Heat Advisory Through Thursday At Least

Fortunately, our dew point temperature here in Tulsa mixed out rather nicely this afternoon to 66 degrees after running as high as 76 up to the noon hour today.  However, cannot say the same about many other locations around the state as those higher dew points were more persistent at most other locations as you can see on the dew point temperature map as of late this afternoon. 

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Apparently, we were just lucky in the immediate Tulsa area today as you can see the impact those lower dew points had on the heat index values across the state, courtesy of the OK Mesonet. 

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Many locations made it into triple digit territory with respect to the heat index and you can compare that with the actual maximum temperatures to see what a difference those higher dew points make in the discomfort level.

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At any rate, we do not figure to be so lucky over the next few days as dew point temperatures are expected to remain in the 70s; and with daytime highs reaching the mid-upper 90s, that means our heat index will likely reach or exceed 105 each of the next few days.  That, in turn, means heat related illnesses are very possible, particularly since this is early in the season and many are not yet accustomed to heat and humidity values this high.  For that reason, the good folks at the local National Weather Service office have issued a heat advisory for Wednesday & Thursday.  In fact, as you can see on our forecast page, that will likely be extended for at least several more days as hot & humid conditions will be the general rule going through the weekend.

The longer range guidance hints at the possibility of a weak back door front arriving over the weekend and knocking a few degrees off temperatures.  By that I mean, a front coming at us from the NE instead of the normal NW direction.  At any rate, that boundary does not appear very promising at this time and any relief in the heat will not amount to more than just a few degrees the way things are looking now. 

Not only will it be hot and humid through this forecast cycle, but any chance of a cooling shower or storm appears very limited as well.  Cannot rule out a few pop-up showers or storms during the afternoon/evening maximum heating cycle, but those will be very few and far between if they occur at all.  However, having said that, if any can develop they will be capable of locally damaging winds, hail, and torrential downpours as they will move very slowly.

Unfortunately, it looks like the heat will persist well beyond this forecast cycle as the long range guidance over the 8-14 day time frame continues to suggest a strong signal of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.

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So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot