EDMOND — A summer heat wave continues with Oklahoma City recording its 23rd high at or above 100, and moderate to exceptional drought conditions exist across nearly 100 percent of Oklahoma, data released Thursday shows.

On Thursday, Gov. Mary Fallin issued an executive order banning outdoor burning for much of the state. It includes 45 counties in western, central and south-central Oklahoma including Oklahoma County.

County commissioner burn bans remain in effect in some eastern counties not covered by the governor’s proclamation.

“The number of wildfires we have had over the last few months is extremely tough on our state firefighters,” Fallin said in a news release. “It’s a drain on their resources as well as a physical drain. Anything that can be done to minimize fires will help to keep both our firefighters and the public safe. I’m asking all Oklahomans to be vigilant and to do their part in preventing fires.”

Unlawful activities under the governor’s ban include campfires, bonfires and setting fire to any forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes, as well as igniting fireworks, burning trash or other materials outdoors.

Two basic principals apply to all of these situations — individuals are responsible for their actions and the results of their activities, and reasonable caution must be exercised with respect to the existing high fire danger and extra precautionary measures must be taken to prevent wildfires, officials said.

As part of the governor’s ban there are exemptions for a number of items such as welding and road construction.  

For more specific information and detail visit www.forestry.ok.gov or call Michelle Finch-Walker with the Oklahoma Forestry Services at 580-236-1021.



HEAT WAVE CONTINUES

Despite spotty showers here and there the past couple of days roughly the western third of the state and parts of south central Oklahoma are experiencing exceptional drought, the most intense level on the U.S. Drought Monitor’s scale.

Much of central Oklahoma, including all of Oklahoma County, lies in a region of extreme drought. The area of exceptional drought extends into the western third of Canadian County.

Moderate to severe drought conditions exist in roughly the eastern third of the state. Parts of three counties in far southeastern Oklahoma are experiencing abnormally dry conditions.

Following a brief break earlier this week, an oppressive heat wave continues as do daytime highs at or above 100 degrees.

So far this summer, as of Wednesday, Oklahoma City had recorded 23 days of a high at or above 100, tying the 14th all-time longest such number, said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist.

Fifty days is the most days at or above 100 (1980), McManus said. The second-most days were 45 (1934), the third-most 43 (1931) and the fourth-most 41 (1954). In recent years, 2006 was a hotter-than-usual summer with 38 days at or above 100.

Just before noon on Thursday it was 95 degrees at the Guthrie-Edmond Airport. The high was predicted to be 103, then 104 Friday, 102 Saturday, 101 Sunday, 101 Monday, 101 Tuesday and 101 Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service forecast for Edmond.

Oklahoma City broke its high temperature record on five days during June — 103 on June 17, 104 on June 18, 101 on June 19 and 103 on June 27. In Altus, in the area of exceptional drought, the high temperature for June averaged 104.8 degrees, according to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.

Forecasters with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey say the long term outlooks do not look good. The 6-10 day outlook shows relatively high confidence that  warmer-than-normal weather will continue across the state.

Due to the dry conditions, many of the state’s 77 counties are under a burn ban.



Excessive heat covers South

The heat wave that has engulfed the South, produced record-breaking records in Texas.

Texas recorded its warmest June since 1895, according to the National Weather Service, when the mean temperature for the month was 85.2 degrees.

That compares to 83.5 degrees in Louisiana and 83.4 degrees in Oklahoma. Those two states, along with 13 others across mostly the South, recorded mean monthly temperatures that were “much above” normal, but Texas was the only state to break a record, the NWS reported.

No letup is in sight, forecasters say.

Greenville also has recorded 12 straight days of triple-digit high temperatures as recorded at Majors Field Airport. That includes a high of 106 on Friday and 104 Wednesday.

In addition, October 2010 to June 2011 was the driest of any nine-month period for Texas since 1895. The state has recorded just 5.81 inches of rain so far in 2011, according to NWS maps.

The previous record was the stretch from June 1917 to February 1918.



CNHI NEWS SERVICE contributed to this story.



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