Below Normal Temperatures Hang On As Labor Day Weekend Arrives
The heavy rainfall threat we experienced yesterday morning has shifted away from the area. It’ll be a quiet and comfortable Friday across Green Country!
How Will Friday Shape Up Across the Region?
This afternoon brings more pleasant weather. Daytime highs will reach the upper 70s in most areas, which is more than 10 degrees below average for late August.
Skies will stay mostly to partly cloudy, and easterly winds at 10 miles per hour will keep things feeling mild. There will be some sun breaks at times, and areas that see the most sun could briefly reach the lower 80s today. Friday Night Football is looking fantastic! Kickoff temperatures will start around 75 degrees and stay in the lower 70s for the game.
Any Changes Coming This Weekend?
Yes. We have made some minor changes to part of the weekend forecast. While most of the state will remain dry, the weekend brings a few subtle shifts in the pattern. A north-to-northwest upper-level flow may send a couple of weak disturbances into our area.
That could trigger a few isolated showers or even a rumble of thunder across parts of eastern Oklahoma, though coverage looks limited.
The better chance for rain will stay farther west, across far western Oklahoma late Saturday and into Saturday evening. Probability Saturday for most of our area will remain near 10% with higher pops to our west.
Saturday morning lows will start in the lower to mid 60s with afternoon highs reaching the mid 70s to the west, where a better chance for a shower will be possible Saturday, and into the lower 80s near and east of Tulsa, where lower probabilities for showers will occur Saturday.
Will Sunday Bring Any Rain?
Some of us may see a shower or two on Sunday. A weak wave may also brush the area late Saturday night into Sunday morning, bringing a slight chance for a few showers from southern Kansas into northern Oklahoma.
Most locations, including the Tulsa metro, will have this slight chance for a shower.
Temperatures stay mild and seasonally pleasant, with Sunday morning lows in the lower to mid-60s and afternoon highs reaching the lower 80s. Rain chances around Tulsa will stay near 20%.
What Can We Expect for Labor Day?
Labor Day continues the trend of pleasant weather. Expect partly sunny skies with morning lows in the mid-60s and afternoon highs in the low to mid-80s. A weak disturbance nearby could bring an early morning shower or storm, but most of the day looks dry.
Late Monday night into Tuesday morning, another stronger disturbance will move across the central plains and into northeastern Oklahoma early Tuesday morning. Some showers or storms will be possible with this disturbance during this period.
When Does the Next Stronger Front Arrive?
The next noticeable pattern shift arrives in the middle to late part of next week. A weak boundary will likely move through on Tuesday morning with the above-mentioned disturbance, but a stronger cold front is expected Wednesday night into Thursday.
That system could bring a round of scattered showers and thunderstorms along with cooler air. Ahead of the front, expect highs in the mid-80s with morning lows in the 60s.
Once it passes, another stretch of below-normal temperatures looks likely as we close out the week and head into the first weekend of September. Thursday morning lows should drop into the mid to upper 50s for most locations, with Thursday afternoon highs in the mid 70s.
How Long Will the Cooler Pattern Stick Around?
Forecast trends suggest that cooler-than-average temperatures may linger into next weekend. Highs could dip into the 70s, with some northern Oklahoma locations starting the day in the 50s.
Game Day Forecasts for TU and OU
The University of Tulsa and the Oklahoma Sooners kick off their seasons this weekend. OU hosts Illinois State at 5:00 PM in Norman.
Tailgating temps will be in the upper 70s with a slight chance for a few showers, with game time temps in the 70s.
Tulsa faces Abilene Christian at 7 p.m., with game-time temps around 79 degrees, dipping into the lower 70s by the second half.
Lake Levels
If you're making some lake recreation plans, here's an update on our area lake levels.
Here’s the latest Illinois River level near Tahlequah. If you had float trips planned for Friday and Saturday, be sure to check ahead with float operators as the river level is expected to remain higher for the first half of the holiday weekend.
The Morning Weather Podcast:
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Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:
Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.
- PSO Outage Map
- OG&E Outage Map
- VVEC Outage Map
- Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map
- Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note: Several Smaller Co-ops Included)