Strong Winds, Lower Humidity On Wednesday For Northeastern Oklahoma

Strong winds will continue for the early morning hours before slowly beginning to ease through midday and later this afternoon. A high wind warning remains in effect for locations along the I-35 corridor and wind advisory remains in effect for part of northeastern OK, including the Tulsa metro through the early morning hours, but will expire soon. Regardless, a few more hours of winds gusting near 40 mph will be likely. Later today, northwest winds from 20 to 30 mph will remain until decreasing later this afternoon and evening.

A powerful negatively tilted upper trough will exit the central plains this morning after bringing both a dryline and pacific cold front across the state yesterday. This system has not only transported a layer of dust across the region, but also deposited much drier air across the state. These dew points in the 40s and lower 50s will pay big dividends for the next few days. Temperatures this morning will start in the upper 50s and lower 60s with daytime highs reaching only the upper 70s and lower 80s. The lack of moisture in the atmosphere means no heat index values for the next few days. This dry air will heat efficiently with afternoon highs reaching upper 80s to lower 90s Thursday before leveling off into the lower 90s this weekend. At this point, only a modest return of moisture is expected this weekend and I continue to keep any heat index values just a degree or two above actual temps.

The EURO data this morning suggests the remote possibility of a weak boundary nearing northern OK Sunday night into Monday but with minor or little impacts while our American model ( GFS) keeps this boundary well north. I’ll paint in a minor wind shift across northern OK early next week but with no other appreciable changes. I also continue to think temps will slowly rise again next week with some increasing humidity around midweek. The forecast will remain dry for the foreseeable future.

Thanks for reading the Wednesday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a super great day!

Alan Crone