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Geography of Oklahoma

The Geography of Oklahoma encompasses terrain and ecosystems ranging from arid plains to subtropical forests and mountains. Oklahoma contains 10 distinct ecological regions, more per square mile than in any other state by a wide margin.[1] It is situated in the Great Plains and U.S. Interior Highlands region near the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states. Usually considered part of the South Central United States, Oklahoma is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas, on the northwest by Colorado, on the far west by New Mexico, and on the south and near-west by Texas.

Oklahoma topographical map
Geographic map of Oklahoma

The state has four primary mountain ranges: the Arbuckle Mountains, the Wichita Mountains, the Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains.[2] Part of the U.S. Interior Highlands region, the Ozarks and Ouachitas form one of the only major highland regions between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians.[3]

A portion of the Flint Hills stretches into north-central Oklahoma, and in the state's southeastern corner, Cavanal Hill is officially regarded as the world's tallest hill; at 1,999 feet (609 m), it fails the definition of a mountain by one foot.[4] More than 500 named creeks and rivers make up Oklahoma's waterways, and with 200 lakes created by dams, it holds the highest number of reservoirs in the nation.[4] Oklahoma covers an area of 69,898 square miles (181,030 km2), with 68,667 square miles (177,850 km2) of land and 1,231 square miles (3,190 km2) of water, making it the 20th-largest state in the United States.[5] Generally, it is divided into seven geographical regions: Green Country, or Northeast Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma, South Central Oklahoma, Southwest Oklahoma, Northwest Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Panhandle.

Topography edit

 
The Ouachita Mountains cover much of southeastern Oklahoma.

Situated between the Great Plains and the Ozark Plateau in the Gulf of Mexico watershed,[6] Oklahoma tends to slope gradually downward from its western to eastern boundaries.[2][7] Its highest and lowest points follow this trend, with its highest peak, Black Mesa, at 4,368 feet (1,516 m) above sea level, situated near the far northwest corner of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The state's lowest point is on the Little River near its far southeastern boundary, which dips to 289 feet (88 m) above sea level.[8]

Most of the state lies in two primary drainage basins belonging to the Red and Arkansas rivers, though the Lee and Little rivers also contain significant drainage basins.[9] In the state's northwestern corner, semi-arid high plains harbor few natural forests and rolling to flat landscape with intermittent canyons and mesa ranges like the Glass Mountains. Partial plains interrupted by small mountain ranges like the Antelope Hills and the Wichita Mountains dot southwestern Oklahoma, and transitional prairie and woodlands cover the central portion of the state. The Ozark and Ouachita (pronounced Oh-Wa-Sheet-ah) Mountains rise from west to east over the state's eastern third, gradually increasing in elevation in an eastward direction.[7][9]

Oklahoma had few natural lakes. Those that did exist were either oxbow or playa lakes. Oklahoma has sixty-two oxbow lakes above 10 acres (0.040 km2) in size. The largest, near the Red River in McCurtain County is 272 acres (1.10 km2). The prolonged drought that started in 1930 and created the condition called the "Dust Bowl", led to the construction of a great many reservoirs throughout the state. Now, Oklahoma has the largest number of lakes created by dams of any state in the United States, with more than 200.[4]

Flora and fauna edit

 
Populations of American bison inhabit the state's prairie ecosystems.

Forests cover 24 percent of Oklahoma,[4] and prairie grasslands, composed of shortgrass, mixed-grass, and tallgrass prairie, harbor expansive ecosystems in the state's central and western portions. Where rainfall is sparse in the western regions of the state, shortgrass prairie and shrublands are the most prominent ecosystems, though pinyon pines, junipers, and ponderosa pines grow near rivers and creek beds in the far western reaches of the panhandle.[10] Marshlands, cypress forests and mixtures of shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, sabal minor, and deciduous forests dominate the state's southeastern quarter, while mixtures of largely post oak, elm, cedar and pine forests cover the Ozark Mountains in northeastern Oklahoma. Many rare, relic species such as sugar maple, bigtooth maple, southern live oak, and nolina inhabit Southwestern Oklahoma and the Wichita Mountains.[9][10][11]

The state holds large populations of white-tailed deer, coyotes, bobcats, elk, and birds such as quail, doves, cardinals, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and pheasants. In prairie ecosystems, american bison, greater prairie-chickens, badgers, and armadillo are common, and some of the nation's largest prairie dog towns inhabit shortgrass prairie in the state's panhandle. The Cross Timbers, a region transitioning from prairie to woodlands in Central Oklahoma, harbors 351 vertebrate species. The Ouachita Mountains are home to black bear, red fox, grey fox, and river otter populations, which coexist with a total of 328 vertebrate species in southeastern Oklahoma.[10]

Protected lands edit

 
Mesas rise above Oklahoma's Glass Mountain state park.

Oklahoma has 41 state parks, two national protected forests or grasslands,[12] and a network of wildlife preserves and conservation areas. Six percent of the state's 10 million acres (40,000 km2) of forest is public land,[11] including the western portions of the Ouachita National Forest, the largest and oldest national forest in the southern United States.[13] With 39,000 acres (160 km2), the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in north-central Oklahoma is the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie in the world and is part of an ecosystem that encompasses only 10 percent of its former land area, once covering 14 states.[14] In addition, the Black Kettle National Grassland covers 31,300 acres (127 km2) of prairie in southwestern Oklahoma.[15] The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is the oldest and largest of nine national wildlife refuges in the state[16] and was founded in 1901, encompassing 59,020 acres (238.8 km2).[17] Of Oklahoma's federally protected park or recreational sites, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the largest, with 4,500 acres (18 km2).[18] Other federal protected sites include the Santa Fe and Trail of Tears national historic trails, the Fort Smith and Washita Battlefield national historic sites, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.[19]

Climate edit

 
Köppen climate types of Oklahoma, using 1991-2020 climate normals.
 
Hickory, pine, and oak forests dominate Northeastern Oklahoma, which receives far more rain than western areas of the state.

Oklahoma sits at a frequent crossroads between three different air masses: warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico; warm to hot, dry air from Mexico and the Southwestern U.S.; and cold, dry air from Canada. Especially from fall to spring, Oklahoma sees frequent air mass changes, which can produce drastic swings in both temperature and humidity. Much of the state is often subjected to extremes in temperature, wind, drought, and rainfall.[20] Most of the state lies in an area known as Tornado Alley characterized by frequent interaction between cold and warm air masses, producing severe weather, with the highest-risk months from April to June.[8] An average of 62 tornadoes strike the state per year, making that one of the highest rates in the world.[21] Due to its position between zones of differing prevailing temperature and winds, weather patterns within the state can vary widely between relatively short distances.[8] Precipitation occurs year-round, but average monthly precipitation is generally lowest in the winter months, rising dramatically to a peak in May (the year's wettest month virtually statewide, owing to frequent, and not uncommonly severe, thunderstorm activity), and decreases again by mid-summer, when long stretches of hot, dry weather are common in July and August many years. Early to mid-fall (September and October) often sees a secondary precipitation maximum. From late October to December, precipitation generally decreases again.

Eastern Oklahoma has a temperate humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) heavily influenced by southerly winds bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and has hot, humid summers and generally cold winters, but with cold spells, accompanied by snow, sleet or freezing rain. This transitions progressively to a semi-arid zone (Köppen BSk) in the high plains of the Panhandle, where a drier climate prevails, with somewhat-colder winters and similarly-hot summers but much lower humidity. Other central to western areas of the state, including Lawton and Enid in the transition zone, are also less affected by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. They also tend to be drier than Oklahoma's eastern counties.[20] Precipitation and temperatures fall from east to west accordingly, with areas in the southeast averaging an annual temperature of 62 °F (17 °C) and an annual rainfall of over 40 and as high as 56 inches (1,420 mm), while areas of the panhandle average 58 °F (14 °C), with an annual rainfall under 17 inches (430 mm).[8] All of the state frequently experiences temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C), or below 0 °F (−18 °C) (though subzero temperatures are rare in southeastern Oklahoma),[20] and snowfall ranges from an average of less than 4 inches (10 cm) in the far south to just over 20 inches (51 cm) on the border of Colorado in the panhandle.[8] The state is home to the National Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service located in Norman.[22] Winter and spring weather often are influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Winters during El Niño are cooler than average and wetter across the western portion of the state due to an amplified southern jet stream. During La Niña, the storm track is further north, therefore winters are warmer than average and drier in the western part of the state.

Climate data edit

Climate data for Oklahoma City (Will Rogers World Airport), 1991−2020 normals,[a] extremes 1890−present[b]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28)
92
(33)
97
(36)
100
(38)
104
(40)
107
(42)
110
(43)
113
(45)
108
(42)
97
(36)
87
(31)
86
(30)
113
(45)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 71.7
(22.1)
77.1
(25.1)
84.2
(29.0)
86.9
(30.5)
92.3
(33.5)
96.4
(35.8)
102.4
(39.1)
101.5
(38.6)
96.2
(35.7)
88.9
(31.6)
79.1
(26.2)
71.2
(21.8)
103.8
(39.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49.3
(9.6)
53.8
(12.1)
62.9
(17.2)
71.1
(21.7)
78.9
(26.1)
87.5
(30.8)
93.1
(33.9)
92.2
(33.4)
83.9
(28.8)
72.8
(22.7)
60.7
(15.9)
50.4
(10.2)
71.4
(21.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.2
(3.4)
42.3
(5.7)
51.2
(10.7)
59.3
(15.2)
68.2
(20.1)
76.9
(24.9)
81.7
(27.6)
80.7
(27.1)
72.7
(22.6)
61.1
(16.2)
49.2
(9.6)
40.0
(4.4)
60.1
(15.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.0
(−2.8)
30.8
(−0.7)
39.5
(4.2)
47.5
(8.6)
57.6
(14.2)
66.2
(19.0)
70.3
(21.3)
69.1
(20.6)
61.5
(16.4)
49.4
(9.7)
37.7
(3.2)
29.5
(−1.4)
48.8
(9.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 11.7
(−11.3)
15.4
(−9.2)
21.5
(−5.8)
32.3
(0.2)
43.8
(6.6)
56.6
(13.7)
63.6
(17.6)
61.7
(16.5)
48.4
(9.1)
33.8
(1.0)
21.7
(−5.7)
14.3
(−9.8)
7.5
(−13.6)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24)
−17
(−27)
1
(−17)
20
(−7)
32
(0)
46
(8)
53
(12)
49
(9)
35
(2)
16
(−9)
9
(−13)
−8
(−22)
−17
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.32
(34)
1.42
(36)
2.55
(65)
3.60
(91)
5.31
(135)
4.49
(114)
3.59
(91)
3.60
(91)
3.72
(94)
3.32
(84)
1.68
(43)
1.79
(45)
36.39
(924)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.8
(4.6)
1.8
(4.6)
0.8
(2.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.5
(1.3)
1.8
(4.6)
6.7
(17)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 5.0 5.7 6.9 7.9 10.0 8.6 6.0 6.7 7.1 7.5 5.8 5.7 82.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 1.3 1.3 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 1.4 4.9
Average relative humidity (%) 66.6 65.7 61.3 61.1 67.5 67.2 60.9 61.6 67.1 64.4 67.1 67.8 64.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 200.8 189.7 244.2 271.3 295.2 326.1 356.6 329.3 263.7 245.1 186.5 180.9 3,089.4
Percent possible sunshine 64 62 66 69 68 75 80 79 71 70 60 60 69
Average ultraviolet index 3 4 6 8 9 10 10 9 8 5 3 2 6.4
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[23][24][25]
Source 2: Weather Atlas [26]
Climate data for Tulsa, Oklahoma (Tulsa Int'l), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)
90
(32)
99
(37)
102
(39)
100
(38)
108
(42)
113
(45)
115
(46)
109
(43)
98
(37)
89
(32)
80
(27)
115
(46)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 70.1
(21.2)
74.9
(23.8)
83.4
(28.6)
86.8
(30.4)
91.3
(32.9)
95.4
(35.2)
101.9
(38.8)
102.2
(39.0)
96.2
(35.7)
88.2
(31.2)
79.0
(26.1)
70.1
(21.2)
103.9
(39.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 48.9
(9.4)
54.0
(12.2)
63.3
(17.4)
72.1
(22.3)
79.7
(26.5)
88.4
(31.3)
93.6
(34.2)
93.0
(33.9)
84.8
(29.3)
73.6
(23.1)
61.4
(16.3)
50.9
(10.5)
72.0
(22.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.5
(3.6)
42.8
(6.0)
52.0
(11.1)
60.8
(16.0)
69.6
(20.9)
78.6
(25.9)
83.4
(28.6)
82.2
(27.9)
73.8
(23.2)
62.3
(16.8)
50.4
(10.2)
41.0
(5.0)
61.3
(16.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 28.0
(−2.2)
31.7
(−0.2)
40.7
(4.8)
49.5
(9.7)
59.5
(15.3)
68.7
(20.4)
73.1
(22.8)
71.5
(21.9)
62.8
(17.1)
50.9
(10.5)
39.4
(4.1)
31.1
(−0.5)
50.6
(10.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 10.4
(−12.0)
13.5
(−10.3)
22.9
(−5.1)
33.5
(0.8)
44.8
(7.1)
56.4
(13.6)
63.4
(17.4)
60.5
(15.8)
46.0
(7.8)
34.5
(1.4)
23.4
(−4.8)
12.6
(−10.8)
4.6
(−15.2)
Record low °F (°C) −16
(−27)
−15
(−26)
−3
(−19)
22
(−6)
32
(0)
49
(9)
51
(11)
48
(9)
35
(2)
15
(−9)
10
(−12)
−8
(−22)
−16
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.63
(41)
1.62
(41)
3.10
(79)
4.37
(111)
5.73
(146)
4.65
(118)
3.76
(96)
3.38
(86)
3.85
(98)
3.78
(96)
2.66
(68)
2.43
(62)
40.96
(1,042)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.7
(6.9)
1.8
(4.6)
2.1
(5.3)
trace 0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
trace 0.7
(1.8)
2.3
(5.8)
9.6
(24)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 6.1 6.6 8.7 8.5 10.5 9.8 6.4 6.6 8.0 7.9 6.8 7.0 92.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 1.9 1.3 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 1.6 5.6
Average relative humidity (%) 66.7 65.2 61.6 61.2 69.1 69.3 63.6 64.5 70.1 66.4 67.4 68.5 66.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 175.8 171.7 219.6 244.4 266.7 294.8 334.7 305.3 232.5 218.6 161.1 160.8 2,786
Percent possible sunshine 57 56 59 62 61 67 75 73 63 63 52 53 63
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[27][28][29]
Climate data for Guymon, Oklahoma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28)
84
(29)
93
(34)
96
(36)
108
(42)
108
(42)
107
(42)
108
(42)
106
(41)
98
(37)
86
(30)
86
(30)
108
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 48
(9)
52
(11)
58
(14)
69
(21)
78
(26)
89
(32)
93
(34)
92
(33)
85
(29)
74
(23)
59
(15)
51
(11)
71
(22)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 21
(−6)
25
(−4)
29
(−2)
41
(5)
50
(10)
61
(16)
65
(18)
65
(18)
56
(13)
44
(7)
30
(−1)
24
(−4)
43
(6)
Record low °F (°C) −19
(−28)
−11
(−24)
−7
(−22)
17
(−8)
28
(−2)
41
(5)
48
(9)
46
(8)
31
(−1)
24
(−4)
4
(−16)
0
(−18)
−19
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.5
(13)
0.9
(23)
0.8
(20)
1.7
(43)
3.1
(79)
2.5
(64)
3.5
(89)
2.8
(71)
1.9
(48)
1.8
(46)
0.8
(20)
0.6
(15)
20.9
(530)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.2
(8.1)
3.9
(9.9)
3.3
(8.4)
1
(2.5)
0.1
(0.25)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.2
(0.51)
1.3
(3.3)
3.5
(8.9)
16.5
(42)
Average rainy days 1.6 2.6 2.2 4.3 6.2 4.9 6.2 5.4 3.6 3.4 2 2 44.4
Average relative humidity (%) 75 71 62 67 59 58 58 54 55 61 58 73 63
Source 1: weather.com
Source 2: Weatherbase.com[30]
Climate data for Lawton, Oklahoma (Elevation 1,150 ft)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 85
(29)
97
(36)
98
(37)
100
(38)
113
(45)
114
(46)
114
(46)
120
(49)
110
(43)
104
(40)
97
(36)
88
(31)
120
(49)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 51.8
(11.0)
57.1
(13.9)
65.5
(18.6)
74.9
(23.8)
82.3
(27.9)
90.8
(32.7)
96.2
(35.7)
96.1
(35.6)
87.9
(31.1)
77.2
(25.1)
63.8
(17.7)
53.7
(12.1)
74.8
(23.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.1
(−2.7)
31.2
(−0.4)
38.9
(3.8)
49.0
(9.4)
58.2
(14.6)
66.8
(19.3)
70.7
(21.5)
69.8
(21.0)
62.2
(16.8)
50.6
(10.3)
38.2
(3.4)
29.8
(−1.2)
49.4
(9.7)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24)
−12
(−24)
6
(−14)
22
(−6)
30
(−1)
45
(7)
52
(11)
46
(8)
35
(2)
16
(−9)
11
(−12)
−8
(−22)
−11
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.19
(30)
1.36
(35)
2.00
(51)
2.84
(72)
4.97
(126)
3.77
(96)
2.33
(59)
2.38
(60)
3.24
(82)
3.30
(84)
1.71
(43)
1.54
(39)
30.62
(778)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.4
(3.6)
1.3
(3.3)
0.5
(1.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.6
(1.5)
4.0
(10)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.2 4.3 6.2 6.1 7.8 7.3 4.7 5.6 6.3 5.7 4.9 4.3 67.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.7
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[31]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ^ Official records for Oklahoma City were kept at the Weather Bureau Office from November 1890 to December 1953, and at Will Rogers World Airport since January 1954. For more information, see Threadex

