Warming Trend for the Weekend.

Let the roller-coaster ride begin; actually it has already begun with some wild swings in temperatures over the last few days and another big change today. Notice the 24 hour temperature change map on the right, courtesy of the OK Mesonet. And to think, this is the middle of April. The big cool-down today will be followed by a cold night tonight, but just how cold is a challenge. Lingering cloud cover will impact the overnight lows and also it does not appear that our winds will go completely calm. Even so, if you have some tender vegetation, certainly suggest providing some protection tonight. Temperatures will certainly drop into the 30s and any locations that do see clear skies by morning could possibly see a light freeze.

After that, look for lots of sunshine for Friday and Saturday and a gradual moderating trend. However, temperatures will still be cooler than normal through the weekend. In fact, another significant cool-down will likely be arriving along about Tuesday of next week. That system also will have the potential for another round of showers and storms so it looks like we will remain in a rather active pattern with occasional chances of showers/storms through the end of the month.

The storms last night are still being investigated at this time and the final tally should be available over the next day or two. From all data available so far today, it appears that the tornadoes were small and short lived which was certainly fortunate. The storms did drop some significant rains for some locations though as the second map on the right clearly shows. Too bad some of that moisture could not have been shared with our more western neighbors.

So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot