Climate change in Oklahoma encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has noted: "In the coming decades, Oklahoma will become warmer, and both floods and droughts may be more severe. Most of Oklahoma did not become warmer during the last 50 to 100 years. But soils have become drier, annual rainfall has increased, and more rain arrives in heavy downpours. In the coming decades, summers are likely to be increasingly hot and dry, which would reduce the productivity of farms and ranches, change parts of the landscape, and possibly harm human health".
It has also been noted that Oklahoma's grasslands "are a vital component in nature's fight against climate change" due to their capacity to capture and store carbon.
Politics of climate change in Oklahoma
Discussions of climate change in Oklahoma have been described as "subtle", as Oklahoma is a highly conservative and religious state, where the oil and gas industry plays a leading role in the economy.
In 2015, surveys identified Woodward County, Oklahoma as one of the most climate skeptical counties in the United States.
Oklahoma is home to Senator Jim Inhofe, who served from 1994 to 2023 and is known for throwing a snowball in the US Senate in 2015 "in an effort to disprove what he sees as alarmist conclusions about man-made climate change," and to politician and climate skeptic Jim Bridenstine. Bridenstine modified his positions on climate upon becoming NASA administrator in 2018. Former Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt, who has been closely allied with the fossil fuel industry, served as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator from 2017-2018.
Flooding is a major concern in the state, especially in the wake of unusually heavy rains. Cities such as Tulsa are responding with flood control efforts in preparation for extreme weather events, without using the term climate change.
Despite current debates on appropriate terminology, when viewed from a historical rather than a political perspective, it is clear that the climate of Oklahoma has changed considerably since the dust storms of the 1930s, which occurred after years of drought and poor farming practices. Online course resources have been assembled by a NASA, NSF and NOAA-supported program, "The Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA)" under the title "Dust Bowl: Is Climate Change Starting Another?," enabling students to assess the history of the 1930s Dust Bowl from a 21st century perspective of computers and space-based data collection.
Precipitation and water resources
Oklahoma's Water by 2060 plan calls for Oklahoma to use "no more fresh water in 2060 than was used in 2012."
"Changing the climate is likely to increase the demand for water but make it less available. As rising temperatures increase evaporation and water use by plants, soils are likely to become even drier. Average rainfall is likely to decrease during spring and summer. Seventy years from now, the longest period without rain each year is likely to be at least three days longer than it is today. Increased evaporation and decreased rainfall are likely to reduce the average flow of rivers and streams".
"Decreased river flows can create problems for navigation, recreation, public water supplies, and electric power generation. Commercial navigation can be suspended during droughts when there is too little water to keep channels deep enough for barge traffic. Decreased river flows can also lower the water level in lakes and reservoirs, which may limit municipal water supplies; impair swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities; and reduce hydroelectric power generation. Conventional power plants also need adequate water for cooling. Compounding the challenges for electric utilities, rising temperatures are expected to increase the demand for electricity for air conditioning".
"Although summer droughts are likely to become more severe, floods may also intensify. During the last 50 years, the amount of rain falling during the wettest four days of the year has increased about 15 percent in the Great Plains. Over the next several decades, the amount of rainfall during the wettest days of the year is likely to continue to increase, which would increase flooding".