A Very Hot Week Ahead

The major heat wave cranks up a notch this week with afternoon highs in the 105 to 114 range this week with morning lows in the upper 70s and lower 80s.

The mid level ridge is expected to slide southeast by Thursday and Friday allowing a weak boundary to slide southward into extreme northwestern OK.  This boundary is expected to become diffuse and will not provide any major relief from the heat wave, but a few isolated showers or storms will be possible across extreme northern OK late in the week, including the weekend. 

The extended models are indicating the mid level ridge will finally retrograde by early next week allowing the center of the high pressure ridge loft to be positioned across the New Mexico area.  This will create the favorable northwest flow aloft by the middle of next week which should bring a few storm systems into the state.  The sun angle is changing already and the sunset is occurring a few minutes earlier week by week.  It may be hard to imagine at this point, but things are going to slowly change soon.  

The temperatures for the short term will be influenced by the lack of widespread green vegetation combined with the compressional heating of the sinking compressing air.

The air mass ahead of the weak boundary Tuesday and Wednesday will allow a south to southwest surface air flow which may lead to some very hot afternoon highs in the 110 to 114 range. The afternoon highs should drop a few degrees by the end of the week but may still be above 100. 

 After looking at the 7 day planner this week, we decided to check some of the all time "hot weeks" on record and found a stretch of very hot weather from August of 1936.

 Aug 8- 110

Aug 9- 114

Aug 10- 115

Aug 11- 114

Aug 12- 113

Aug 13- 114

Aug 14- 108

What's the take away message today?  Check on the elderly, make sure you and your family stays hydrated, and take frequent and long breaks if you will be working outside today and this week.