More Rain Chances

The upper level low is located to our west this morning and bands of showers and storms will be possible again today and tonight before the low finally starts to pull away from our area by Friday. The weekend appears in fine shape with highs in the upper 70s along with mostly sunny conditions.

The dry slot associated with this area of low pressure may end up slightly southwest of the Tulsa area.  This means the Tulsa metro will once again be in the running for some bands of precipitation this morning including a few rumbles of thunder.  Not all locations will receive rainfall today, but those areas that do could pick up an additional inch of rain. 

The low will be very close to the region tomorrow and thunderstorms will be likely that may produce some small hail Thursday afternoon across NE OK due to very cold air aloft and an increase of wind shear with the low.  Occasionally cold air funnels can form with these closed upper level lows as the low moves overhead.   Cold air funnels are not formed in the same manner as a normal tornado.  These weak funnels rarely touch the ground. 

After the early Friday morning time period, the rain will be moving away from our area with partly cloudy and warmer air.  Highs will be in the upper 60s near 70, before afternoon readings move into the upper 70s both Saturday and Sunday.  Morning lows this weekend should be in the mid or upper 40s.

The upper air pattern will be from the southwest early next week allowing another chance for a few showers or storms Monday into early next week.  Temperatures early next week will be above the seasonal average with highs near the lower 80s.

The updated river forecast projections as not nearly as high today compared to forecast of the last 24 to 36 hours.   High -end moderate flooding was forecasted for the Illinois River but this morning's data from the River Hydrological Prediction center indicates the revised forecast will call for minor flooding.   A word of caution:  These forecasts will change as observational data is ingested into the very latest model projections.