Triple-Digit Highs, Heat Advisories To Last All Week In Oklahoma

The hottest stretch of the summer season to date will be arriving over the next several days.

The mid-level ridge of high pressure will be centered very close to the state bringing hot and humid conditions this week.

Some data suggest the ridge will flatten and slide to the southwest this weekend which would a pattern favorable for bringing organized shower and storm chances back to the state. Until this occurs, a mostly hot and dry forecast will remain.

A complex of strong to severe storms moved across the mid-Missouri Valley region last night and across part of Arkansas overnight. An outflow boundary moved across part of Eastern Oklahoma around 1 a.m. Monday morning bringing some gusty winds and temperatures dropping into the 70s.

This decaying MCS is now moving across far southeastern Arkansas early this morning. There is, however, a very small window for a few storms to brush extreme Northeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Missouri, and more likely northwestern Arkansas during the next few hours.

Most if not all this activity will remain east of our immediate areas of concern. Additional storms are likely to develop across Missouri later today and move mostly into Arkansas overnight.

Temperatures for the next several days will start in the upper 70s and a few lower 80s with afternoon highs reaching triple digits. Local heat index values will remain anywhere from 105 and 112°, with heat advisories or even excessive heat warnings as a possibility for the next several days.

The surface pressure gradient should strengthen somewhat in the next few days bringing slightly more wind speeds across the state Tuesday through Friday.

Later this week, as the upper ridge flattens, the flow will become more favorable for bringing a storm complex near the state.

Some data suggest another week boundary could be approaching Northern Oklahoma Saturday with some minor relief in temperature across Oklahoma Sunday into Monday.

We’ll remain on the low side regarding storm chances for this forecast cycle, but higher probabilities may eventually be needed for some locations Friday through the weekend.

Thanks for reading the Monday morning weather discussion and blog.

Have a super great day!