June Rains End Drought

Oklahoma’s big weather stories this spring overwhelmingly involved tornadoes and heavy rains — and June was no exception. The month finished as the sixth-wettest June on record, at 7.22 inches, nearly 3 inches above normal. The preliminary tornado count swelled to 25, the second-highest for the month on record. But there was at least one silver lining to all that active weather: June saw drought completely eliminated from Oklahoma for the first time in nearly six years.

2025 Tornado Count Continues to Rise

At least 25 tornadoes were confirmed across Oklahoma in June, and that number may increase as National Weather Service (NWS) personnel continue their damage surveys. That total is just three shy of the record of 28 from June 1995, with accurate data available since 1950. The preliminary total for January through June now stands at 86, far eclipsing the state’s long-term annual average of 58.8 from 1950 to 2024. The January–June average is 49.

Eighteen of the 25 tornadoes in May were rated EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale — the weakest categories, but damaging nonetheless. Another six tornadoes were of “unknown” intensity, as they produced no damage to structures or other indicators that would allow for a rating. McAlester was struck by an EF1 early in the morning of June 7. The twister, in combination with straight-line winds of 85–95 mph, badly damaged some brick buildings in the downtown area. The storm damaged many other homes and businesses and also downed trees and power lines. The strongest tornado of the month was an EF2 that touched down in Ellis County near Arnett, traveling 12 miles into Roger Mills County and reaching a width of at least 500 yards at times.

Drought Impacts Evaporate

The U.S. Drought Monitor noted that no drought — classified as D1 through D4 on its intensity scale — existed in Oklahoma as of June 3. That was the first time the state had been free of drought since July 23, 2019. The following week, all abnormally dry conditions, or D0 on the scale, were also eliminated — a milestone last achieved on June 25, 2019.

This marks the end of a drought episode that began in August 2021. The nearly four-year-long hazard peaked on Oct. 1, 2022, when 86% of the state was in at least extreme drought (D3), and 29% was classified under the most severe category, exceptional drought (D4). At that time, 100% of the state was experiencing at least moderate drought. The Drought Monitor’s intensity scale ranges from moderate to exceptional: D1 (moderate), D2 (severe), D3 (extreme), and D4 (exceptional).

The prodigious rains added to the record totals of April and the heavy rains of May, swelling Oklahoma’s lakes, rivers, and farm ponds. Some reservoirs reported levels more than 20 feet above the conservation pool. Even the seemingly perpetual rain-starved lakes of southwest Oklahoma were approaching normal levels as summer began. The Oklahoma Mesonet’s soil moisture sensors reported near-saturated conditions in the top two feet of soil across most of the state, although values were a bit lower in far western Oklahoma. A few sites in the Panhandle and far southwest remained on the dry side of the scale by the month’s end.

June by the Numbers

- Statewide average temperature: 77.6°F, or 0.3°F above normal — the 48th-warmest June since records began in 1895
- Temperature extremes: High of 101°F at Buffalo, Cherokee, and Freedom on June 29; low of 43°F at Eva on June 4; highest heat index, 110°F at Burneyville on June 14
- Warmest/Coolest locations: Highest monthly average temperature, 81.2°F at Grandfield; lowest, 72.3°F at Kenton 
- Statewide average precipitation: 7.22 inches, or 2.96 inches above normal — the sixth-wettest June on record
- Rainfall extremes: High of 14.8 inches at Lake Carl Blackwell; low of 1.77 inches at Kenton
- Rainfall totals greater than 5 inches: 89 instances recorded at the 119 Oklahoma Mesonet sites, including 30 above 10 inches

Drought Development Unlikely During July

The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) outlook for July shows slightly increased odds of above-normal temperatures across all of Oklahoma, with equal chances of above-, near-, or below-normal precipitation. The CPC’s July drought outlook projects no new drought development through the end of the month.