Ozone Alert And Gradually Increasing Heat Index Values Soon

The first Ozone alert of the summer season has been issued for the Tulsa metro area today. Ozone formation in the lower levels of the atmosphere can be harmful to some people who experience respiratory problems.  

Air pollutants from industrial activities and vapors and exhaust from gas engines can remain trapped near the ground in this current weather pattern.   Abundant sunshine can trigger a chemical process that results in the ground formation of Ozone. Ozone levels may be decreased by postponing operating gas powered lawn equipment, limiting driving, and refueling during the late evening hours. 

The pattern changed this weekend and allowed slightly lower dew points to infiltrate eastern Oklahoma. The result has been lower heat index values and lower actual temperatures. This “slightly drier” air mass should remain for the next two days before a gradual increase of low level moisture returns and may support heat advisory products again for part of eastern Oklahoma.  

My first option for this would be possibly Wednesday, but more than likely Thursday afternoon with heat index numbers around 100 to 108. The pattern may support a weak boundary nearing southern Kansas by Friday or Saturday.  This could produce a few scattered storms that may take the edge of the temps for a few spots northward.  

At this point, most locations will remain warm and dry for the next few days. But there will be some late day isolated storms for some locations today and tomorrow, mainly across far eastern or southeastern Oklahoma.

The ridge of pressure in the mid-levels of the atmosphere will continue to expand eastward and should encompass most of the area for the next few days.  The ridge is expected to flatten by Thursday as a weak disturbance in the flow nears southwestern Kansas by Friday morning.   A weak surface boundary will slide southward from the central plains and will bring a few storms to Kansas Friday into Saturday.  

This may be just enough to help shove a few outflows near the state with some scattered storms a possibility this weekend.   We’ll keep a slight chance late Thursday night and Friday morning across the far northern OK region, and then again Sunday.

Temperatures will be in the lower to mid-70s for this morning and Tuesday morning.   Highs this afternoon should be from the 90 to 95 range across northern OK with the warmer readings likely for the Tulsa metro.   Temperatures will slowly climb through the weekend with mid to upper 70s for lows and highs in the upper 90s Wednesday through Friday.  

The heat index values will near climbing to near 100-104 Tuesday and Wednesday, and then crossing from 103 to 108 Thursday.  This would trigger heat advisories for Thursday and possibly Friday across northern OK.  

Thanks for reading the Monday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a safe day.

Alan Crone

KOTV