Alan Crone's Weather Blog: Rain Returns

Good morning. We're tracking a storm system nearing our area this morning that will bring rain and storms back to the region today and tonight. Pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall will be possible across central and south-central OK where flash flood watches are currently posted. A few counties along and west of highway 75 could be included in a flood watch for a short time later tonight. As the system exits the re...

Wednesday, May 13th 2015, 4:13 am

By: Alan Crone

We're tracking a storm system nearing our area this morning that will bring rain and storms back to the region today and tonight. Pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall will be possible across central and south-central OK where flash flood watches are currently posted. A few counties along and west of highway 75 could be included in a flood watch for a short time later tonight. As the system exits the region early tomorrow morning, our attention will focus on a stronger weekend storm system bringing severe storm chances back to the state. Temperatures this morning remain mild in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Daytime highs may stay in the mid to upper 60s for some locations across eastern OK. We'll place a 69 on the map for the Tulsa metro.

WARN Interactive Radar

The front that crossed our area Sunday night is now lifting northward as a warm front this morning across part of Texas. This boundary will be nearing the northeastern part of the state by later this afternoon and evening. Moisture is being transported up and over this boundary and is moving northeast into our portion of the state now in the form of increasing clouds. We'll see some showers by late afternoon nearing the southwestern part of the state early this morning. The exact timing may change, but we anticipate the higher chances for the metro later this afternoon into the evening hours. No severe weather is expected. This system will exit the region early Thursday morning with a few thunderstorms pre-dawn lasting until about 8am to 9am. Thursday afternoon highs will move into the upper 70s near 80 along with gusty south winds at 10 to 20 mph.

The upper air pattern will support a much stronger system nearing the area for the end of the week into the weekend. A major trough located across the Pacific Northwest is expected to drop southward and emerge into the inter-mountain region Friday. A strong jet streak will round of the base of this main through Friday and influence far western OK with a chance for a few strong to severe storms. We'll carry a slight chance of storms for our Friday forecast even though the higher chances will reside west.

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Saturday the main trough is nearing the four corners region with very strong winds aloft expected to move across part of the high plains of Texas into northwestern OK by Saturday midday to afternoon.   Storms are expected to develop Saturday afternoon and evening across the northwestern part of the state and move east to northeast.    Severe weather is possible, including all modes of severe weather. Some of these storms may persist late Saturday into early Sunday across part of northeastern Ok and southeastern Kansas.

Sunday midday to late afternoon, the main trough is ejecting into the central plains with a surface cold front eventually moving into the state.   Additional storms will be likely Sunday as this boundary moves southeast.   A few of the Sunday storms may also be strong to severe across the southeastern third of the state.   We may get a day or two of nice weather early next week but the pattern will support additional storms for the middle to end of the following week.

Temperatures this weekend will be very warm with morning lows in the upper 60s or lower 70s and daytime highs in the lower 80s.   South winds will be common today through the rest of the 7 day period.

Thanks for reading the Wednesday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a super great day!

Alan Crone

KOTV