Are Triple Digits Done for the Year?

With another cool front on the way and given it is getting rather late in the year, it certainly appears that any more triple digit days are highly unlikely. Notice the map on the right courtesy of the good folks at the OK Mesonet. This shows the total number of triple digit days across the state this year and notice that the extreme SW had one location with 101 days with triple digits. Here in Tulsa, the latest we have ever had a triple digit day was Sep 28 during the drought year of 1953. Given that we remain in a widespread, severe drought anything is possible, but the current and forecast weather pattern certainly makes any more triple digits highly unlikely for us.

Our next cool front will be arriving during the early morning hours of Wednesday and will shift our winds back to a northerly component after light southerly winds through the overnight hours. Temperatures will be cooler on Wednesday due to the northerly winds and mostly cloudy skies. However, not much more than a sprinkle or two is currently anticipated in the way of rainfall.

Energy aloft will be moving overhead on Thursday and that is expected to bring more widespread rainfall across much of the state. The rain, clouds and easterly winds should also keep most of us in the 60s during the day on Thursday. As that system moves on eastward, we will see a mix of clouds and sun on Friday and partly cloudy skies for the coming weekend. Right now, it appears that the weekend will be dry and seasonal with respect to temperatures.

So, cooler conditions will be returning starting Wed, our best chance of rain looks to be on Thursday, and a moderating trend is expected for the weekend. All in all, not a bad week for us.

On a personal note, I recently returned from a fishing trip to Rainy Lake along the Minnesota/Ontario border. Have posted some photos on my facebook page and will try to get some posted to the web site as well.

Dick Faurot