October 2016 Climate and Hydrology Summary

October 2016

Tulsa: October 2016 was the 5th warmest (68.5°F; since 1905) and the 61st wettest (2.86", tied 1942; since 1888) October on record.

Fort Smith: October 2016 was the 2nd warmest (69.7°F; since 1882) and the 8th driest (0.40", tied 1966; since 1882) October on record.

Fayetteville: October 2016 was the 2nd warmest (63.8°F, tied 1950; since 1949) and the 28th driest (2.97"; since 1949) October on record.

Using the radar-derived estimated observed precipitation from the RFCs, rainfall totals for October 2016 ranged from a measly 0.10” to an excessive 10”! The highest rainfall totals of 5”-10” affected the counties that border KS, with 2”-6” elsewhere northwest of a McAlester to Fayetteville line. Portions of Franklin and Sebastian Counties only received 0.10” to 0.25”, while the remainder of southeast OK and west central AR saw 0.25” to around 2.5”. This corresponds to 150% to 250% of the normal October rain for the KS border counties, and around 5% to 25% for southeast OK and west central AR. The remainder of the area was generally below normal as well.

October 2016 was a very wet month with some river flooding along the Oklahoma-Kansas state line, while it was a very dry month across southeast OK and west central AR.

Minor flooding occurred along the Verdigris River near Lenapah and moderate flooding occurred along the Neosho River near Commerce.

According to the Drought Monitor from November 1, 2016, D2 (Severe Drought) developed over Choctaw and southwest Pushmataha Counties. D1 (Moderate Drought) conditions existed over portions of Tulsa, Okmulgee, McIntosh, Wagoner, Muskogee, Cherokee, Adair, Sequoyah, Haskell, Le Flore, Latimer, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha Counties in eastern OK, and Crawford, Sebastian, and Franklin Counties in west central AR. D0 (abnormally dry conditions but not in drought) were present across portions of Creek, Okfuskee, Tulsa, Washington, Rogers, Mayes, Delaware, and Adair in eastern OK, and Benton, Washington, Crawford, Madison, Franklin Counties in northwest AR.

According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, October 2016 was the 28th wettest for northeast Oklahoma, the 38th driest for east central Oklahoma, and the 12th driest for southeast Oklahoma. Records go back to 1921. For the Cool Growing Season September 1 - October 31, 2016, northeast Oklahoma ranked as the 45th wettest, east central Oklahoma was the 19th driest, and southeast Oklahoma was the 12th driest period. For Year-to-Date 2016 (January 1-October 31, 2016), northeast Oklahoma ranked as the 28th driest, east central Oklahoma was the 25th driest, and southeast Oklahoma was the 45th driest Year-to-Date.