One More Day of Summer-Like Weather, Then Much Cooler.

We did not set a record today, but we were not far from it with an afternoon high of 90 after a low this morning of only 66.  The record for today is 95 and the normal values for the max/min here in Tulsa is 76/54 to put things in perspective.  As you can see, a number of other locations also made it to the 90 degree mark.

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Along with the much warmer than normal conditions, the humidity levels were also much above normal and much higher than yesterday, at least for E OK, as you can see by the 24 hour change in the dew point temperature.  The dew point is a measure of how much moisture is in the air and it topped out at 72 around the noon hour which is more typical of summer than this time of year.

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Some lucky folks also picked up some decent rainfall overnight as you can see on the 24 hour precipitation map, courtesy of the OK Mesonet.  In fact, a few locations had a little too much too fast and there were some localized drainage issues during the late night hours.

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For tonight, cannot rule another chance of showers/storms but conditions are not as favorable as was the case last night.  Still, there could be a few marginally severe storms develop in W OK tonight which would then make a run to the NE possibly impacting the counties along and just E of I-35 by early morning.  S/SE winds overnight and the abundant moisture in place also means a very mild start with morning lows only dropping to near 70.

Left over clouds into the morning hours of Thursday should thin out enough that afternoon for daytime highs to once again reach near the 90 degree mark along with gusty southerly winds of 15-25 mph.  A few spotty showers/storms could develop that afternoon, but the chances are very low.  However, that will be changing that night as a vigorous cold front will be pushing through the state and should have cleared all but the far SE counties by early Friday morning.  This boundary will spread a line of showers/storms across the state Thursday night, ending from N-S early Friday morning.  A few marginally severe storms will also be possible with primarily a wind/hail threat and more importantly the potential for some widespread rainfall.  Notice the 3 day QPF which continues to suggest the possibility of a good soaking for many locations.  However, as stated before, we have had a number of systems over the last month or two that failed to live up to expectations, but at least the potential is there for some badly needed rains.

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As you can see on our forecast page, Friday will then be much cooler with brisk northerly winds and the morning cloud cover not clearing out till later in the afternoon.  That will be followed by some very pleasant weather more typical of the time of year through the weekend.  In fact, we will actually be below normal with respect to the overnight lows.

But, those cooler temperatures will not last long as temperatures will start to rebound early next week and the 8-14 day outlook has a strong signal suggesting temperatures above normal once again.  That would most likely translate to daytime highs back into the 80s and overnight lows well into the 50s or perhaps even low 60s.   Also, the 8-14 day outlook is keeping our chances of additional moisture in the below normal category so if we do not receive some decent rains over the next 36 hours, it may be at least another week or more before we get another chance.

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So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot