Unravel the weather: How Oklahoma's climate inspires cozy, colorful creations

Oklahoma weather can feel like a rollercoaster, switching between calm days to severe storms quickly. One Oklahoma woman has a unique way of looking back at an entire year of Oklahoma weather, through something most reach for when the temperatures chill.

The color code for Emily Clark's temperature blanket is more complex than simply marking "red for hot and blue for cold." It's a fitting choice, given that Oklahoma weather isn’t so black and white. The blanket she crocheted for 2023 represents Oklahoma City's highs each day, starting with New Year’s Day.

"Every year is different. Especially Oklahoma. Oklahoma is so weird. And that's part of what makes it fun. Because you don't know what you're gonna get!" said Emily, a biologist who works outdoors about a third of the year.

"I actually wanted to be a storm chaser when I was little before I got into art, and then I got into biology and that's kinda where I stayed," she said.

With the weather constantly on her mind, Emily embraced this creative way to track the changes.

As she worked through 2023, Emily experienced the extremes first-hand. She recalled one day when the temperature dropped dramatically. "It started at 70. And then it dropped 20 degrees. I mean that's just crazy," Emily said.

The 2023 blanket itself tells the story of one of the hottest summers on record, with bold oranges and reds standing out.

For 2024, Emily is making a new blanket, one that shows both the highs and lows for each day. "I wanted something that was a bit more distinct," she explained.

Creating these blankets is no small task. Emily keeps up with the daily temperatures and matches them to a color code, combining her love for art and the outdoors.

"I've really always liked weather patterns. Eventually, I'd love to have a house up on a hill and I can just watch the storms rolling in. That would be the best," she shared.

While she's currently focused on 2024's blanket, Emily is already thinking ahead to 2025. "The sky is the limit on what you can do with it," she said. Emily plans to document everything — including the recent snowstorm.

For Emily, each blanket is a new opportunity to explore the ever-changing Oklahoma weather in a creative and meaningful way.

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