Dangerous Heat This Weekend

Friday, July 25th 2014, 10:33 pm

By: News On 6

While a good chunk of this season has slid by without much in the way of brutal heat, this weekend will be a taste of what we endured over the previous several summers. A heat dome is again building over the Plains and the heat wave will peak over the weekend with highs near the century mark and heat index values between 105° and 110°.

                As shown in my first map, an Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for Tulsa along with Pawnee and Osage counties through Sunday afternoon. Heat Advisories (for near 105° heat index values) are in effect for a number of other counties in eastern Oklahoma. While this is certainly nothing unusual for mid-summer, the roller coaster ride with temperatures doesn’t allow much time to acclimate to these readings. EMSA has issued a Heat Alert for Tulsa due to the number of heat-related illness cases they’ve been handling. The breeze will be rather brisk Saturday, offering a little relief. However, full sunshine and ample moisture in the air will make it easy to succumb to heat exhaustion or heat stroke if you’re not careful.  Remember to wear light-colored and lightweight clothing, drink water all throughout the day, and take frequent breaks from work outdoors.

                Many folks are flocking to our downtown neighborhood this weekend for the Center of the Universe Festival. While the event takes place just beyond the hottest time of the day, there will only be a modest break from the heat by late in the evening. Around 6pm, the temperature may be 99° with a heat index at 105°.  Even by 9pm, it may still feel like 95°. Take it easy and remember that water is essential!

                A cold front is set to roll into Green Country Sunday. This may be enough to spark scattered thunderstorms by afternoon, some of which may pack locally strong and damaging wind gusts. This kind of hot atmosphere with weak winds aloft allow for downburst winds to occur, which can often exceed 80mph. Hopefully we’ll just get the cool-down and a little rain by Sunday night, but be aware of that risk late in the weekend.

                Next week is my favorite topic in this post. Behind that cold front, a refreshing and drier air mass will settle in and stick around for at least a week. Much like the week before, a deep trough will form in the Great Lakes and push that high pressure heat dome into the Desert Southwest. That frontal boundary will stall out to our south and a few disturbances in the northwesterly flowing jet stream will send a round or two of rain our way by the middle of the week. It will turn an unseasonably cool air mass even cooler! That means July will end on an incredibly pleasant note if you don’t mind a little more (much-needed) rainfall. Our drought continues to be reduced, but an 8”+ rainfall deficit still remains for Tulsa for the year. If our forecast verifies, we might end up with another inch of rain and the coolest July in Tulsa in nearly 50 years! August will also begin with lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s. That 6-10 day temperature outlook shown in the final map puts the bullseye for below-normal temperatures right over us. Believe it, we might get through the worst portion of our summer barely breaking a sweat! Well, except for this weekend of course.

    Stay cool and have a great weekend! Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @GroganontheGO and like my Facebook page!