Friday, January 29th 2016, 4:07 am
Good morning. I hope you were able to enjoy yesterday’s 5-star weather across the area. Our temperatures will continue to climb today with some spots hitting the lower 70s. Stronger south winds will develop today and Saturday in advance of a strong storm system that will move across the area early next week bringing thunderstorm chances and colder air. The fire danger will be increasing today near and northwest of the metro.
Things look good in the short term. Jackets this morning are likely as temperatures in the upper 30s and lower 40s will be underway for the next few hours. Later this afternoon another robust warm-up will occur with temperatures well above the normal average highs across Oklahoma. We should experience some upper 60s and lower 70s today. The humidity will be low during the afternoon and the fire danger will increase both today and Saturday. Saturday’s highs may stay in the mid to upper 60s with some clouds on occasion. A weak front will enter the area later tonight and move through part of the area Saturday morning. This may briefly change our wind direction Saturday morning to northwest winds for a few hours before the gusty south winds return by afternoon.
Another front, slightly stronger, will arrive Sunday morning. This front will enter the state and should at least move to near the I-40 corridor region before stalling by midday to afternoon along the Red River. This may require some minor temperature adjustments to our forecast, but for now, we’ll keep Sunday’s highs in the upper 50s north and lower 60s south.
Sunday night into Monday a powerful upper level system will be nearing the state. A strong surface low will develop near the state but at this point, I can’t pinpoint the exact location. If the low is north, the highs Monday will be in the upper 60s with strong southeast winds. If the surface low develops more southward our highs may stay in the upper 50s with gusty winds. Regardless, as the system moves eastward, the surface low should begin lifting northeast as the main upper level trough does the same. Showers and storms will be possible Monday evening into pre-dawn Tuesday, and some of the storms could be strong to severe. If the storm system is delayed by even one day, a regional severe weather outbreak will be likely across eastern OK. As of this morning, the higher threats for severe weather should unfold slightly east of the state Tuesday.
Tuesday morning to midday strong north winds will develop and much colder air will slide across Oklahoma. Morning readings in the 40s will drop into the lower 30s by afternoon. Some wrap around moisture may clip far northern OK and southeastern Kansas in the form of some snow flurries, but the higher chance for any swath of accumulating snowfall will occur across far northwestern OK into south-central Kansas. It appears Wednesday should also remain quite chilly with lows in the 20s and highs in the mid-30s along with north winds.
Enjoy the great weather today and tomorrow before the changes occur early next week.
Thanks for reading the Friday morning weather discussion and blog.
Alan Crone
January 29th, 2016
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