Oklahoma Climate
Top 5 Cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, and Edmond
This month in numbers
Oklahoma experienced its warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 14.93°C, an anomaly of +5°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This marks the 1st warmest such period in 77 years of records. April 2026 alone was the 4th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 18.39°C, an anomaly of +2.9°C. Maximum temperatures for February–April also ranked 1st, at 22.76°C, an anomaly of +5.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, and the February–April period was also the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What changed
Oklahoma's exceptionally warm start to the year stands out, ranking 1st globally for its 3-month temperature anomaly. This is part of a broader trend, as 9 of the top 10 warmest regions for the 3-month anomaly are US states. While April brought above-average precipitation of 110.24 mm, an anomaly of +32.3 mm, the preceding months of February and March were drier than average. The state has been grappling with persistent drought conditions, with over 82% of Oklahoma experiencing some level of drought as of May 19, 2026.
What’s driving change?
The prolonged warmth in Oklahoma is consistent with the broader pattern of land warming faster than ocean. The region has also seen a significant concentration of extreme weather events. In the past month, Oklahoma has experienced four wildfires, representing 100% of the annual total logged for the state. Additionally, two drought events and one flood event have been recorded, each accounting for 100% of their respective annual totals. These events highlight a period of unusual climatic activity for the region. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Long-range forecasts suggest that temperatures are likely to continue to average above normal over the next three months (May–July), with near equal chances for above- or below-normal precipitation during this time.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Oklahoma
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Oklahoma changing?
Oklahoma is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Oklahoma come from?
Climate data for Oklahoma comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Oklahoma climate data cover?
The Oklahoma climate profile covers Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow and surrounding areas. Oklahoma climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Oklahoma climate update refreshed?
The Oklahoma climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.