A special thanks to Gary McManus, Associate State Climatologist for sharing this write-up!
November 11, 1911: A Century of Extreme Weather
Oklahomans have grown accustomed to the extreme weather of the Great Plains, particularly during the transitional months of spring and fall. Friday marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most extreme days of all.
Many state residents have left the house dressed for a pleasantly warm autumn day only to be caught unaware by the icy chill of an arctic blast. With experience comes wisdom, however, and most have learned to keep a trained eye on the weather forecasts.
Imagine the surprise of the state’s burgeoning population on November 11, 1911, when weather forecasts were mostly limited to observations passed down the telegraph line, as they witnessed one of the most abrupt temperature swings in Oklahoma history. On that afternoon, Oklahoma City reached a record high temperature of 83 degrees. Soon thereafter, a “norther” barreled through the state, dropping temperatures 50-65 degrees in the span of a few hours. By midnight, the temperature at Oklahoma City had plunged to a frigid 19 degrees on its way down to 17 degrees, the record low for that same date.
Both records still stand, marking November 11, 1911, as the only date in state history in which the record high and low temperatures were broken on the same day for a single location.
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