Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 4, 2023

Name: Drought in Oklahoma, September 1 to 4, 2023
Start: 2023-09-01T00:00
End: 2023-09-04T23:59
Location: Oklahoma

September 1 to 4, 2023 · NWS OUN · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Worsening drought conditions were observed across southern Oklahoma at the beginning of the month.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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: 15

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.

Worsening drought conditions were observed across southern Oklahoma at the beginning of the month.

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 Aug 31, 9:33 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 9:33 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
1033 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023

...New AVIATION...

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Friday)
Issued at 215 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023

The mid-level ridge across the southwest U.S. has started to
drift eastward today with a return to southerly winds across the
Southern Plains. The ridge will continue to move eastward tomorrow
as a closed-low develops across the west coast. As a result,
forecast temperatures will continue their gradual increase
tomorrow with a ~595 dam ridge centered across northwest
Oklahoma/Kansas. The end result is above-average temperatures are
forecast (ranging from the low 90s across the northeast to low
100s deg F across the southwest).

Dew points will be much lower than when we saw excessive heat in
August. Heat indices are forecast to be similar (or even lower!)
than the air temperature with the lower dew points.

Mahale

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday night through next Wednesday)
Issued at 215 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023

The mid-level ridge will persist through at least the weekend into
early next week--resulting in continued hot temperatures. Record-
breaking heat still appears unlikely. For example, there is only
about a ~10% chance at Wichita Falls of reaching their record high
of 108 deg F on Sunday. Even so, temperatures will be ~7 to 10 deg
F above average for early September. Dew points should remain low
enough through at least the weekend to keep heat indices below
Heat Advisory Criteria.

By late in the weekend into early next week, an upper-level low in
Texas is forecast to drift to the northwest. There remains
uncertainty on how far northwest the upper-level low will travel
(it'll depend on the location of the mid-level ridge and the
approach of a western trough). For now, there is a low chance of
rain across southeast Oklahoma (~20%) to account for the low's
close proximity.

Besides the heat, the other weather impact is increasing fire
weather conditions this weekend into early next week across western
north Texas and western Oklahoma. Currently, the worst fire weather
conditions are expected Monday with breezy southerly winds and a low-
level thermal ridge ahead of an approaching trough. Near critical
conditions are possible.

Mahale

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1031 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023

VFR conditions expected through the period with light east to
southeast wind. Southeast winds will be a little stronger 15Z-00Z
across western Oklahoma with gusts around 20KT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  66  93  63  95 /   0   0   0   0
Hobart OK         66  99  64  99 /   0   0   0   0
Wichita Falls TX  69 100  66 100 /   0   0   0   0
Gage OK           63  98  62  99 /   0   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     64  92  61  95 /   0   0   0   0
Durant OK         67  96  61  96 /   0   0   0   0

&&

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

SHORT TERM...10
LONG TERM....10
AVIATION...11

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 3:33 PM CST, 8 hours 27 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Norman OK
433 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-012145-
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-
433 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023

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

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight...

No hazardous weather is expected.

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

.Fire Weather...
Hot temperatures combined with low humidity, breezy winds, and dry
vegetation could lead to Elevated Fire Weather conditions Friday
afternoon through Monday across western Oklahoma and western
north Texas. Near-Critical conditions are possible Monday.

.Thunderstorms...
Thunderstorms chances return to parts of the area on Wednesday. A
few strong storms appear possible.

.Air Quality...
An Air Quality Alert will be in effect on Friday for the Oklahoma
City and Lawton metropolitan areas. Persons with existing heart or
respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor
activity.

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

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Atoka

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Carter

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Comanche

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Cotton

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Greer

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Harmon

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Jackson

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Jefferson

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Johnston

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Kay

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kay forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 36.818, -97.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Love

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Marshall

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Murray

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Stephens

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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, Tillman

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 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)

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 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, September 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1139327, 1139328, 1139329, 1139330, 1139331, 1139332, 1139333, 1139334, 1139335, 1139336, 1139337, 1139338, 1139339, 1139341, 1139342.