Oklahoma Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, and Edmond
Summary
Oklahoma experienced a strikingly warm summer season in 2026, capping off a May–July stretch that ranked as the 10th warmest on record for the state. High temperatures and below-average rainfall intensified conditions across the region, adding to a sustained long-term warming trend that has elevated local temperatures well above historical baselines, with above-average warmth expected to persist over the coming months.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Oklahoma recorded an average temperature of 28.94°C, which is 1.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline and ranks as the 14th warmest on record. The three-month May–July average reached 25.37°C (+1.3°C anomaly), making it the 10th warmest such period in 77 years of tracking. Maximum temperatures in July averaged 35.5°C, ranking 20th highest on record, while precipitation totalled 45.72 mm, running 20.9 mm below historical norms. Globally, land temperatures in July ranked 3rd highest on record at 1.6°C above baseline, while the May–July global average was the 2nd warmest ever recorded.
What changed
Over a longer timeframe, Oklahoma sits 17th out of 232 tracked regions globally for its 12-month rolling temperature anomaly of +2.56°C above baseline. That places the state within a striking concentration of North American warming, where seven of the top ten highest 12-month anomalies worldwide belong to US states. Within its regional group, NOAA's South US climate division (tracked at US South), Oklahoma was the 3rd warmest state this month, trailing only Mississippi and Arkansas as the entire Southern group ran 1.28°C warmer than the long-term baseline. Oklahoma's full-year average temperature for 2025 reached 16.37°C, ranking 11th warmest in 76 years of state tracking.
What’s driving change?
Summer heat across Oklahoma has been amplified by stalled high-pressure atmospheric systems that form over the central United States. As sets in across parched prairie ground, moisture deficits prevent natural evaporative cooling, converting solar energy directly into surface heat. Extreme weather has also touched the area in recent weeks. All of Oklahoma's 1 tropical cyclone this year occurred in the past month, as tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker. All of Oklahoma's 1 wildfire this year also occurred in the past month.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that above-average temperatures are likely to continue across Oklahoma through late summer and into autumn, with persistent dry conditions maintaining drought risk in western areas.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Oklahoma
Köppen Cfa · TemperateOklahoma has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.0°C, while January is the coldest at 3.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 942mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Oklahoma
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Oklahoma
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Oklahoma
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Oklahoma
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Oklahoma
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Cfa · TemperateOklahoma has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±12.8°C) and a wet/dry cycle (4× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Apr (+27 mm, +33%).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
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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.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.0°C, while January is the coldest at 3.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 942mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Oklahoma climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Oklahoma climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.