Drought in Oklahoma, December 1 to 31, 2017

Name: Drought in Oklahoma, December 1 to 31, 2017
Start: 2017-12-01T00:00
End: 2017-12-31T23:59
Location: Oklahoma

December 1 to 31, 2017 · NWS OUN · 35 events in 35 counties and zones

With a lack of rainfall, severe drought began to develop across western Oklahoma and persisted across south central Oklahoma.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 35 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: 35

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.

With a lack of rainfall, severe drought began to develop across western Oklahoma and persisted across south central Oklahoma.

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 Nov 30, 10:43 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 10:43 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Norman OK
1043 PM CST Thu Nov 30 2017

.AVIATION...
01/06Z TAFs. VFR conditions expected to prevail with bkn-ovc high
clouds through period. Southerly winds will increase after
12-14Z, with gusts 20-25KT across western Oklahoma terminals.
Surface gradient relaxes ahead of weak front toward end of
forecast period so winds should weaken and back after 00Z.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 846 PM CST Thu Nov 30 2017/

UPDATE...
Updated hourly temperature, dew point, and wind forecast through
15Z.

DISCUSSION...
Hourly temperatures, dew points, and winds were updated based on
current observation trends and short-term models. Otherwise, no
significant changes were to the forecast.

A seasonably cool night is expected with low temperatures ranging
from the mid 30Fs to low 40Fs. High clouds are expected to
continue to increase from the west.

Mahale

PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 535 PM CST Thu Nov 30 2017/

AVIATION...
01/00Z TAFs. VFR conditions expected to prevail with continued
increase in high level cloud cover. Winds will be light through
12Z, generally from the east/southeast despite an initial light
northeast component. Southerly winds will increase after 12-14Z,
with gusts 20-25KT across western Oklahoma terminals.

PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 357 PM CST Thu Nov 30 2017/

DISCUSSION...
Gradual warm up through the weekend preceding the arrival of a cold
front Monday evening is the main forecast focus.

Fairly pleasant weather over the next few days, with weak ridging
maintaining itself over the southern plains into Sunday. Mid to high
stratus will develop on Friday through the weekend as a weak surface
trough lingers, paired with a modest increase in low level moisture
through the day and overnight.

Warm air advection and return flow will increase Saturday through
Sunday, with dew points well back in the 50s through Sunday
afternoon across much of Oklahoma. To the west, a 500mb short wave
will continue to approach West Texas, traversing the Llano Estacado
through Sunday morning. Expect cloud cover to increase Sunday night
into early Monday across south and southeastern Oklahoma in response
to increasing isentropic ascent ahead of the approaching short wave
trough. Long range guidance is in okay agreement, but timing
discrepancies remain, so decided to keep broad windows of
precipitation chances for south central and southeastern Oklahoma,
starting Monday morning and ending Tuesday Night, as long range
guidance continues to struggle with the timing of the frontal
passage.

In regards to the frontal passage. Uncertainty in it's arrival
time will continue to result in uncertainty in temperatures,
especially Monday night into Tuesday. The long range blends have
washed out any definitive signal, so leaned more toward a slower
arrival given the last few runs of the various flavors of extended
guidance and given both the GFS and ECMWF's trend for a rather
elongated 500mb trough axis, well into the four corners region. I
will conceded, the latest ECMWF is faster, by about 6 to 12 hours,
with the wind shift, but this is because the ECMWF is ejecting the
northern plains short a touch farther south and a bit slower than
the GFS. Either way, post front, we'll have a feeling of "almost
winter," well, by Oklahoma standards, with highs generally in the
40s and lows in the 30s into Thursday.

Kurtz

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  38  61  47  68 /   0   0   0   0
Hobart OK         39  62  47  67 /   0   0   0   0
Wichita Falls TX  40  65  50  72 /   0   0   0   0
Gage OK           37  63  38  63 /   0   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     36  60  43  65 /   0   0   0   0
Durant OK         41  63  49  71 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...None.
TX...None.
&&

10/11/11

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 11:31 AM CST, 12 hours 29 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Norman OK
1131 AM CST Thu Nov 30 2017

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-011230-
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-
1131 AM CST Thu Nov 30 2017

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern...
western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north
Texas.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight...

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday...

.Thunderstorms...
There is a chance of thunderstorms across portions of southern
Oklahoma and western north Texas Monday. The storms are not
expected to be severe.

.Fire Weather...
Breezy north winds and dry conditions will elevate fire weather
concerns across southwest Oklahoma and western north Texas
Tuesday.

Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow
our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.

Kurtz

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

35 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Harper

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

Drought, Woodward

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Woodward forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 36.423, -99.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Woods

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

Drought, Alfalfa

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

Drought, Major

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

Drought, Grant

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

Drought, Ellis

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Roger Mills

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Roger Mills forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.688, -99.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dewey

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

Drought, Custer

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

Drought, Washita

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

Drought, Beckham

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

Drought, Harmon

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Harmon forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.744, -99.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greer

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

Drought, Jackson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.588, -99.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kiowa

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

Drought, Comanche

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

Drought, Tillman

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Tillman forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.373, -98.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cotton

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cotton forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.290, -98.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stephens

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jefferson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.111, -97.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Carter

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Carter forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Love

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

Drought, Murray

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Murray forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Garvin

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

Drought, McClain

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

Drought, Pottawatomie

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

Drought, Seminole

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

Drought, Hughes

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

Drought, Pontotoc

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

Drought, Coal

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

Drought, Atoka

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

Drought, Johnston

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Johnston forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.317, -96.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marshall

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

Drought, Bryan

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Bryan forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 33.962, -96.260 (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

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, December 2017

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: 730533, 730534, 730535, 730536, 730537, 730538, 730539, 730540, 730541, 730542, 730543, 730544, 730545, 730546, 730547, 730548, 730549, 730550, 730551, 730552, 730553, 730554, 730555, 730556, 730557, 730558, 730559, 730560, 730561, 730562, 730563, 730564, 730565, 730566, 730567.