January 2014: A Tale of Two Seasons

Let's play a game!  For $100, would you say that January was warm or cold?  If you guessed either warm or cold, you win, though cold would be the "better" answer.  Now, for another $100, would you say that January was wet or dry?  Here, there's only one correct answer, and that's dry.  So, how did you do?  (Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we are not permitted to actually give away money, but we thank you for playing anyway!) 

Essentially, January was a complex month for Oklahoma this year.  Temperatures were all over the place, and a sudden pattern change brought unusually dry conditions to the state.  Let's first talk about the temperatures.  The graphic to the right shows the tremendous range in the highest and lowest temperatures recorded during the month for Guymon, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa.  (These three cities are chosen because they are locations in which the National Weather Service collects climate data.)  In only a matter of a few days, the highest and lowest temperatures were recorded for these cities.  Oklahoma City's 75-degree high on January 12th was a record high for the day, breaking a previous record of 73 degrees, set in 1935.  Tulsa's -2-degree low on January 6th was a record low for the day, breaking a previous record of 0 degrees, set in 1912.  As the lowest temperatures recorded for these three cities indicate, there were numerous mornings in which single-digit or negative temperatures were recorded across the state.  The large range in temperatures was the result of powerful arctic fronts that swept through the state.  Following breezy, warm days with southerly winds that made much of us think spring should be here, cold fronts arrived shortly thereafter, with breezy, cold days with northerly winds that fueled arctic air from the north and brought a sudden return to winter.  Additionally, the dry conditions across the state helped with the dramatic temperature change.  Relatively cloudless days allowed for warmer highs, and relatively cloudless nights allowed for colder lows.  So with the "roller coaster" temperatures, did we finish warmer or colder than average for the month?  Well, here are the results:

GUYMON
Average January 2014 Temperature: 35.7°
Departure from Normal: +0.1°

OKLAHOMA CITY
Average January 2014 Temperature: 38.2°
Departure from Normal: -1.0°

TULSA
Average January 2014 Temperature: 35.8°
Departure from Normal: -1.9°

Now to move on to the precipitation, or lack thereof.  Following the second wettest year on record in 2013 with 52.78 inches of rain recorded, Oklahoma City made a 180-degree turn-around and recorded its sixth driest January on record, with only 0.07 inches of rain recorded.  Guymon and Tulsa did not do much better, with only 0.18 inches of rain recorded in Guymon and only 0.13 inches of rain recorded in Tulsa.  For much of the month, an arctic high stayed put over the central and western United States, declining any precipitation for the area and cutting off any moisture.  Hence the reason for the numerous Red Flag Warnings which were issued across the state for the month.  The dry and conditions and strong winds were critical in aiding wildfire development and spread.  Additionally, the lack of precipitation in the past month has unfortunately taken a toll on lake levels and caused the drought across the state to slowly expand.  The latest drought monitor is shown to the right.

Thankfully, a pattern change is in progress that will (hopefully) deposit some precipitation to the state by the end of the week.  This precipitation will come in the form of winter weather, but three separate systems should hopefully bring some much-needed precipitation to your area.  Temperatures will remain on the cold side, with highs below normal for the forecast period.  So if you like winter, then you're in luck.  The season is here to stay for at least the next week.

AC

Sources: NWS, U.S. Drought Monitor, Google Images (photo)