Oklahoma, 2026

Drought in Oklahoma, June 1 to 30, 2026

June 1 to 30, 2026 · NWS AMA · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

The vast majority of the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles saw significant rainfall deficits, ranging from 4 to 8 inches below normal, from January through the end of June. Only some small areas scattered across the region had near normal rainfall by the end of June.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 AMA wrote it up.

The vast majority of the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles saw significant rainfall deficits, ranging from 4 to 8 inches below normal, from January through the end of June. Only some small areas scattered across the region had near normal rainfall by the end of June. After seeing winter wheat failures this year, summer crop planting and emergence were delayed. Soil moisture had been too short to support seed germination, stunting cotton, corn and sorghum crops. Dryland cotton that did sprout did not establish uniform stands. Much of the rangelands were unable to grow, leaving ranchers relying heavily on supplemental feeding and watering, leading some producers to start considering herd reductions.

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 11:23 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Issued at 1256 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026
  • Thunderstorm chances for the northern CWA on Monday. Severe chances are low, but possible.
  • Daily thunderstorm chances return Monday and persist through the end of the week.
  • Increasing confidence in substantial rainfall for areas in the Panhandles this week.
Area forecast discussion, May 31, 11:23 PM CST, 37 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1223 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 1256 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026

- Thunderstorm chances for the northern CWA on Monday. Severe
chances are low, but possible.

- Daily thunderstorm chances return Monday and persist through the
  end of the week.

- Increasing confidence in substantial rainfall for areas in the
  Panhandles this week.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Monday night)
Issued at 1256 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026

H500 height rises aided by a weak frontal passage this morning are
keeping atmospheric conditions stable and skies clear today. Clear
skies and light winds will allow for heat to build today, reaching
the upper 90's and even into the low 100's in some places in the SW
CWA.

Winds shifting back to southerly on Sunday afternoon will allow for
moisture to build back into the Panhandles overnight into Monday.
Skies remain clear and winds remain light overnight as well,
allowing heat to once again build throughout the Panhandles.

Perturbations developing along the ridge building in the southern
plains on Monday will re-establish a weak lee-side low pressure
center at the surface in central/eastern CO. Positive H700 theta-e
advection into the northern CWA will promote an increase in
moisture quality and depth into the evening hours. A surface
trough SE of the weak surface low pressure center is responsible
for lifting tomorrow, with deep mixing beforehand responsible for
mixing out CIN. This will allow storms to develop in our northern
CWA (likely in the western TX/central OK Panhandle), however, the
best instability and shear are displaced N and NE of the
Panhandles. So, it is questionable whether storms will be able to
reach severe thresholds before exiting the FA to the N/NE.

Temperatures on Monday will likely be just as warm in the south and
warmer in the northern CWA. Clear conditions and southerly flow will
allow heat to continue to build. Increasing winds in the southern
CWA will occur before the northern CWA, and may stifle high
temperatures slightly in comparison to Sunday's high temperatures.

Ferguson

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday through next Saturday)
Issued at 1256 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026

An active weather pattern for daily thunderstorm and persistent
rainfall chances return this week. Ridging persists over the
Panhandles until a weak upper-level trough propagates in from the
west. Continued disturbances in this slowly propagating weak trough
will provide continued support for precipitation throughout the
week. Continued SE/S flow will build substantial moisture into the
Panhandles to reinforce the pattern of continued rainfall.

Although the entire week has persistent PoPs, thunderstorm chances
will vary day to day. This is much more of a summertime convective
pattern, with weak upper-level support, which will promote pulsing
thunderstorms. Severe thunderstorms cannot be ruled out as a
possibility for any day this week. There are currently some model
disagreements where the best axis of rainfall will end up. A re-
circulation of mid-level dry air into the Panhandles, as well as how
quickly the trough to our west propagates east in the coming week
will likely determine where the axis of highest QPF ends up.
Ensembles show average and median QPF's are close, indicating higher
confidence in a substantial rainfall event throughout the week.

Temperatures throughout the week are expected to remain in the 80's,
possibly only reaching maximums in the 70's on Wednesday. Next
weekend, maximum temperatures will likely crack the 90's once again
after persistent cloud cover begins to move out of the area.

Ferguson

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1217 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026

VFR conditions continue at all sites for the next 24 hours. Light
to breezy south and southeasterly flow continues across the
region tonight. Later this afternoon, surface winds will increase
but still flow from the south-southeast. By the late evening
hours, winds will back and become more southeasterly than
southerly. Thunderstorms have a low chance (15-25%) to affect the
terminals this afternoon and evening, but confidence remains too
low to add mentions to the TAFs at this time.

Rangel

&&

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

SHORT TERM...23
LONG TERM....23
AVIATION...55
Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 11:36 PM CST, 24 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1236 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-011745-
Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb-
Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson-
Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth-
Palo Duro Canyon-
1236 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma
Panhandles.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Thunderstorms are expected across the western and central
Panhandles this afternoon. Chances are low for storms to become
severe, but the best chances are across the Oklahoma Panhandle.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Daily thunderstorm chances persist through the week, with the
highest chances Tuesday through Thursday. Severe thunderstorm
chances remain low, but cannot be ruled out for the next several
days.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Beaver

When
June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 30, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Beaver forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
36.750, -100.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought was observed to begin June across almost all of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Normal to above normal rainfall occurred in the first and last week of the month, and normal to below normal rainfall occurred in the middle of the month across most of the region. The most beneficial rainfall occurred in northern and eastern Beaver county, southern Cimarron, and portions of north-central Texas county. Normal to below normal rainfall was observed elsewhere. Most of this region saw the drought category get reduced between 1 to 3 categories with the only exception being southwestern Beaver county, southeastern Texas county, and most of Cimarron county. Moderate (D1) drought to D4 drought persists across Beaver county, with Severe (D2) to D3 drought elsewhere due to a 1-6 inch rainfall deficit over the previous 180 days.

Drought, Cimarron

When
June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 30, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Cimarron forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
36.748, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought was observed to begin June across almost all of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Normal to above normal rainfall occurred in the first and last week of the month, and normal to below normal rainfall occurred in the middle of the month across most of the region. The most beneficial rainfall occurred in northern and eastern Beaver county, southern Cimarron, and portions of north-central Texas county. Normal to below normal rainfall was observed elsewhere. Most of this region saw the drought category get reduced between 1 to 3 categories with the only exception being southwestern Beaver county, southeastern Texas county, and most of Cimarron county. Moderate (D1) drought to D4 drought persists across Beaver county, with Severe (D2) to D3 drought elsewhere due to a 1-6 inch rainfall deficit over the previous 180 days.

Drought, Texas

When
June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 30, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Texas forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
36.748, -101.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought was observed to begin June across almost all of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Normal to above normal rainfall occurred in the first and last week of the month, and normal to below normal rainfall occurred in the middle of the month across most of the region. The most beneficial rainfall occurred in northern and eastern Beaver county, southern Cimarron, and portions of north-central Texas county. Normal to below normal rainfall was observed elsewhere. Most of this region saw the drought category get reduced between 1 to 3 categories with the only exception being southwestern Beaver county, southeastern Texas county, and most of Cimarron county. Moderate (D1) drought to D4 drought persists across Beaver county, with Severe (D2) to D3 drought elsewhere due to a 1-6 inch rainfall deficit over the previous 180 days.

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 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, June 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: 1348961, 1348962, 1348963.