Oklahoma residents are experiencing a brief respite from the frigid temperatures that have dominated much of early 2025, but State Climatologist Gary McManus is urging caution, reminding everyone that “false spring” is a familiar and often deceptive phenomenon.
“Any Okie worth their salt (I prefer pepper) knows not to fall for false spring #2,” McManus stated, referencing the early February warm spell that was quickly followed by another blast of winter. He noted, “See, we had false spring #1 back in early February, and then the winter hit the fan again. Now that I look at that it appears 2025 has been mostly pretty darned cold.”
The recent Arctic blast, which saw temperatures plummet to record lows, left a lasting impression. McManus detailed the severity of the cold, saying, “Nobody wants to revisit last week’s Arctic blast, so I will. Miami was the last Mesonet site to break back above freezing, right at about 113 hours.”
The numbers paint a stark picture. “And it got cold, ladies and gentlemen (and most of the rest of ya). How cold, you ask? Well, the statewide average temperature on Feb. 19 was 9.6F, which is 33rd-coldest day on record in Oklahoma, dating back to at least 1920,” McManus explained. He also compared it to the extreme cold of 2021, saying, “Of course, that pales in comparison to Feb. 16 and 15, 2021, which came in at -0.6F and -0.2F, respectively, to take the top-2 spots.”
However, he also reminded us that 2024 also had really cold temperatures, saying, “Now keep in mind that January 14 and 15, 2024, were both colder than last Wednesday at 7.4F and 8.8F, respectively again (more like DISrespectively being that cold), so maybe not the coldest air we’ve seen since 2021. I’ve tried to reflect on that January 2024 cold air outbreak several times, but it hasn’t really taken hold. The Rodney Dangerfield of Oklahoma cold air outbreaks, I guess.”
Despite the recent cold, a warming trend is underway. “Anyway, we’re talking spring again. While we will see some ups and downs, as per usual in Oklahoma weather, we won’t be seeing anything like last week again this season,” McManus assured.
While the immediate forecast promises warmer days, McManus emphasized the unpredictable nature of Oklahoma weather. “That’s not to say it won’t get cold again, which it definitely will, or even that it won’t get DANGED cold again, which it probably will, but we have a good 7-10 days of ‘hey, it feels like spring’ weather.”
He highlighted the immediate forecast, saying, “Heck (no, it’s not raining right now, for crying out loud!), tomorrow looks even better than today! Then we get a more normal late-February day–but still above normal–on Wednesday.”
Looking ahead, McManus acknowledged the need for precipitation. “We do need rain. We’ll talk more about that tomorrow. Until then, enjoy spring whilst it’s here. It’ll be summer in a couple of weeks. Then winter again.”
In essence, Oklahomans are advised to enjoy the current warm spell while remaining vigilant, as the state’s weather patterns remain notoriously fickle. To read more from Gary McManus on his daily Ticker, click here:
