Tulsa weather Labor Day weekend: Below-normal temperatures hang on in Green Country
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 80 today. Friday Night Football is looking fantastic! Kickoff temperatures will start around 75 degrees and stay in the lower 70s for the games.
Any Changes Coming This Weekend?
Yes. We have made some 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 looks to send a couple of weak disturbances into our area.
That could trigger a few scattered 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 initially on Saturday. A slight chance for a few showers to sneak into eastern Oklahoma will exist later in the day Saturday, though this should remain as a 10% chance for any one location.
Saturday morning lows will start in the lower to mid 60s with afternoon highs reaching the lower 80s in much of eastern Oklahoma. Sunnier locations could go a few degrees warmer.
Will Sunday Bring Any Rain?
Some of us could see a few showers on Sunday as a weak upper level wave brushes the area.
Most locations, including the Tulsa metro, will have this slight chance for a few showers on Sunday. Most of this activity should stay light.
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 are about 20% to 30%.
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 to a few areas.
Late Monday night into early 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, and gametime temps in the 70s as well.
Tulsa faces Abilene Christian at 7 p.m., with game-time temps around 79 degrees, dipping into the lower 70s by the second half. There is a slim chance of a brief isolated shower.
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. As always, be sure to check ahead with float operators as the river level will be 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)