Further reading edit

  • Robert Lowitt, "Environment and cultural ecology", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

References edit

  1. ^ . TravelOK. TravelOK.com. 2006-01-12. Archived from the original on July 9, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-15.
  2. ^ a b "The Geography of Oklahoma". Netstate. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  3. ^ . USDA Forest Service. 2007-03-07. Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  4. ^ a b c d . TravelOK.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 2006-07-07. Retrieved 2006-07-10.
  5. ^ "Land and Water Area of States, 2000". Information Please. 2000. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
  6. ^ . USGS. 2003-04-17. Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  7. ^ a b "Oklahoma State Map Collection". geology.com. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  8. ^ a b c d e Arndt, Derek (2003-01-01). "The Climate of Oklahoma". Oklahoma Climatological Survey. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  9. ^ a b c "Oklahoma in Brief" (pdf). State of Oklahoma. 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
  10. ^ a b c (PDF). State of Oklahoma. 2005. Archived from the original (pdf) on December 30, 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  11. ^ a b . Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  12. ^ "National Forests". United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 2005-05-01. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  13. ^ "Ouachita National Forest". United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 2005-05-10. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  14. ^ . The Nature Conservatory. 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  15. ^ "Black Kettle National Grassland". USDA Forest Service. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  16. ^ . U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  17. ^ "Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  18. ^ . Oklahoma Wildlife Department. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  19. ^ "Oklahoma National Park Guide". National Park Service. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  20. ^ a b c "Oklahoma's Climate: an Overview" (pdf). University of Oklahoma. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  21. ^ "Tornado Climatology". NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  22. ^ Novy, Chris. "SPC and its Products". NOAA. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  23. ^ "Station Name: OK OKLAHOMA CITY WILL ROGERS AP". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991−2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  24. ^ "NowData − NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  25. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for OKLAHOMA CITY/WSFO AP OK 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  26. ^ "Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  27. ^ "Station Name: OK TULSA INTL AP". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  28. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  29. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for TULSA/WSO AP OK 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  30. ^ "Historical Weather for Guymon, Oklahoma, United States".
  31. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved 2 April 2013.

geography, oklahoma, encompasses, terrain, ecosystems, ranging, from, arid, plains, subtropical, forests, mountains, oklahoma, contains, distinct, ecological, regions, more, square, mile, than, other, state, wide, margin, situated, great, plains, interior, hig. The Geography of Oklahoma encompasses terrain and ecosystems ranging from arid plains to subtropical forests and mountains Oklahoma contains 10 distinct ecological regions more per square mile than in any other state by a wide margin 1 It is situated in the Great Plains and U S Interior Highlands region near the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states Usually considered part of the South Central United States Oklahoma is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri on the north by Kansas on the northwest by Colorado on the far west by New Mexico and on the south and near west by Texas Oklahoma topographical mapGeographic map of OklahomaThe state has four primary mountain ranges the Arbuckle Mountains the Wichita Mountains the Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains 2 Part of the U S Interior Highlands region the Ozarks and Ouachitas form one of the only major highland regions between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians 3 A portion of the Flint Hills stretches into north central Oklahoma and in the state s southeastern corner Cavanal Hill is officially regarded as the world s tallest hill at 1 999 feet 609 m it fails the definition of a mountain by one foot 4 More than 500 named creeks and rivers make up Oklahoma s waterways and with 200 lakes created by dams it holds the highest number of reservoirs in the nation 4 Oklahoma covers an area of 69 898 square miles 181 030 km2 with 68 667 square miles 177 850 km2 of land and 1 231 square miles 3 190 km2 of water making it the 20th largest state in the United States 5 Generally it is divided into seven geographical regions Green Country or Northeast Oklahoma Southeastern Oklahoma Central Oklahoma South Central Oklahoma Southwest Oklahoma Northwest Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Panhandle Contents 1 Topography 2 Flora and fauna 3 Protected lands 4 Climate 4 1 Climate data 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Further reading 8 ReferencesTopography edit nbsp The Ouachita Mountains cover much of southeastern Oklahoma See also Lakes in Oklahoma and List of rivers of Oklahoma Situated between the Great Plains and the Ozark Plateau in the Gulf of Mexico watershed 6 Oklahoma tends to slope gradually downward from its western to eastern boundaries 2 7 Its highest and lowest points follow this trend with its highest peak Black Mesa at 4 368 feet 1 516 m above sea level situated near the far northwest corner of the Oklahoma Panhandle The state s lowest point is on the Little River near its far southeastern boundary which dips to 289 feet 88 m above sea level 8 Most of the state lies in two primary drainage basins belonging to the Red and Arkansas rivers though the Lee and Little rivers also contain significant drainage basins 9 In the state s northwestern corner semi arid high plains harbor few natural forests and rolling to flat landscape with intermittent canyons and mesa ranges like the Glass Mountains Partial plains interrupted by small mountain ranges like the Antelope Hills and the Wichita Mountains dot southwestern Oklahoma and transitional prairie and woodlands cover the central portion of the state The Ozark and Ouachita pronounced Oh Wa Sheet ah Mountains rise from west to east over the state s eastern third gradually increasing in elevation in an eastward direction 7 9 Oklahoma had few natural lakes Those that did exist were either oxbow or playa lakes Oklahoma has sixty two oxbow lakes above 10 acres 0 040 km2 in size The largest near the Red River in McCurtain County is 272 acres 1 10 km2 The prolonged drought that started in 1930 and created the condition called the Dust Bowl led to the construction of a great many reservoirs throughout the state Now Oklahoma has the largest number of lakes created by dams of any state in the United States with more than 200 4 Flora and fauna edit nbsp Populations of American bison inhabit the state s prairie ecosystems Forests cover 24 percent of Oklahoma 4 and prairie grasslands composed of shortgrass mixed grass and tallgrass prairie harbor expansive ecosystems in the state s central and western portions Where rainfall is sparse in the western regions of the state shortgrass prairie and shrublands are the most prominent ecosystems though pinyon pines junipers and ponderosa pines grow near rivers and creek beds in the far western reaches of the panhandle 10 Marshlands cypress forests and mixtures of shortleaf pine loblolly pine sabal minor and deciduous forests dominate the state s southeastern quarter while mixtures of largely post oak elm cedar and pine forests cover the Ozark Mountains in northeastern Oklahoma Many rare relic species such as sugar maple bigtooth maple southern live oak and nolina inhabit Southwestern Oklahoma and the Wichita Mountains 9 10 11 The state holds large populations of white tailed deer coyotes bobcats elk and birds such as quail doves cardinals bald eagles red tailed hawks and pheasants In prairie ecosystems american bison greater prairie chickens badgers and armadillo are common and some of the nation s largest prairie dog towns inhabit shortgrass prairie in the state s panhandle The Cross Timbers a region transitioning from prairie to woodlands in Central Oklahoma harbors 351 vertebrate species The Ouachita Mountains are home to black bear red fox grey fox and river otter populations which coexist with a total of 328 vertebrate species in southeastern Oklahoma 10 Protected lands edit nbsp Mesas rise above Oklahoma s Glass Mountain state park Main article List of Oklahoma state parks Oklahoma has 41 state parks two national protected forests or grasslands 12 and a network of wildlife preserves and conservation areas Six percent of the state s 10 million acres 40 000 km2 of forest is public land 11 including the western portions of the Ouachita National Forest the largest and oldest national forest in the southern United States 13 With 39 000 acres 160 km2 the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in north central Oklahoma is the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie in the world and is part of an ecosystem that encompasses only 10 percent of its former land area once covering 14 states 14 In addition the Black Kettle National Grassland covers 31 300 acres 127 km2 of prairie in southwestern Oklahoma 15 The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is the oldest and largest of nine national wildlife refuges in the state 16 and was founded in 1901 encompassing 59 020 acres 238 8 km2 17 Of Oklahoma s federally protected park or recreational sites the Chickasaw National Recreation Area is the largest with 4 500 acres 18 km2 18 Other federal protected sites include the Santa Fe and Trail of Tears national historic trails the Fort Smith and Washita Battlefield national historic sites and the Oklahoma City National Memorial 19 Climate edit nbsp Koppen climate types of Oklahoma using 1991 2020 climate normals nbsp Hickory pine and oak forests dominate Northeastern Oklahoma which receives far more rain than western areas of the state Oklahoma sits at a frequent crossroads between three different air masses warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico warm to hot dry air from Mexico and the Southwestern U S and cold dry air from Canada Especially from fall to spring Oklahoma sees frequent air mass changes which can produce drastic swings in both temperature and humidity Much of the state is often subjected to extremes in temperature wind drought and rainfall 20 Most of the state lies in an area known as Tornado Alley characterized by frequent interaction between cold and warm air masses producing severe weather with the highest risk months from April to June 8 An average of 62 tornadoes strike the state per year making that one of the highest rates in the world 21 Due to its position between zones of differing prevailing temperature and winds weather patterns within the state can vary widely between relatively short distances 8 Precipitation occurs year round but average monthly precipitation is generally lowest in the winter months rising dramatically to a peak in May the year s wettest month virtually statewide owing to frequent and not uncommonly severe thunderstorm activity and decreases again by mid summer when long stretches of hot dry weather are common in July and August many years Early to mid fall September and October often sees a secondary precipitation maximum From late October to December precipitation generally decreases again Eastern Oklahoma has a temperate humid subtropical climate Koppen Cfa heavily influenced by southerly winds bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and has hot humid summers and generally cold winters but with cold spells accompanied by snow sleet or freezing rain This transitions progressively to a semi arid zone Koppen BSk in the high plains of the Panhandle where a drier climate prevails with somewhat colder winters and similarly hot summers but much lower humidity Other central to western areas of the state including Lawton and Enid in the transition zone are also less affected by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico They also tend to be drier than Oklahoma s eastern counties 20 Precipitation and temperatures fall from east to west accordingly with areas in the southeast averaging an annual temperature of 62 F 17 C and an annual rainfall of over 40 and as high as 56 inches 1 420 mm while areas of the panhandle average 58 F 14 C with an annual rainfall under 17 inches 430 mm 8 All of the state frequently experiences temperatures above 100 F 38 C or below 0 F 18 C though subzero temperatures are rare in southeastern Oklahoma 20 and snowfall ranges from an average of less than 4 inches 10 cm in the far south to just over 20 inches 51 