Back To Summer This Week In Green Country

Good morning. The calendar will suggest the autumnal equinox begins Thursday September 22nd.  But the weather maps are suggesting something totally different.

It appears this week will be dominated by a mid-level ridge of high presure across the Central and Southern Plains. This pattern resembles more of a summer pattern and will result in daytime highs into the mid and upper 90s. The presence of a tropical like atmosphere with dew point temperature in in the 70ss will yield temperature heat index values near 100 to 05 for the next several days.

We will be very close to heat advisory criteria for the next few days, so keep yourself hydrated and take plenty of breaks if you must work outside for any length of time in the afternoon.

The weather pattern today will support South winds at around 5 to 10 mph with morning lows in the seventies and daytime highs into the mid-90s.   And this pattern will continue for the next several days before the ridge weakens Thursday into the weekend. The morning lows in the 70s with the daytime highs into the mid or upper nineties may result in some locations near record highs for the middle of the week.  

The influence of moisture across eastern OK may result in a few isolated storms today across far eastern Ok and western Arkansas. And a fast moving disturbance may brush the state Thursday with a few clouds but precipitation chances will remain very low. 

As we draw closer to the end of the week the upper-level pattern change is expected to take place. This will drive a very strong cold front into the area sometime this weekend with a taste of fall weather behind the boundary.   At this point it's still impossible to pinpoint the exact timing of the frontal boundary for eastern OK, but for this forecast update we anticipate Saturday and Sunday will need a chance for showers and storms, with a Sunday having the higher probability.   

Temperature this weekend will be transitioning from summer-like weather to more of a fall like pattern. Saturday morning temperatures will be in the upper 60s near 70 with daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s. The presence of more clouds along with scattered showers and storms will bring these numbers down even more Sunday with morning lows in the mid-sixties and daytime highs near 80.  Once the boundary clears the area Sunday morning or late afternoon, cooler and dryer air will move across part of Northern Oklahoma. This should allow almost all of next week to experience a true taste of fall weather with morning lows in the 50s and daytime highs in the mid to upper 70s early next week and nearing 80 late next week.

But until we cross into the weekend, it’s back to summer.

Thanks for reading the Monday morning why the discussion and blog. Have a super great day!

Alan Crone