Alan Crone: Prepare For A Frigid MLK Day

Welcome to a very cold MLK Monday. The arctic front that moved across the state yesterday is positioned to the south this morning and very cold air will reside across northeastern Oklahoma for the next 36 hours.  

Temperatures this morning will start in the lower teens with wind chill values in the lower single digits. Daytime highs may briefly reach slightly above freezing with partly sunny conditions after some early morning clouds and spotty flurries. We’ll be tracking several systems that will move across the state this week bringing some precipitation chances, mainly to eastern Oklahoma. 

The main upper level flow is basically from the northwest to southeast.  Several upper air waves will draw near the state including a Tuesday night and Wednesday morning system, and a Thursday system.  As each wave advances out of the Inter-mountain region, a surface low pressure area will develop across southeastern Colorado and advance eastward across the state.  

The first system Tuesday night into Wednesday will bring a slight chance of light rain to eastern OK Tuesday. Pre-dawn Wednesday morning, some light snow or mix will be possible, but mostly across northwester Arkansas as this first wave exits the region.

The 2nd system will approach Thursday into early Friday.  This system appears slightly stronger in the data and may eventually require some higher precipitation chance for part of northeastern OK than we currently have advertised.  

As of this forecast cycle we’ll have increasing rain chances Thursday with a chance for some winter mix late Thursday afternoon into early evening

Temperatures will be very cold today. Lows in the teens will be followed by highs in the lower 30s.

Tuesday morning will start with increasing clouds and lows in the mid to upper 20s with daytime highs in the mid to upper 40s.   Wednesday morning should support a low around 25 and highs in the mid-40s.   Thursday morning lows may be near freezing with highs around 38 to 40.   Friday we’ll be behind the 2nd system with lows in the mid-20s and highs back into the mid and upper 30s.

Saturday should support lows in the mid-20s and highs near 50 with Sunday morning in the mid-30s and highs in the mid to upper 50s. 

We’ll have precipitation chances Tuesday and then Thursday.

Thanks for reading the Monday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a super great day!

Alan Crone

KOTV