPPER RIDGE WILL CONTINUE
TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION RESULTING IN VFR
CONDITIONS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH SKIES WILL BE
GENERALLY CLEAR EXCEPT FOR SCATTERED AFTERNOON CUMULUS AOA 7K FT.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 242 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011/

DISCUSSION...
UNFORTUNATELY THE HEAT WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE DISCUSSION.
UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGHOUT THIS
NEXT WEEK... WITH LITTLE OR NO CHANCE OF RAIN FOR THE AREA. BY THE
MIDDLE TO LATTER PART OF THE WEEK A SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL WORK SOUTH
INTO KANSAS AND WILL BE A FOCUS FOR SOME SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY. HOWEVER AS HAS BEEN THE CASE MUCH OF THIS ACTIVITY WILL
REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA. THERE IS SOME HOPE THAT... LIKE IN THE
PAST WE COULD GET OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES TO PUSH SOUTH INTO NORTHERN
OKLAHOMA WITH A LOW-END CHANCE FOR RAINFALL. WILL MAINTAIN SOME LOW
POPS ACROSS THE NORTH THU AS THIS APPEARS TO BE THE PERIOD WITH
THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR RAIN.

OTHERWISE WILL CONT WITH HEAT ADVISORY FOR ENTIRE AREA THROUGH
THURSDAY AND WILL NEED TO CONT TO MONITOR FOR THE REAL POSSIBILITY
FOR THE NEED FOR EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS FOR PARTS OF THE AREA...
ESPECIALLY EAST OF I-35 EARLY THIS WEEK.

ONE GLIMMER OF HOPE IS THAT BOTH LAST NIGHTS AND THIS MORNINGS RUN
OF THE ECMWF AND THE 12Z GFS DO SHOW A WEAKENING/RETROGRADING OF THE
UPPER RIDGE OUT TOWARD THE END OF THE RUN...240HRS... AND SOME
BETTER WEST/NORTHWEST FLOW TRYING TO TAKE SHAPE. HOWEVER AT THIS
POINT WILL NOT BE HOLDING MY BREATH.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK  78 106  78 106 /  10   0   0   0
HOBART OK         80 107  80 109 /  10   0   0   0
WICHITA FALLS TX  82 109  83 107 /  10   0   0   0
GAGE OK           77 106  75 109 /  10   0   0  10
PONCA CITY OK     83 107  83 109 /  10   0   0   0
DURANT OK         81 107  81 108 /  10  10  10  10

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR OKZ004>048-050>052.

TX...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR TXZ083>090.

&&

03/30/32
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 7:37 PM CST, 4 hours 23 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
837 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-011000-
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-
837 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED.

DISCUSSION...
WITH NOCTURNAL COOLING HAVING COMMENCED... LITTLE FORCING REMAINS
FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT MONDAY AUG 1.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...10 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...20 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF VERY HOT WEATHER HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE
RISK OF HEAT RELATED ILLNESS FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. A HEAT ADVISORY
REMAINS IN EFFECT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
INTENSE HEATING MAY YIELD ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
THE CHANCE IS SOMEWHAT HIGHER IN FAR NORTHERN OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA. OVERALL...HOWEVER...VERY FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
LONG RANGE FORECASTS CONTINUE TO SHOW NO SIGNS THAT THE HEAT WAVE
WILL BREAK. A HEAT ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH AT LEAST NEXT
THURSDAY. UNUSUALLY DRY VEGETATION WILL ALSO MAINTAIN VERY HIGH
WILDFIRE POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY ON BREEZY DAYS.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 5 AM
MONDAY.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

48 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Alfalfa

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Atoka

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Atoka forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.374, -96.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Beckham

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Beckham forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.269, -99.682 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Blaine

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Blaine forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.875, -98.433 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bryan

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bryan forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
33.962, -96.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Caddo

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Caddo forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Canadian

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Canadian forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.542, -97.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Carter

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Cleveland

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cleveland forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.203, -97.326 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Coal

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Coal forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.588, -96.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Comanche

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Comanche forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.662, -98.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cotton

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Custer

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Custer forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dewey

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dewey forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.988, -99.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ellis

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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)

Drought, Garfield

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Garfield forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.379, -97.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Garvin

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Garvin forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.705, -97.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Grady

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Grady forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Grant

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Grant forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greer

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Greer forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.936, -99.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Harmon

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Harper

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Harper forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.789, -99.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hughes

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hughes forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.048, -96.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jackson

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Jefferson

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Johnston

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Kay

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Kay forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.818, -97.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kingfisher

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Kingfisher forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.945, -97.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kiowa

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Kiowa forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.916, -98.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lincoln

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Logan

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Logan forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.919, -97.443 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Love

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Love forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
33.950, -97.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Major

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Major forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.312, -98.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marshall

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.025, -96.769 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, McClain

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
McClain forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.009, -97.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Murray

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Noble

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Noble forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.389, -97.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Oklahoma

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Oklahoma forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.552, -97.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Payne

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Payne forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.077, -96.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Pontotoc

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Pontotoc forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
34.728, -96.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Pottawatomie

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Pottawatomie forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.207, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Roger Mills

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Seminole

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Seminole forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.168, -96.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stephens

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 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, Washita

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Washita forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Woods

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Woods forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.767, -98.865 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Woodward

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Woodward forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
36.423, -99.265 (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 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, August 2011

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: 346146, 346147, 346148, 346149, 346150, 346151, 346152, 346153, 346154, 346155, 346158, 346159, 346160, 346161, 346162, 346163, 346164, 346165, 346166, 346167, 346168, 346169, 346170, 346171, 346172, 346173, 346174, 346175, 346176, 346177, 346178, 346179, 346180, 346181, 346182, 346183, 346184, 346185, 346186, 346187, and more.