Summer Returns...Briefly

The main issue for the next couple of days will be an elevated fire danger situation once again. The few showers over the last couple of days were not enough to help out in that regard and we will have lots of sunshine today, Monday, and Tuesday. Light northerly winds will help hold temperatures in check this afternoon with daytime highs generally at or a little above normal. That translates into low-mid 80s, but relative humidity levels will be dropping into the 30% range during the heat of the day.

Monday and Tuesday will see a return to brisk southerly winds, lots of sunshine, daytime highs in the low-mid 90s on Monday and mid-upper 90s on Tuesday. Relative humidity levels will drop into the 20% range both Monday and Tuesday and given how dry everything is, fires could easily get out of hand.

Some triple digits will be possible on Monday for the drought stricken western counties of the state with triple digits more widespread on Tuesday ahead of the approaching cool front. Timing will be everything in regards to the daytime highs with upper 90s and some triple digits ahead of the front. So far, the guidance has been pretty consistent in bringing the front to about the I-44 corridor by late in the day. With that in mind, locations to the north should top out in the low-mid 90, locations along the I-44 corridor should top out in the mid-upper 90s, and locations further south may reach triple digits. So, summer is not quite over just yet in spite of the cool, pleasant conditions of the past week.

However, this will be a brief bout of summer heat as the cool front will spread on southward and stall out along the Red River on Wednesday. That will keep us in a cooler N to NE wind on Wed and E to NE winds for the rest of the week. Not only that, but a series of disturbances aloft are expected to move overhead providing mostly cloudy skies and chances of showers and some thunder each day from Wed right on into the weekend. This more active period from Wed on could result in some decent rainfall. Notice the QPF guidance map to the right which is valid through Friday morning. I would not be surprised if some locations ended up with a good bit more rain than that by the time it is all said and done.

In the meantime, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot