Wednesday Morning Update

Afternoon highs will move into the lower 90s today with yet another chance of a few showers or storms across northeastern and eastern OK.  The chance will not be as high as previous days.  The temperatures will continue to climb into the mid-90s for the end of the week for afternoon highs with morning lows moving into the lower and mid-70s.  Humidity values will be increasing allowing for temperature heat index values moving to near 100.  A weak boundary will be nearing the state this weekend with a chance for a few showers or storms.

The main upper level storm system that has been near our area for the past few days continues to weaken and side westward away from the area.  This movement to the west is unusual for this time of the year but has allowed for significant rainfall across portions of western and central OK during the past few days.  We've also been experiencing some occasional rain-storm activity across the eastern sections of the state even though total rainfall is less than our neighbors to the west. 

The by-product of the additional clouds has allowed for much cooler than average daytime highs with many locations staying in the 70s and 80s for the past few days.  As the main upper level system continues to move westward while weakening, a mid level ridge of high pressure centered across the upper Midwest will expand and nudge westward into the Missouri Valley today and into part of Northeastern OK Thursday and Friday.  This ridge will just as quickly weaken this weekend while allowing a weak northwest flow aloft to move across the central plains Saturday and Sunday. 

Another trough of low pressure will slide across Southeastern Canada Friday into Saturday.  A cold front at the surface will slide southeast across the Midwest and possibly enter the central plains Saturday morning.  This boundary is expected to be near the southern Kansas vicinity Saturday night and could move southward into part of the state Sunday morning.  The GFS has continued to be the most aggressive with this solution in past runs while the EURO keeps the front northward of most of the area.  Normally boundaries would have very little chance of passing the 412 corridor in mid to late July but I suppose anything is possible this summer!  We have continued to keep a chance for some showers and storms in the forecast for this weekend with highs in the 90s.  The extended ensembles point toward increasing temperatures by the middle of next week that could allow our highs to move near 100. 

The official high in Tulsa yesterday was 91 recorded at 4pm.
The normal high is 93 and the low is 73. 

Daily records include a high of 110 from 1936 and a low of 59 from 1967.

Precipitation for the year is now 16.01 inches which is -7.09 deficit from normal compared to the average precip of 23.10 inches to date.

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Twitter@alancrone

I'll be discussing the forecast today on numerous Radio Oklahoma News Network affiliates across the state this morning through the afternoon hours.

Thanks for reading the Wednesday Morning Weather Discussion and Blog.

Have a super great day!

Alan Crone
KOTV