Unusually Warm Week Ahead.

After some mighty fine weekend weather, the coming week will see a continuation of the much above normal daytime temperatures and also see warmer night time temperatures. We will also start seeing more clouds in the sky along with a slight chance of showers or storms as the week progresses.

Regarding temperatures, tonight will be in the upper 40s and lower 50s and the rest of the week will see overnight lows only dropping to near 60. Daytime highs will be near the 80 degree mark each day as an increase in cloud cover should be optically thick enough to keep temperatures from reaching their full potential. Also, the wet soils and rapid green-up of the vegetation is a cooling process which acts to keep temperatures from reaching their full potential and this pattern is expected to persist right on into the coming weekend. To put things in perspective, the normal diurnal temperature range for today is 43/65 for the low/high respectively. If the month ends as expected, this will put us close to the warmest March on record.

Thanks to the rains of last week, it has also been a wet month. By the middle of the week, it looks like a weak frontal boundary will make it to near the OK/KS state line and stall out. Brisk southerly winds over the next couple of days will also bring additional moisture back into the state and that combination will provide at least a slight chance of showers or storms. Any showers/storms will be possible beginning late in the day Tuesday and each day for the rest of the week. Given the position of the boundary, the more northern counties look to be the most likely location for any storms that can get going. Quite frankly, I really hate to put a rain chance on each day, but given the uncertainty, the time of year, and the weather pattern, there is just not another good choice. There will probably be one of those days in which the chances will turn out to be much better than we can see at this time range, so will have to take that a day at a time.

In the meantime, enjoy what is turning out to be an early Spring, stay tuned, and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot