Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate

1. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • Oklahoma is located in the South Central Region of the United States • Has a population of an estimated 3,751,351 people as of the 2010 census • Has a land area of 68,667 square miles • Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th largest state • Oklahoma has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, ranking among the top states in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth.

2. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • most of Oklahoma lies in the Great Plains and the U.S. Interior Highlands—a region especially prone to severe weather. • Part of the Bible Belt, widespread belief in evangelical Christianity makes it one of the most politically conservative states • 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. • An average 54 tornadoes strike the state per year—one of the highest rates in the world. • Because of its position between zones of differing prevailing temperature and winds, weather patterns within the state can vary widely between relatively short distances and can change drastically in a short time

3. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • Summers are long and usually quite hot. Winters are shorter and less rigorous than those of the more northern Plains states • The mean annual temperature over the state ranges from 62 F along the Red River to about 58 F along the northern border. It then decreases westward to 56 F in Cimarron County • Temperatures of 90 F or greater occur, on average, about 60-65 days per year in the western panhandle and the northeast corner of the state. In the southwest, the average is about 115 days, and in the southeast about 85 days.

4. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • The western half of the state, except the panhandle, averages 15 or more days with triple-digit temperatures. • The eastern half of the state and most of the panhandle average less than 15 days over 100 • The highest temperature ever recorded in the state was 120 F at Alva, Altus and Poteau in the summer of 1936 during the Dust Bowl • Temperatures of 32 F or less occur, on average, about 60 days per year in the southeast, about 110 days per days year where the panhandle joins the rest of the state, to 140 in the western panhandle • The lowest temperature on record is -27 F, set originally at Vinita on February 13, 1905, and tied at Watts on January 18, 1930

5. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • The average length of the growing season is about 225-230 days in Southern Oklahoma. This decreases to about 195 days in the eastern panhandle, then more rapidly to 175 in the western panhandle • Along the Red River, the average date of the last freeze of spring ranges from about March 15 in the east to April 1 in the west • In northern Oklahoma, the last freeze of spring occurs, on average, from about April 8 near the Missouri border to April 15 in the eastern panhandle to the last week of April in the western panhandle • The average date of the first freeze varies from about October 15 in the western panhandle, to about October 25 along the northern border, to about November 10 along the Red River

6. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • Rainfall in Oklahoma has a sharp decrease in rainfall from east to west • Western panhandle gets about 17 inches whereas the far southeast gets about 56 inches. • On average, May brings more precipitation than any other month across 90% of Oklahoma • Excessive rainfall occurs at times. Amounts of ten inches or more in 24 hours, while rare, have been recorded. The greatest official rainfall in a 24-hour period is 15.68 inches at Enid on October 11, 1973. Amounts up to 20 inches in a day have also been reported from non-standard sources

7. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • Severe weather can occur at any time of day, but the maximum frequency for severe weather is from mid-afternoon to sunset • Oklahoma has some of the highest numbers of tornadoes in the world. Since 1950, an average of 54 tornadoes have been observed annually within the state's borders • Tornadoes are easily most frequent during springtime months of April, May and June accounting for about three-fourths of the the yearly tornadoes in Oklahoma. • May is the most active month averaging 20 tornadoes • Peak hours are between 4 pm and 8 pm and most tornadoes travel to the north and east.

8. Oklahoma’s Facts and Climate • April 9, 1947 a large tornado killed 101 people in northwestern Oklahoma, almost all of these in Woodward. • On May 3, 1999 an outbreak of tornadoes occurred across central Oklahoma. In 21 hours, 75 tornadoes were observed, causing 40 deaths and 700 injuries. The largest of these struck southwestern and southern portions of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, destroying nearly 1,000 homes and inflicting over one billion dollars in damages. Radar observations indicated winds of 318 miles per hour, the greatest such observation to date • Differences in death tolls is better warning and awareness by people about tornadoes

9. May 3, 1999 Tornado • Moore, Oklahoma in 1999 after Tornado

10. May 3 Tornado Moore rebuilt in 2009

11. 1.) What region of the United States in Oklahoma located in? a.) Southwestern b.) Southeastern c.) South Central 2.) How big is Oklahoma in terms of population? a.) It’s in the top twenty of population of states in the United States b.) It’s one of the top ten smallest states in the United States c.) It’s close to an average size state in the United States 3.) What type of weather events is Oklahoma proned to? 4.) Why does Oklahoma have so many storms? 5.) Which part of Oklahoma gets the hottest on average? a.) Along the Red River b.) Along the Northern border c.) Western Oklahoma in Cimarron County 6.) What Region of Oklahoma is the hottest? a.) Southeast b.) Southwest c.) Panhandle 7.) What is the highest temperature ever recorded and where was it recorded (name one of the three cites)? 8.) What part of Oklahoma is the coldest? a.) The southeast b.) The part of the panhandle that joins with the rest of the state c.) The western edge of the panhandle 9.) What is the lowest temperature ever recorded and where was it recorded? 10.) Which part of the state receives the most rainfall? a.) The southeast b.) The western panhandle c.) The southwest Chapter 26 Quiz

12. Chapter 26 Quiz Con’t. • 11.) What month averages the most amount of rain in Oklahoma? • a.) April • b.) May • c.) June • 12.) What part of the day is most likely to produce severe weather? • a.) The morning hours into early afternoon • b.) Overnight into the morning • c.) The afternoon into early evening • 13.) What directions do most tornadoes travel? • a.) North and East • b.) South and West • c.) North and West • 14.) Describe the May 3, 1999 tornado. Make sure and list the names at least one town that was hit? • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • 15.) Why are less people hurt as a result of severe weather now as opposed compared to the past? • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________