Records Set Again Today, Big Changes For Friday

Although not as warm as yesterday, temperatures today still either set or tied records for the warmest morning low and warmest daytime high.  So far in Tulsa, our max/min has been 80/64 as compared to the normal values of 60/39.  The 80 this afternoon ties the record from 1969 for the daytime high and the 64 this morning shattered the record of 58 set back in 1941.  That 64 will likely hold since we do not expect to be any cooler before midnight tonight; but, much cooler air will be moving in shortly after the midnight hour.  Notice the extremely warm conditions were state wide and the strong southerly winds certainly contributed to the very un-November like conditions.

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That will all be changing tonight as a strong cold front will have moved through most of the state by sunrise Friday bringing much cooler air along with strong, gusty NW winds.  Temperatures tonight will stay in the 60s until the front arrives and then drop off to near the 50 degree mark for the early morning hours.  Temperatures should then rebound somewhat around mid-day with lots of sunshine trying to offset those gusty NW winds, but by late afternoon the much cooler air will really make a difference as we should be in the 40s by sunset.

There will also be a chance of showers/storms ahead of the front as it pushes through tonight, but as you can see on the QPF map, most of what falls will be over the more eastern counties and into Arkansas and most of those amounts will be on the light side. 

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We certainly do need moisture but this system will not provide much relief as drought continues to spread across the Sooner state.  Notice the updated drought monitor is not painting a very pretty picture, not only for OK but even more so in the SE states.

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With not much hope for rain and much cooler, drier air settling over the state, we will at last see our first widespread freeze of the season.  Temperatures Friday night will drop off quickly with clear skies and light northerly winds.  By morning, most locations will be at or below freezing, including the urban environment along with upper 20s likely for the outlying rural locations and the normally cooler valleys.

Saturday will have light northerly winds and sunny skies with temperatures only reaching the lower 50s followed by another rapid cool-down that night.  In fact, look for temperatures to be at or below freezing again for Sunday morning. 

As you can see on our forecast page, temperatures will rebound Sunday afternoon going into early next week with southerly winds returning.  Also, a disturbance aloft will be quickly moving across the state along about Tuesday to bring at least a chance of showers and perhaps some thunder.  That will be followed by northerly winds and a cool-down for Wednesday, but this is not a particularly strong system so temperatures will still be a bit above normal.

That will set the stage for what should be a very pleasant Thanksgiving Day with lots of sunshine, a chilly start that morning but a nice rebound that afternoon with temperatures likely reaching the lower 60s which is warmer than the normal value of 57.

After that, the 8-14 day outlook continues to suggest temperatures running warmer than normal on average through that period.  At least there is now some hope for scattered showers during that 8-14 day time period.

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By the way, the unusually warm Sep-Nov time frame this year now has us as the 2nd warmest fall season on record.   We are still in second place for the warmest year to date; behind only 2012 which was the warmest ever.

So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot