Cooler Weather Today

The last gasp of our current storm system is exiting the state this morning with a few spotty showers followed by gusty north winds and cooler weather today. Even though most locations will remain dry this morning, after the next few hours, we'll be finished with shower chances for the rest of the day. Another separate system will arrive Friday with additional rain and storm chances. The severe weather threats should remain south of the area but some pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall may occur across part of eastern OK and western Arkansas. Cooler weather will be likely also tomorrow with highs in the upper 60s along with north winds. The Friday system will exit the area by evening allowing pleasant weather for most of the weekend. The upper air pattern will bring at least one, possibly two additional storm systems near the state early next week. The first may bring a few storms across far northern OK and southern Kansas late Sunday night int Monday morning with higher chances either Tuesday night or Wednesday. The threat for a few strong to severe storms will slowly arrive again next week. 

 A surface front is moving southeast this morning with pressure rises behind the boundary helping to bring gusty north winds across part of the area for the next few hours. Winds from 15 to near 30 mph should diminish to 10 and 15 mph winds by the afternoon. Temperatures have dropped into the lower and mid-50s across northern OK this morning behind the front with afternoon readings expected to be 10 to 12 degrees cooler this afternoon across northern OK compared to yesterdays mid and upper 70s. Part of southeastern and east-central OK able to reach the lower 70s this afternoon. Far southeastern OK and southwestern Arkansas will remain in the upper 70s near 80.

The main upper level pattern supports a strong cyclone positioned across central Canada moving eastward in the northern stream, with a short-wave trough rotating across the intermountain west later today in the southern branch. Tomorrow, this southern stream feature will lift out across the southern and central plains helping to produce a new surface low across Texas. Showers and storms be redeveloping as these features lift eastward across part of Texas and Oklahoma. The trajectory of moisture and wind flow should keep the stronger to severe storms well south of our immediate area. Most data will support some pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall which may add to the already swollen creeks and streams. Flood watches will remain for east central OK Friday as this system moves across the state. If the current timing holds, this system will be exiting southeastern and far eastern OK either Friday night or early Saturday morning allowing for a mostly pleasant weekend.

Thanks for reading the Thursday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a great day!