False fall followed by weeks of hot weather an 'unusual' pattern, state climatologist says

Michael Dekker

Tulsa World Business Reporter

An early reprieve from the seemingly relentless late-summer heat was just a mirage, the state climatologist said.

“The early taste of fall that delighted many Oklahomans at the end of August lingered through the first week of September before summer grabbed the remote control again,” State Climatologist Gary McManus said in his monthly climate summary for September.

“Gone were the autumn-like highs in the 60s and 70s, replaced by the more customary 80s and 90s,” he said.

The statewide average temperature for this September, 73.8 degrees, 0.9 above normal — was the 56th-warmest September since records began in 1895, he said.

“Despite that return to normalcy, Mother Nature couldn’t resist one more twist: For the first time since 2008, the O