2026

February ended as the warmest on record across Oklahoma, a distinction that also pushed the climatological winter of 2025–26 to its warmest on record. The unusual warmth combined with expanding and intensifying drought to create critical fire weather conditions across much of the state. Those ingredients culminated in a mid-February wildfire outbreak that burned more than 300 square miles and forced evacuations across multiple counties. It was a month defined by record heat, deepening drought and wind-driven flames.

January 2026 delivered a little bit of everything Oklahoma weather is known for — a rare January tornado outbreak, a major winter storm accompanied by arctic cold, and continued drought across much of the state. The month featured both destructive severe weather and prolonged freezing conditions, including one of the most impactful snow and ice events in recent memory. By month’s end, more than two-thirds of Oklahoma was in drought, even as snow cover lingered across the northern half of the state. It was a month defined by sharp contrasts and high-impact weather from start to finish.