Dick Faurot's Weather Blog: April 26 Tornado Numbers Keep Rising

If it seemed a little on the cool side today, it certainly was but it was nowhere close to any records.  The normal max/min for this time of year is 76/55 and the high today has so far only been 62.  However, the record for this date is 50 set back in 1994 and we had a low of 32 all the way back in 1909.  Not only that, but on this date in 2013 we also recorded a trace of snow for our latest snowfall on record.  Obviously, these Spring months in OK can be crazy as the aforementioned numbers suggest and of course this is also when we have most of our severe weather.  The good folks at the NWS office are still doing damage surveys from last week’s storms but this map shows the number from Apr 26 here in E OK now stands at a dozen and that remains preliminary.

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Speaking of last week’s storms, they also dropped plenty of rainfall across the state, particularly for the more SE counties where some flooding has been an issue.  After all that rain last week, it should be no surprise that April was wetter than normal.  In fact, more than 2” wetter than normal here in Tulsa which was a good thing as the first three months of the year were  dry and even after the April rains, we are still running right at an inch below normal for the year.  April was also warmer than normal continuing a trend that started in September of last year and every month since then has been warmer than normal.

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So, that is a quick look back; what about the coming days.  May is historically our wettest month and the month with the most tornadoes but we are certainly starting the month with a quiet weather pattern that will persist through the rest of this week.  Temperatures will continue below normal for several more days as you can see on our forecast page. 

That stratus cloud deck that was so persistent today and helped keep our daytime temperatures so cool will thin out on Tuesday so we should see more sunshine.  However, the northerly winds of today have obviously brought in very dry, cool air as our dew points are running generally in the 40s this afternoon.  That will likely result in overnight lows in the 40s tonight and the 40s to near 50 Tuesday night.  At least the winds will be light for the overnight hours and we will also have winds that will be light and variable for much of Tuesday before another cool front arrives on Wednesday followed by brisk NW winds.  This boundary will not have any moisture to work with so just a few clouds in the sky and it will also maintain mild temperatures.

Thursday will see a return to light southerly winds followed by stronger southerly winds going into the coming weekend.  That will initiate a warming trend and will also bring some moisture back our way.  As the moisture returns, the pattern aloft will be supportive of a few showers or storms perhaps on Sunday but more likely into early next week.  Far too early to speculate on the extent or mode but given this is May then will have to keep a close eye on subsequent data runs. 

Notice the 6-10 day outlook currently suggests temperatures returning to below normal after the weekend and also the potential for a return to a more active pattern with more chances of showers/storms.  So, enjoy the quiet weather of this week as it could become more interesting by Mother’s Day or into early next week.

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In the meantime, stay tuned and check back for updates. 

Dick Faurot