Caution: Tumbling Temperatures Ahead

I am back after a brief hiatus! Over the past week or so, I traveled to the East Coast for of a couple of outdoor weddings. Fortunately, the weather was exceptionally nice for both events and the fall foliage was spectacular. Oklahoma experienced quite a range of weather while I was gone, from the first freezing conditions of the season to the severe storms, which pounded parts of Green Country with baseball-sized hail.

Quiet weather greeted my return this week, but that will soon give way to a major dip in temperatures. In the meantime, warm, windy conditions will prevail ahead of a strong storm system, which is poised to bring 6 to 12" of snow to places like Denver and Colorado Springs. The relatively dry air, combined with the windy conditions ahead of this front is raising our fire danger today. Even though most counties in Eastern Oklahoma no longer fall under a Burn Ban, starting an outdoor fire today would not be a good idea!

Enjoy this warmth because temperatures will tumble through Wednesday into Thursday. A soaking rain might be in the cards for Green Country during this time as well. Needless to say, you'll want to keep the rain and/or cold-weather jacket on hand.

The same could be said for baseball players and fans in St. Louis tomorrow night. An exciting World Series is underway, and if you're a fan of either team, you'll probably be set to watch Game 6 taking place in St. Louis. Unfortunately, it could be a chilly, wet game. The same cold front sweeping through our region will bring a round of cold rain through that region close to game-time. It could make for an interesting end to the baseball season! That is, if my Rangers can pull off one more victory that night!

On another note, did you happen to look up at the sky last night, say, between 8:15 and 8:30? If so, you may have spotted a rare sight in Oklahoma – the Aurora Borealis. Otherwise known as the Northern Lights, this is quite the sight to behold and one usually relegated to much higher latitudes. It was caused by a large solar flare, which sent a good deal of solar energy into the outer reaches of the atmosphere. If you happened to photograph this event, please send a picture to pics@newson6.net... Or check out a few impressive shots here.

Finally, Tropical Season isn't over yet. Newly-formed, "Rina," went from a minimal tropical storm Monday to an ominous Category 2 Hurricane today. It is situated in the NW Caribbean Sea, and may strengthen to a Category 3 Hurricane (111+ mph winds) as it approaches the Yucatan Peninsula. The map above shows you the path as of 11:00 a.m., Tuesday. It will likely have no impact on our area, but folks in southern Florida still need to watch this system closely.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @GroganontheGO and "like" me on Facebook. Just search, "Meteorologist Mike Grogan!"