COLD BLAST!

We hope you took advantage of the much warmer temperatures and were able to get the most out of them for the past few days because, unfortunately, they will be disappearing as we head into Sunday and the beginning of the work week. A cold front moving slowly southward across Oklahoma will bring drastic temperature drops to the state. The position of the front is already noticeable, as the current temperatures as of 4:30 PM CDT are in the 50s up north and the 80s in the south. To track this front and see the temperature gradient, you can visit the Oklahoma Mesonet.

Rain showers may accompany the cooler temperatures. For tonight, expect the greatest rain chances in the northernmost part of Oklahoma. Chances become greater in the northeast, especially. Further south, some rain showers may develop but chances are low. Expect your Sunday morning lows to be chilly in the northwest where the cold front has passed through; the mid-to-upper-30s are being forecasted. Lows will be in the 40s across northeast, central, and southwest Oklahoma. Morning lows on Sunday will be in the 50s across southeast Oklahoma, but the actual low temperature achieved for the day will be Sunday evening as the cold front finally passes through. So expect the 40s for Sunday’s “official” low temperature if you live in the southeast. Behind the front, strong northerly winds will prevail. Sustained speeds will be around 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

For Sunday afternoon, highs will vary quite considerably across Oklahoma but will overall be much colder than they were the past few days. The 40s will invade a lot of northeast and central Oklahoma. Highs will reach the 50s in the northwest, parts of central Oklahoma, and south central Oklahoma. Highs will make it to the 60s in southwest and southeast Oklahoma, as well as in the panhandle. Rain chances on Sunday are again best in northeast Oklahoma, but a few showers may pop up across the rest of the state as well. Winds will remain strong, from the north, at 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

For Sunday night, lows will be in the mid-to-upper-30s across the northwest and in the 40s elsewhere. Slight chances for rain remain in northeast Oklahoma but decrease across the rest of the state as skies begin to clear. For Monday, temperatures slowly start to warm up again as the 60s return to central and southern Oklahoma. The 50s remain in the north, however.

Let us preview the upcoming week past Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will have highs pretty much around normal (maybe a little below normal in some cases) in the upper-50s to mid-60s. Skies will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy. On Thursday, highs across most of the state remain the same except for in the northeast, where highs are expected to plummet to the mid-to-upper-40s. Showers are also expected. The rest of the state will follow suit on Friday as the next cold front advances across the state. Expect highs that may not break the 40s with significant chances for rain.

Sources: NWS, HOOT, Mesonet, quicknewsnow.com (image)