Cold Front Brings Fall-Like Weather, Beneficial Rainfall

The season of fall has arrived.  For Oklahoma, this typically means weekly cold fronts that not only knock temperatures down some 10 to 20 degrees but also bring widespread, beneficial rainfall to what is currently a drought-stricken state.  Such was the case with Saturday's cold front, which slowly pushed across the state from early Saturday morning through Sunday morning, bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms.  Rainfall amounts ranged anywhere from less than half-an-inch to over 3 inches in some areas.  The Mesonet map above shows the totals recorded during the passage of the front.

Behind the front, much cooler temperatures were apparent Sunday morning, some of which have been the coolest since before summer.  Widespread 40s occurred across central and western Oklahoma, while lows still remained mild in the east.  Sunday afternoon temperatures have remained generally pleasant in the 70s to low-80s across the state under sunny skies.

In the coming week, temperatures will be on a slow rise through mid-week when the mid-to-upper-80s will return for the state.  However, another front passing through the state Thursday night into Friday will, once again, knock temperatures down.  While widespread rainfall is not expected with the next system, temperatures are forecasted to be even cooler, dropping some 10 degrees below average.

AC

Sources: NWS, Mesonet