cm on the border of Colorado in the panhandle 8 The state is home to the National Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service located in Norman 22 Winter and spring weather often are influenced by the El Nino Southern Oscillation Winters during El Nino are cooler than average and wetter across the western portion of the state due to an amplified southern jet stream During La Nina the storm track is further north therefore winters are warmer than average and drier in the western part of the state Climate data edit Climate data for Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport 1991 2020 normals a extremes 1890 present b Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 83 28 92 33 97 36 100 38 104 40 107 42 110 43 113 45 108 42 97 36 87 31 86 30 113 45 Mean maximum F C 71 7 22 1 77 1 25 1 84 2 29 0 86 9 30 5 92 3 33 5 96 4 35 8 102 4 39 1 101 5 38 6 96 2 35 7 88 9 31 6 79 1 26 2 71 2 21 8 103 8 39 9 Mean daily maximum F C 49 3 9 6 53 8 12 1 62 9 17 2 71 1 21 7 78 9 26 1 87 5 30 8 93 1 33 9 92 2 33 4 83 9 28 8 72 8 22 7 60 7 15 9 50 4 10 2 71 4 21 9 Daily mean F C 38 2 3 4 42 3 5 7 51 2 10 7 59 3 15 2 68 2 20 1 76 9 24 9 81 7 27 6 80 7 27 1 72 7 22 6 61 1 16 2 49 2 9 6 40 0 4 4 60 1 15 6 Mean daily minimum F C 27 0 2 8 30 8 0 7 39 5 4 2 47 5 8 6 57 6 14 2 66 2 19 0 70 3 21 3 69 1 20 6 61 5 16 4 49 4 9 7 37 7 3 2 29 5 1 4 48 8 9 3 Mean minimum F C 11 7 11 3 15 4 9 2 21 5 5 8 32 3 0 2 43 8 6 6 56 6 13 7 63 6 17 6 61 7 16 5 48 4 9 1 33 8 1 0 21 7 5 7 14 3 9 8 7 5 13 6 Record low F C 11 24 17 27 1 17 20 7 32 0 46 8 53 12 49 9 35 2 16 9 9 13 8 22 17 27 Average precipitation inches mm 1 32 34 1 42 36 2 55 65 3 60 91 5 31 135 4 49 114 3 59 91 3 60 91 3 72 94 3 32 84 1 68 43 1 79 45 36 39 924 Average snowfall inches cm 1 8 4 6 1 8 4 6 0 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 3 1 8 4 6 6 7 17 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 5 0 5 7 6 9 7 9 10 0 8 6 6 0 6 7 7 1 7 5 5 8 5 7 82 9Average snowy days 0 1 in 1 3 1 3 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 4 4 9Average relative humidity 66 6 65 7 61 3 61 1 67 5 67 2 60 9 61 6 67 1 64 4 67 1 67 8 64 9Mean monthly sunshine hours 200 8 189 7 244 2 271 3 295 2 326 1 356 6 329 3 263 7 245 1 186 5 180 9 3 089 4Percent possible sunshine 64 62 66 69 68 75 80 79 71 70 60 60 69Average ultraviolet index 3 4 6 8 9 10 10 9 8 5 3 2 6 4Source 1 NOAA relative humidity and sun 1961 1990 23 24 25 Source 2 Weather Atlas 26 Climate data for Tulsa Oklahoma Tulsa Int l 1991 2020 normals extremes 1893 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 82 28 90 32 99 37 102 39 100 38 108 42 113 45 115 46 109 43 98 37 89 32 80 27 115 46 Mean maximum F C 70 1 21 2 74 9 23 8 83 4 28 6 86 8 30 4 91 3 32 9 95 4 35 2 101 9 38 8 102 2 39 0 96 2 35 7 88 2 31 2 79 0 26 1 70 1 21 2 103 9 39 9 Mean daily maximum F C 48 9 9 4 54 0 12 2 63 3 17 4 72 1 22 3 79 7 26 5 88 4 31 3 93 6 34 2 93 0 33 9 84 8 29 3 73 6 23 1 61 4 16 3 50 9 10 5 72 0 22 2 Daily mean F C 38 5 3 6 42 8 6 0 52 0 11 1 60 8 16 0 69 6 20 9 78 6 25 9 83 4 28 6 82 2 27 9 73 8 23 2 62 3 16 8 50 4 10 2 41 0 5 0 61 3 16 3 Mean daily minimum F C 28 0 2 2 31 7 0 2 40 7 4 8 49 5 9 7 59 5 15 3 68 7 20 4 73 1 22 8 71 5 21 9 62 8 17 1 50 9 10 5 39 4 4 1 31 1 0 5 50 6 10 3 Mean minimum F C 10 4 12 0 13 5 10 3 22 9 5 1 33 5 0 8 44 8 7 1 56 4 13 6 63 4 17 4 60 5 15 8 46 0 7 8 34 5 1 4 23 4 4 8 12 6 10 8 4 6 15 2 Record low F C 16 27 15 26 3 19 22 6 32 0 49 9 51 11 48 9 35 2 15 9 10 12 8 22 16 27 Average precipitation inches mm 1 63 41 1 62 41 3 10 79 4 37 111 5 73 146 4 65 118 3 76 96 3 38 86 3 85 98 3 78 96 2 66 68 2 43 62 40 96 1 042 Average snowfall inches cm 2 7 6 9 1 8 4 6 2 1 5 3 trace 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 trace 0 7 1 8 2 3 5 8 9 6 24 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 6 1 6 6 8 7 8 5 10 5 9 8 6 4 6 6 8 0 7 9 6 8 7 0 92 9Average snowy days 0 1 in 1 9 1 3 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 6 5 6Average relative humidity 66 7 65 2 61 6 61 2 69 1 69 3 63 6 64 5 70 1 66 4 67 4 68 5 66 1Mean monthly sunshine hours 175 8 171 7 219 6 244 4 266 7 294 8 334 7 305 3 232 5 218 6 161 1 160 8 2 786Percent possible sunshine 57 56 59 62 61 67 75 73 63 63 52 53 63Source NOAA relative humidity and sun 1961 1990 27 28 29 Climate data for Guymon OklahomaMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 83 28 84 29 93 34 96 36 108 42 108 42 107 42 108 42 106 41 98 37 86 30 86 30 108 42 Mean daily maximum F C 48 9 52 11 58 14 69 21 78 26 89 32 93 34 92 33 85 29 74 23 59 15 51 11 71 22 Mean daily minimum F C 21 6 25 4 29 2 41 5 50 10 61 16 65 18 65 18 56 13 44 7 30 1 24 4 43 6 Record low F C 19 28 11 24 7 22 17 8 28 2 41 5 48 9 46 8 31 1 24 4 4 16 0 18 19 28 Average precipitation inches mm 0 5 13 0 9 23 0 8 20 1 7 43 3 1 79 2 5 64 3 5 89 2 8 71 1 9 48 1 8 46 0 8 20 0 6 15 20 9 530 Average snowfall inches cm 3 2 8 1 3 9 9 9 3 3 8 4 1 2 5 0 1 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 51 1 3 3 3 3 5 8 9 16 5 42 Average rainy days 1 6 2 6 2 2 4 3 6 2 4 9 6 2 5 4 3 6 