Lots of Daylight, Less Sunlight… For Now

It's the summer solstice and today is considered the longest day of the year with approximately 14 hours and 38 minutes of daylight in Tulsa. If you want to enjoy all of that sunlight, we'll have to hope for more breaks in the clouds due to the presence of low-level moisture. I always love the early evening light regardless of the clouds. Fortunately, our sunsets still get a minute or two later as we go through the end of the month. How could that be if today's the "longest day," you ask? Well, our sunrise is now getting later and our sunset time will be leveling out at 8:45pm. According to EarthSky.org, the occurrence of solar noon changes slightly day by day. As it gets a little later, so do our sunsets despite an overall shortening amount of daylight. There's a fun party fact!

Well, as I mentioned, low-level moisture is in place, which is offsetting our daytime highs a bit. It still is very muggy, but the clouds keep things in check. In fact, we will have a weak cold front moving into the region late tonight into Thursday, giving us the trigger for some scattered showers and thunderstorms. The best rain chances lie to the north, but hopefully some of us see some beneficial rain during the morning hours Thursday. A few storms may re-fire that afternoon as well. The severe weather threat appears minimal at this point in time.

Beyond that, the waterworks shut off and the hottest air of the season builds in. I hate to say it, but by the weekend, we could be approaching the triple-digits in the region. Even if we don't hit 100º, heat index values this weekend might top that. This is thanks to a large, domineering area of high pressure that blocks out the storm systems and allows for sunshine, light winds, and stifling heat. While we are no stranger to these sort of readings (flash back to last summer), we still need to take our proper heat precautions as our bodies acclimate to these oppressive temperatures. Hydration and frequent breaks while working outdoors are key to staying out of trouble.

Enjoy the warmth. Summer is officially here and the season will be holding nothing back it appears. Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @GroganontheGO and "like" me on Facebook!