Drought in Pushmataha, Oklahoma

Several widespread rainfall events affected eastern Oklahoma in December. Despite that, much of the region received below normal precipitation for the month, with generally one to three inches of rain occurring across the area. The exception to that was in the drought-stricken areas of northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Oklahoma where near normal to more than 200 percent of normal average precipitation occurred. Three to five inches of rain fell across western Osage and Pawnee Counties, and three to four inches fell across western Choctaw and Pushmataha Counties. As a result of this rainfall in those areas, slight improvements in drought coverage occurred in these regions. Extreme (D3) drought conditions across portions of Osage County improved to severe (D2) drought conditions by the end of the month, and the coverage of severe (D2) drought conditions in Osage, Washington, Choctaw, and Pushmataha Counties generally decreased during the month. Monetary damage estimates as a result of the drought were not available.