Falling Back to Active Weather

There is that irrefutable autumn crispness in the air. Temperatures have recently taken a downward turn and the leaves are turning all sorts of brilliant colors. However, this is just one turn in the roller coaster ride that is our weather pattern this fall.

After one rather calm day, the winds will be howling once again for the weekend. This time, it'll be in response to an approaching storm system to our west. The southerly winds will help to bump our temperatures to around the 70-degree mark after a cool start to the day, Saturday. In addition to the warm air return, moisture will be returning from the Gulf of Mexico. This will set the stage for an unsettled period of weather early next week.

Before we get there, don't forget to set your clocks back an hour! "Falling back" is always a mixed thing for me. I always love the extra sleep, but the much earlier sunset is the nail in the coffin on the warm (much preferred) season for me.

Regardless, our first "early" sunset will be likely obscured by clouds as a good rain-making system comes together over the state. The cold front moving in will stall to our west for a day or so before getting a strong nudge from an upper-level disturbance moving in from the west. That means from Sunday night through Tuesday, we will be socked in with clouds, rain, and possible some heavy-duty thunderstorms. We are looking at some very generous amounts of rain as well. The map above shows the 5-day projected rain totals. 3-4 inches of rain aren't out of the realm of possibility. Depending on just where the surface low pressure sets up, we could be in for a round of severe storms here in Green Country. Stay tuned… details to come!

In other news, a large sunspot and corresponding solar flare were spotted Thursday. This will likely mean an active period for the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis. It is uncertain whether or not we'll see them this far south, but with the recent sightings here in Oklahoma, you might want to keep an eye to the sky for the next couple evenings just in case!

Have a great weekend and enjoy this nice fall weather before the beneficial rains begin early next week!

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