Oklahoma, 2023

Excessive Heat in Oklahoma, July 18 to 20, 2023

July 18 to 20, 2023 · NWS TSA · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

A ridge of high pressure in the middle and upper atmosphere developed over the south central United States during mid July. Seasonably hot afternoon temperatures reaching the mid 90s to near 100 degrees, combined with unseasonably high humidity, resulted in heat index values in the 110 to 115 degree range across much of eastern Oklahoma on the 18th through 20th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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
10
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
21

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 TSA wrote it up.

A ridge of high pressure in the middle and upper atmosphere developed over the south central United States during mid July. Seasonably hot afternoon temperatures reaching the mid 90s to near 100 degrees, combined with unseasonably high humidity, resulted in heat index values in the 110 to 115 degree range across much of eastern Oklahoma on the 18th through 20th. At least ten people were treated for heat-related issues in Tulsa.

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 5:26 PM CST, 17 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 5:26 PM CST, 17 hours 34 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 17, 4:03 PM CST, 18 hours 57 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Choctaw

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Choctaw forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
34.027, -95.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Craig

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Craig forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.762, -95.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Creek

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Creek forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.903, -96.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Haskell

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Haskell forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.225, -95.117 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Latimer

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Latimer forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
34.876, -95.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Le Flore

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Le Flore forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Excessive Heat, Mayes

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Mayes forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.302, -95.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, McIntosh

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
McIntosh forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.374, -95.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Muskogee

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Muskogee forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.616, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Nowata

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Nowata forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.799, -95.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Okfuskee

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Okfuskee forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.466, -96.323 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Okmulgee

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Okmulgee forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.647, -95.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Pawnee

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Pawnee forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.317, -96.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Pittsburg

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
34.924, -95.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Pushmataha

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Pushmataha forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
34.416, -95.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Rogers

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Rogers forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.372, -95.604 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Sequoyah

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Sequoyah forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Excessive Heat, Tulsa

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Tulsa forecast zone
Injuries
10 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.121, -95.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Wagoner

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to July 19, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Wagoner forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.961, -95.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Washington

When
July 18, 11:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
36.715, -95.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Osage

When
July 19, 11:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Osage forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, July 2023

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1121280, 1121281, 1121283, 1121284, 1121285, 1121286, 1121287, 1121288, 1121289, 1121290, 1121291, 1121292, 1121294, 1121295, 1121296, 1121297, 1121298, 1121299, 1121300, 1121301, 1121293.