Ozone Alert Issued As Northeast Oklahoma Heats Up

A few showers or small storms will remain possible for the next hour or two across the area yet the odds are low for most folks.   An isolated storm could develop this afternoon along a remnant boundary across the northern sections of the state when combined with daytime heating but again the odds will remain very low, if not zero.

Today is also an Ozone Alert Day.

Storms will develop later this evening across part of western Kansas and will move southeast later tonight.  A few leftover showers or storms may approach the areas northwest of the I-44 corridor region pre-dawn Thursday before falling apart.  This chance will remain near or less than 20 percent for these areas around the Osage to Pawnee County locations late tonight into early Thursday morning. 

WARN Interactive Radar

 High temperatures this afternoon will move well above the seasonal average with the metro at or slightly above 90. We may be nearing record highs in some locations this afternoon, including the Tulsa metro.  Our winds will veer from the southwest this afternoon with speeds in the 10 to 20 mph range for the day.   Stronger winds are likely Friday into Saturday with 20 to 30 mph likely in advance of another system that may bring a few storms into the Sunday into Monday, yet the chances will now remain rather low until the middle or end of next week. 

The pattern will begin to change this weekend into early next week.  A trough will begin influencing the western U.S. while a mid-level ridge is positioned from Texas eastward into the southern U.S.  The top edge of this ridge may limit the eastward progression of the trough for a few days before the ridge is projected to flatten by middle to end of next week.  The result has been for the data to keep the previously mentioned Sunday front north of the state early next week.  As the ridge flattens, more active weather is likely to unfold across Oklahoma by the middle to end of next week with increasing storm chances.  This means our pattern will become messy and probably will bring a few severe weather threats back to the state next week.  Yet the specifics are far from being concrete at this point in the forecast process.

Relatively light surface winds combined with the expectation of little mixing in the atmosphere this afternoon will promote the growth of ozone in the lower levels.  The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Ozone alert for today across the Tulsa metro region.  

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The following is information regarding the Ozone Alert, as posted by our friends at the National Weather Service.

While ozone in the upper levels of the atmosphere is beneficial in screening the suns radiation, it is harmful near the ground. Ozone can bother those with respiratory problems and can damage vegetation.

A few simple measures can be taken to help keep the ozone levels from becoming unhealthy. During ozone alert days:

Postpone any unnecessary driving and car pool if possible. 

If you do drive to work,turn The air conditioner in your car off during your morning commute. You can also cut down on extra driving by bringing your lunch to work. If you must refuel your vehicle, do it in the evening after the sun goes down or postpone your fueling to another day.

Postpone running the lawn mower and gas trimmer, the exhaust from these small engines contributes a significant amount of pollution to the air. Industrial facilities should reduce pollution emissions as much as possible on ozone alert days.

These preventative measures, performed throughout the Tulsa metro area, can have a tremendous effect in reducing the pollutants that contribute to ozone problems.

For further information, contact The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality at (918) 293-1600 or the Indian Nations Council of Governments /INCOG/ at (918) 584-7526. Additional information can also be found at www.ozonealert.com...including current ozone levels around the Tulsa area.

Thanks for reading the Wednesday morning weather discussion and blog.