Heat, Humidity Remain

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TULSA, Okla. - Another day of hot weather is ahead across Green Country as over 135,000 people face power outages.

Here are the details from News On 6 Meteorologist Alan Crone:

Another heat advisory will be in effect on Tuesday across northeastern Oklahoma, more specifically across those areas continuing without power. Heat index values this afternoon will be higher than on Monday with values from 95 to near 100 degrees. Additional heat advisories are likely for the Oklahoma City metro region southward, where higher heat index values will be likely. Locations across southwestern Oklahoma into South Central sections of the state will be nearing excessive heat warning criteria this afternoon. We'll monitor southeastern Oklahoma this morning for a few spotty showers or storms, but the probability will remain low. If a few storms do develop, a mature storm could produce hail. Most of the significant storm systems will remain slightly away from northeastern Oklahoma over the next few days, but the pattern does offer a window of opportunity for a few storms nearing at times. The main weather story continues to be the heat and humidity.

On Tuesday morning, a significant gradient of low-level moisture is located slightly southwest of our immediate area. This extends from northwestern Oklahoma through South Central sections of the state across a large area of North Texas. Along and South of this gradient, extremely high temperature heat index values will be likely Tuesday and Wednesday, basically from central Oklahoma southward. Grandfield, Oklahoma, located in the extreme southwestern sections of the state, recorded a heat index value on Monday at 116 degrees. The heat index value in Dallas Fort Worth on Monday was also 116 degrees, the highest value since 1980 in Dallas. Excessive heat warnings are underway for most of the Lone Star State, with temperature heat index values ranging from 110 to near 120 degrees.

Mid-level ridging continues to be the dominant feature across central and eastern Oklahoma. But a weakness in the ridge could allow a few showers and storms to bubble up this morning across far southeastern Oklahoma and North Texas. The western extent of the ridge will be an area for more thunderstorm chances over the next two days. This should remain slightly west of our immediate area. The upper air flow continues from the northwest, allowing for one or more storm complexes to develop and move across this region. Some data suggest the ridge will weaken enough for another storm complex to near part of our area for the second half of the week and possibly even part of the weekend. Due to variability in model data, these probabilities must remain low for this forecast update. A mitigating factor for storm systems this weekend would be a strengthening mid-level ridge centered slightly to our south. This would bring high temperatures into the mid and upper 90s, with heat index values nearing 109 Saturday afternoon. The top edge of the ridge would still present a northwest flow, brushing southeastern Kansas into southwestern Missouri. This mid to upper-level highway could be just the path for another storm complex brushing our area to our northeast. We'll continue to monitor all these data and update forecast variables when necessary.

A tropical depression formed on Monday in the Central and Eastern Tropical Atlantic. This morning this storm is Tropical Storm Brett. This system should initially strengthen and move near the lesser Antilles on Thursday while gaining hurricane strength. It's way too early to be specific with location and magnitude in the latter part of the forecast cycle, but locations from the Lesser Antilles through the Virgin Islands would be in a possible path for this strengthening tropical system. The current forecast will bring Brett to hurricane status over the next few days. Another tropical Wave in the eastern Atlantic will also have a decent chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next few days.

Thanks for reading the Tuesday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a super great day!

Alan Crone

KOTV