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.

Wet Weekend on the Way

It's been a long, dry week, but you better get your rain boots and umbrella ready! As the weekend arrives, so do some healthy chances for rain for most of the Sooner State. Today's brisk, southerly winds have begun pumping warmer, moist air into the region, allowing the atmosphere to ripen with moisture which translates into some pretty decent rain chances statewide.

Roller Coaster of Temperatures to End the Week

The current weather picture shows moderate winds from the northwest. This is thanks to high pressure near the Oklahoma panhandle and a low pressure to the northeast. These two interactions are causing the moderate winds we are experiencing today. We are basically experiencing the "Santa Ana" winds that California experiences from time to time.

Fall Finally Arrives

This weekend not only promises pleasant skies, but also marks the official start to the 2013 fall season!  The late-week cold front brought some welcome rain to many residents across the state. Over the last 2 days, most areas saw anywhere from a light sprinkle to heavy rains. As you can see from the graphic below, residents of Broken Bow in southeast Oklahoma saw nearly 2.5" of rain while those further west near Hollis, OK saw barely 0.02".

Cold Front on the Horizon



The current radar picture shows a cluster of showers and thunderstorms across portions of southwestern Oklahoma. The movement of this cluster of storms is to the northeast and we can expect to get a bit of this in Norman later today into tonight. 

Warm Weekend Before a Wet Start to Next Week

Through the rest of the evening, rain chances will mainly be confined to the western and southwestern portions of the state while areas further east will remain mostly dry. The cool front that made its way through the state yesterday will continue to sag further south toward the Red River region.

Heat Relief Coming Soon?

Ready for a cool down? The past two weeks of September have been fairly hot and has most people ready for the cool temperatures associated with fall. Is there any hope of these cool temperatures any time soon? Keep reading for your answer!

OKC Ties Hottest Day of Year Saturday

Yes, we are still in the summer season.  Today marks the beginning of "meteorological fall," although the autumnal equinox does not officially begin for another few weeks on Sunday, September 22.  However, as we mentioned in a previous blog post, the "peak" of summer for Oklahoma City and surrounding cities in Oklahoma is from the last couple of weeks in July to about the first week in August.  This means that the average high temperature is its highest during this three-week time frame.  Therefore, if on track for an average year, the highs should really be getting cooler.  But, as we all know, weather in Oklahoma is usually far from average.  Parallel to this, the state baked towards the end of last week as the result of a short heat wave.  How hot did it get?  Continue reading to find out.