A Quiet End to an Extreme Year

I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday! The weather was quiet and the temperatures were reasonable so there was very little to complain about (unless you were pining for a White Christmas). Monday was the only hiccup in an otherwise incredible streak of weather for us in December. This time of year is notorious for a winter storm or two, but there are none to be found or forecasted for the time being. In fact, our weather pattern becomes even calmer and more comfortable from here on out through the end of the year.

A quiet end to 2011 is about the last thing you'd expect after the unprecedented year in weather Oklahoma has seen. 2011 began with the devastation of an EF-3 tornado just across the border into Arkansas. This was followed by the blizzards, all-time record cold and even some flooding. Severe weather season was a doozy with the images of tornado damage from Joplin and throughout Oklahoma still fresh in our minds. Like a switch, the summer furnace was turned on, leaving Oklahoma with shattered heat records left and right. The heat, coupled with the lack of rain, gave Oklahoma's agricultural industry a billion-dollar blow. The drought continues for most of the state, but with some improvement. The map above shows the bettered state of the drought in our region. Finally, the recent earthquakes rattled the nerves and infrastructure here in Oklahoma. The latest one struck Christmas morning, rated a 3.3 on the Richter Scale. It was appropriate that for Christmas, I received an "I Survived Oklahoma 2011" t-shirt. So, once again, the streak of nice weather we are rolling back into seems very uncharacteristic of the year we just endured. Be on the lookout this week for a "Year in Review" story on our year of weather extremes on News on 6!

Changes to the forecast are always possible, but for now, no rain or snow is in the forecast through New Year's Day with gradually warming temperatures. How do 60s sound for highs by week's end?! Those readings, combined with light winds and mostly clear skies will allow us to enjoy a respite from winter's wrath. The forecast for the start of 2012 is also easy on the eyes. No major cool-downs or winter storms (or severe weather for that matter) appear imminent.

This will be my final entry for the year. I'll be out of the studio for a couple days, enjoying the nice weather like I hope you will be! Have a great final week of 2011 and a wonderful start to the New Year. See you on the flip side!

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