Surrounded by gently rolling prairie and plains along the North Canadian River, Oklahoma City is at the geographic center of the state. With a climate influenced by the Great Plains region, Oklahoma City is one of the sunniest, windiest cities in the country. Summers are long and hot; winters, short and mild. Tornadoes are not uncommon; in May 1999 central Oklahoma was hit by the most devastating tornadoes in its history, a series of twisters that flattened entire neighborhoods in the city and caused $40 million in damage in central Oklahoma.
Area: 606.99 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 1,291 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 45.9° F; July, 80.7° F; annual average, 60.1° F.
Average Annual Precipitation: 32.03 inches of rain; 9.0 inches of snow