Heat Warnings Return Before Some Weekend Relief

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TULSA, Okla. - Heat advisories are in effect across Green Country as the hot summer temperatures continue.

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

As the mid-level ridge of high-pressure continues expanding across the desert Southwest into Oklahoma, the top edge of the ridge should encompass most of Northeastern Oklahoma later Tuesday morning. This should effectively shut down most of the shower and storm probabilities Tuesday and Wednesday for the state. A weak boundary associated across southern Kansas may still become convectively active on Wednesday, allowing some debris cloud cover floating across Northern Oklahoma. One or two isolated showers or storms could sneak into the northern third of the area early Wednesday morning, but probabilities remain low. The ridge of high pressure will retrograde by the end of the week allowing more storm chances and another July cold front approaching the area Thursday into Friday. Once again, the upper airflow from the northwest will allow the potential for some late-night and early-morning storm complexes to near the area. A more consistent signal continues for late Thursday night and early Friday morning across the northern third of the state. Additional storm chances may be required this weekend, but higher likelihoods will more than likely be slightly south of our immediate area.

As the mid-level ridge expands on Tuesday, hot weather should encompass most of the state. A surface pressure gradient will bring gusty southwest winds from 15 to 30 mph. Temperatures starting in the 70s this morning should quickly rise reaching the upper 90s near 100 across Northeastern Oklahoma. Slightly higher readings are likely to our west. Low-level moisture already in place will be augmented by local evapotranspiration rates bringing dewpoint temperatures into the mid or even upper 70s. Some mixing may occur with some lowering of the dew points later this afternoon near and west of the Tulsa metro for a few hours. Temperature heat indices should reach 105 today at 115° this afternoon. Our friends at the national weather service will issue a combination of heat advisories and excessive heat warnings for portions of Eastern Oklahoma. The heat advisories may be required tomorrow, but the potential for a few clouds across far Northern Oklahoma, or even a few spotty showers or thunderstorms could mute temperature and humidity briefly tomorrow afternoon.

As the upper air pattern becomes from the northwest again, a surface boundary we’ll cross our area Thursday night in early Friday morning as a storm complex moves across the northern half of the state. The main threat with this system will be gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall. The front is anticipated to move across at least Central Oklahoma resting along the Red River valley Friday night into part of the weekend. A minor yet notable airmass change is likely. Slightly drier air will move across the northern third of the state Friday afternoon bringing daytime highs into the mid-80s. Heat index values should only be a few degrees higher than local high temperatures. Saturday morning low temps will start into the lower and mid-60s in the valleys of Eastern Oklahoma, and into the upper 60s or lower 70s in the Tulsa metro. Afternoon highs Saturday will stay in the upper 80s with Sunday highs near 90. The ridge will expand eastward and bring hot and dry weather back to the state for the middle of next week.

Thanks for reading the Tuesday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a super great day!