Drought in Oklahoma, February 1 to 28, 2026

Name: Drought in Oklahoma, February 1 to 28, 2026
Start: 2026-02-01T00:00
End: 2026-02-28T23:59
Location: Oklahoma

February 1 to 28, 2026 · NWS OUN · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Despite occasional precipitation episodes, especially across portions of northern Oklahoma and the eastern Red River Valley during the middle of the month, near to slightly below-average precipitation totals were observed for February 2026. This led to continued and slowly expanding drought in areas along and south of Interstate 40 in Oklahoma and adjacent western-north Texas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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: 19

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.

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 Jan 31, 10:41 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Updated at 1038 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
Another cold day and night this afternoon and tonight.
Moderating back to near or slightly above normal temperatures for much of next week.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 10:41 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
1041 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1038 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

- Another cold day and night this afternoon and tonight.

- Moderating back to near or slightly above normal temperatures
  for much of next week.

&&

.NEAR TERM...
(Rest of today and tonight)
Issued at 1206 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

One more cold day today before temperatures begin to warm up. The
cold airmass that came into the area last night will lead to highs
in the 20s to maybe low 30s this afternoon. Another cold night is
expected tonight but not quite as cold as last night. Temperatures
are expected to fall into the teens across the area.

Light winds today will gradually shift towards the south as the sfc
high that is over the region this morning gradually shifts east.
Wind speeds at 5 to 10 mph tonight will lead to a wind chill in the
single digits to low teens tonight into Sunday morning.

Models show a shortwave moving across the area this
evening/overnight. Some of the models/CAMs show that this shortwave
could produce some very light precipitation. The chances of this are
pretty low (~10%) but worth putting a mention of snow flurries in
the forecast. Have snow flurry mention in eastern parts of the fa,
mainly east of I-35. However, most locations will not see any
flakes.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Sunday through Monday night)
Issued at 1206 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

The warm up begins Sunday across the area with temperatures on
Sunday and Monday expected to be near or above average. Models show
southwest sfc flow/downslope on Sunday along with mostly sunny
skies. This will cause temperatures to warm into the mid/upper 40s
in north central OK to low 60s in parts of western OK and western
north TX with 50s across the rest of the area. The forecast highs
for Sunday are forecast to be as much as 20 to 25+ degrees warmer
than today's. On Monday, even warmer temperatures are expected
with highs in the mid 50s to upper 60s with much of the fa
expected to climb into the 60s.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday through Friday)
Issued at 1241 AM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

Monday night and Tuesday, an upper wave amplifies in the central
Plains in the northwesterly flow aloft. This will bring another
front into the area cooling temperatures a bit Tuesday and
Wednesday, although not as cold as our current airmass. Models
continue to weaken the trend of potential precipitation in our
area with this front with mentionable POPs now confined to
portions of Atoka and Bryan Counties on Tuesday within our
forecast area.

Wednesday will be the coolest day of the work week as the surface
ridge moves into Oklahoma and north Texas, but then temperatures
warm to much above normal late in the week as an upper-level ridge
redevelops to the west and the cold air shifts to the eastern U.S.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1038 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026

Broken mid-level clouds are expected to clear before dawn with
light/variable winds becoming southwesterly by mid-morning on
Sunday. A developing surface trough will shift winds to the north
at KPNC and KSWO on Sunday evening.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  25  18  50  33 /   0   0   0   0
Hobart OK         27  16  56  30 /   0   0   0   0
Wichita Falls TX  28  19  57  33 /   0   0   0   0
Gage OK           34  20  63  29 /   0   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     21  15  47  25 /   0  10   0   0
Durant OK         29  19  50  32 /   0   0   0   0

&&

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

NEAR TERM...25
SHORT TERM...25
LONG TERM....26
AVIATION...01

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Beckham

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Cleveland

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cleveland forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.203, -97.326 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Coal

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Comanche

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Garvin

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Grady

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Grady forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Greer

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Hughes

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Jackson

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Kiowa

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, McClain

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Pontotoc

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Pottawatomie

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Stephens

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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, Washita

When: February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 28, 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)

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 2026 Every state in 2026 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, February 2026

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: 1318499, 1318500, 1318501, 1318502, 1318503, 1318504, 1318505, 1318506, 1318507, 1318508, 1318509, 1318510, 1318511, 1318512, 1318513, 1318514, 1318515, 1318516, 1318517.