Breaking down Oklahoma's drought levels to start the new year

We're a month into 2025, and we're finally getting some of our first measurable rain of the year in the Oklahoma City metro.

We're a month into 2025, and we're finally getting some of our first measurable rain of the year in the Oklahoma City metro.

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BUSINESS COURT SYSTEM. WELL, WE ARE 30 DAYS INTO 2025. WE’RE FINALLY GETTING SOME OF OUR FIRST MEASURABLE RAIN HERE OF THE YEAR IN THE METRO. AND IT BEING THURSDAY, WE ALSO HAVE AN UPDATE TO OUR STATE DROUGHT MONITOR FOR OKLAHOMA. METEOROLOGIST JOSEPH NEUBAUER HAS THAT. PLUS, HOW 2025 HAS BEEN SO FAR FOR RAINFALL HERE ACROSS THE STATE. JOSEPH GOOD MORNING GUYS. KIND OF A DRY START TO THE YEAR SO FAR. BESIDES A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW. SOME LIGHT RAIN YESTERDAY AND THIS MORNING 2025 ACTUALLY HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT DRIER THAN NORMAL FOR BOTH THE METRO AND THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. THAT BEING SAID, A NEAR RECORD BREAKING NOVEMBER LAST YEAR FOR RAINFALL HAS KEPT OUR DROUGHT MONITOR FROM CHANGING TOO MUCH FROM WEEK TO WEEK. AND REALLY OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT STILL CONTINUING UP IN NORTHERN OKLAHOMA, A LITTLE BIT OF MODERATE DROUGHT DOWN IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. BUT WE’RE IN A REALLY NICE SPOT HERE IN THE METRO ACROSS THE STATE. COMPARED TO LATE OCTOBER, WE’RE 80% BETTER, IN FACT. BUT 2025 ABSOLUTELY HAS YET TO RECORD A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN IN MANY, MANY SPOTS, ESPECIALLY WESTERN OKLAHOMA. IT’S BEEN 30 PLUS DAYS, TWO MONTHS, IN FACT, SINCE SOME LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN OR MORE, WE’RE JUST NOW GETTING SOME OF THAT HERE IN THE METRO. AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, MOST SITES ACROSS THE STATE HAVE YET TO PICK UP A WHOLE INCH OF RAIN FOR THE YEAR OR TWO. LA NINA CONDITIONS ARE PRESENT AS WELL. THAT MEANS LIKELY OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS AS WE EXIT WINTER, HEAD INTO SPRING LOOKING A LITTLE BIT DRIER THAN NORMAL TOO. AS W

Breaking down Oklahoma's drought levels to start the new year

We're a month into 2025, and we're finally getting some of our first measurable rain of the year in the Oklahoma City metro.

We're a month into 2025, and we're finally getting some of our first measurable rain of the year in the Oklahoma City metro. >> Go to the KOCO weather page | Get KOCO on the Go | Subscribe to KOCO 5's YouTube channelBesides a few inches of snow and some light rain on Wednesday and Thursday morning, 2025 has started out drier than normal for both the Oklahoma City metro and for a good chunk of the state. That being said, a near record-breaking November for rainfall last year has kept Oklahoma's drought monitor in check for the start of the new year. KOCO 5 Meteorologist Joseph Neubauer says a moderate-to-severe drought continues to be a problem up on northern Oklahoma, but the Oklahoma City metro remains drought-free. We're in a much better spot when compared to last October – 80 percent better in fact. But for the winter season and 2025 so far, it's been a dry start. >> Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.Several locations have yet to record a quarter of an inch or more of rain in one sitting, and several aren't even above an inch so far this year. Outside of a few spots in eastern Oklahoma that have been busy to start 2025, the state as a whole is at about 68 percent of normal for rainfall for this winter. Looking ahead, La Nina conditions are present across the Pacific. This pattern and the data ahead suggest the next three months – at least through April – may be drier than normal. That's a key time of year for Oklahoma farmers and the beginning of the spring severe weather season. Be sure to download the KOCO 5 App to receive customized weather alerts. You can watch our team coverage on the app, too.>> Check Closings>> Check Live, Interactive Radar>> Watch KOCO 5 Coverage>> Download the KOCO 5 App on iPhone>> Download the KOCO 5 App on Android>> Subscribe to KOCO 5's YouTube channel>> "Like" KOCO 5 on Facebook>> "Follow" KOCO 5 on X>> Stream KOCO 5 weather updates anytime on the Very Local app

We're a month into 2025, and we're finally getting some of our first measurable rain of the year in the Oklahoma City metro.

>> Go to the KOCO weather page | Get KOCO on the Go | Subscribe to KOCO 5's YouTube channel

Besides a few inches of snow and some light rain on Wednesday and Thursday morning, 2025 has started out drier than normal for both the Oklahoma City metro and for a good chunk of the state.

That being said, a near record-breaking November for rainfall last year has kept Oklahoma's drought monitor in check for the start of the new year. KOCO 5 Meteorologist Joseph Neubauer says a moderate-to-severe drought continues to be a problem up on northern Oklahoma, but the Oklahoma City metro remains drought-free.

We're in a much better spot when compared to last October – 80 percent better in fact. But for the winter season and 2025 so far, it's been a dry start.

>> Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.

Several locations have yet to record a quarter of an inch or more of rain in one sitting, and several aren't even above an inch so far this year. Outside of a few spots in eastern Oklahoma that have been busy to start 2025, the state as a whole is at about 68 percent of normal for rainfall for this winter.

Looking ahead, La Nina conditions are present across the Pacific. This pattern and the data ahead suggest the next three months – at least through April – may be drier than normal. That's a key time of year for Oklahoma farmers and the beginning of the spring severe weather season.

Be sure to download the KOCO 5 App to receive customized weather alerts. You can watch our team coverage on the app, too.

Breaking down Oklahoma's drought levels to start the new year

We're a month into 2025, and we're finally getting some of our first measurable rain of the year in the Oklahoma City metro.

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