3 4 2 2 44 4Average relative humidity 75 71 62 67 59 58 58 54 55 61 58 73 63Source 1 weather comSource 2 Weatherbase com 30 Climate data for Lawton Oklahoma Elevation 1 150 ft Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 85 29 97 36 98 37 100 38 113 45 114 46 114 46 120 49 110 43 104 40 97 36 88 31 120 49 Mean daily maximum F C 51 8 11 0 57 1 13 9 65 5 18 6 74 9 23 8 82 3 27 9 90 8 32 7 96 2 35 7 96 1 35 6 87 9 31 1 77 2 25 1 63 8 17 7 53 7 12 1 74 8 23 8 Mean daily minimum F C 27 1 2 7 31 2 0 4 38 9 3 8 49 0 9 4 58 2 14 6 66 8 19 3 70 7 21 5 69 8 21 0 62 2 16 8 50 6 10 3 38 2 3 4 29 8 1 2 49 4 9 7 Record low F C 11 24 12 24 6 14 22 6 30 1 45 7 52 11 46 8 35 2 16 9 11 12 8 22 11 24 Average precipitation inches mm 1 19 30 1 36 35 2 00 51 2 84 72 4 97 126 3 77 96 2 33 59 2 38 60 3 24 82 3 30 84 1 71 43 1 54 39 30 62 778 Average snowfall inches cm 1 4 3 6 1 3 3 3 0 5 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25 0 6 1 5 4 0 10 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 4 2 4 3 6 2 6 1 7 8 7 3 4 7 5 6 6 3 5 7 4 9 4 3 67 4Average snowy days 0 1 in 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7Source The Western Regional Climate Center 31 See also edit2009 19 Oklahoma earthquake swarms Geology of Oklahoma List of Oklahoma tri pointsNotes edit Mean monthly maxima and minima i e the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020 Official records for Oklahoma City were kept at the Weather Bureau Office from November 1890 to December 1953 and at Will Rogers World Airport since January 1954 For more information see ThreadexFurther reading editRobert Lowitt Environment and cultural ecology Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and CultureReferences edit Oklahoma All Terrain Vacation TravelOK TravelOK com 2006 01 12 Archived from the original on July 9 2006 Retrieved 2006 07 15 a b The Geography of Oklahoma Netstate 2007 07 31 Retrieved 2007 07 31 Managing Upland Forests of the Midsouth USDA Forest Service 2007 03 07 Archived from the original on 2008 06 22 Retrieved 2007 07 31 a b c d About Oklahoma TravelOK com 2007 Archived from the original on 2006 07 07 Retrieved 2006 07 10 Land and Water Area of States 2000 Information Please 2000 Retrieved 2006 11 22 A Tapestry of Time and Terrain USGS 2003 04 17 Archived from the original on 2006 05 15 Retrieved 2007 07 31 a b Oklahoma State Map Collection geology com 2006 Retrieved 2007 08 01 a b c d e Arndt Derek 2003 01 01 The Climate of Oklahoma Oklahoma Climatological Survey Retrieved 2007 07 31 a b c Oklahoma in Brief pdf State of Oklahoma 2003 Retrieved 2007 08 04 a b c A Look at Oklahoma A Student s Guide PDF State of Oklahoma 2005 Archived from the original pdf on December 30 2006 Retrieved 2007 08 14 a b Oklahoma Ecoregional Maps Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Archived from the original on 2007 10 13 Retrieved 2007 08 02 National Forests United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2005 05 01 Retrieved 2007 08 02 Ouachita National Forest United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2005 05 10 Retrieved 2007 08 02 Tallgrass Prairie Preserve The Nature Conservatory 2007 Archived from the original on 2011 02 23 Retrieved 2007 07 31 Black Kettle National Grassland USDA Forest Service 2007 07 24 Retrieved 2007 08 02 Refuge Locator Map Oklahoma U S Fish and Wildlife Service Archived from the original on 2013 03 21 Retrieved 2007 08 17 Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge U S Fish and Wildlife Service Retrieved 2007 08 17 Chickasaw National Recreation Area Oklahoma Wildlife Department Archived from the original on 2007 10 12 Retrieved 2007 08 02 Oklahoma National Park Guide National Park Service 2007 Retrieved 2007 08 02 a b c Oklahoma s Climate an Overview pdf University of Oklahoma Retrieved 2007 08 01 Tornado Climatology NOAA National Climatic Data Center Retrieved 2006 10 24 Novy Chris SPC and its Products NOAA Retrieved 2007 08 01 Station Name OK OKLAHOMA CITY WILL ROGERS AP U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved 2021 05 31 NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved 2021 05 31 WMO Climate Normals for OKLAHOMA CITY WSFO AP OK 1961 1990 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved 2014 03 11 Oklahoma City Oklahoma USA Monthly weather forecast and Climate data Weather Atlas Retrieved 28 January 2019 Station Name OK TULSA INTL AP National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved March 10 2013 NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved February 1 2012 WMO Climate Normals for TULSA WSO AP OK 1961 1990 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved March 11 2014 Historical Weather for Guymon Oklahoma United States Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information Western Regional Climate Center Retrieved 2 April 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Geography of Oklahoma amp oldid 1177211401, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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