Still Hot, but for How Much Longer?

The precipitation map on the right, courtesy of the Ok Mesonet, shows the nice band of rain that fell over the extreme eastern counties early this morning. Some lucky folks received some decent rainfall but most of us are still high and dry. A similar situation will occur later tonight and into the morning hours of Tuesday. Only this time, any showers/storms that form will be moving more to the E or SE and more likely affecting the more northern counties. At least there will be a chance, currently at about 30%, that some of us will get enough rain to do some good.

After that, our rain chances will be in the slim to none category for the Wed & Thu time frames and temperatures will be soaring. Looks like we will stay below triple digits today but any residual clouds/showers on Tuesday should have cleared out quickly enough for near triple digit heat that afternoon. Brisk southerly winds will at least provide decent ventilation, but by Wed and Thu, it looks like a more S to SW wind component. Together with abundant sunshine and little or no mention of rain, we are forecasting daytime highs to be well over 100 both days. In fact, would not be surprised if records are threatened once again.

Those brisk southerly winds will also keep our nights quite warm so not much relief during the overnight hours either. As a result, we will be close to setting records for overnight lows as well….and not the kind of records you like to see at this time of year.

But, as we have been saying for several days now….there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Over the course of the coming weekend, a stronger cool front will be moving across the state and bringing some much needed relief from the persistent heat. Friday is a little questionable as moisture will be returning during the day and could produce enough cloud cover and a few showers/storms to keep us below triple digits. But, the higher humidity levels will still make it feel like we are at or above 100.

A more noticeable change will occur during the weekend. There remain some timing differences to be resolved with one of the longer range models bringing the front in by early Saturday morning and the other not till Saturday night or early Sunday morning. In either event, more cloud cover and better chances of showers/storms will bring temperatures down on Saturday and Sunday and Monday look downright chilly in comparison to what we have endured so far. Lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s are expected by Labor Day itself. Due to the timing issues, Sunday is questionable regarding any lingering showers/storms, but Labor Day is looking rather promising.

So, hang in there for a few more days…..relief is on the way. In the meantime, stay cool, stay tuned, and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot