Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Oklahoma City, OK
Issued by NWS Oklahoma City, OK
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877 FXUS64 KOUN 181751 AFDOUN Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 1251 PM CDT Wed Sep 18 2024 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1247 PM CDT Wed Sep 18 2024 - Isolated to scattered thunderstorms in northern and western Oklahoma this evening, with scattered thunderstorms possible from northern to central Oklahoma tomorrow evening. - Hot/humid conditions on Thursday and Friday. - Heat relief looking probable by the weekend. && .SHORT TERM... (Today and tonight) Issued at 221 AM CDT Wed Sep 18 2024 The near-term forecast is concerned with convection potential across northwest Oklahoma through daybreak. Radar/satellite show showers and storms moving eastward across the northern panhandles into an environment with a strengthening low-level jet. Short- range models show elevated instability increasing and peaking in northwest Oklahoma around 4:00 am. Thus, although severe weather is not anticipated, scattered storms are possible in northwest Oklahoma early this morning. Later today, a surface trough is expected to develop over the southern High Plains as the dryline mixes eastward. Southerly winds will contribute to warmer and more humid conditions than we`ve seen over much of the past week. By afternoon, temperatures along and just east of the dryline are expected to increase to near the convective temperature. Forecast instability looks rather meager compared to what model guidance showed yesterday, and heights actually look to increase as a trough ejects northward across the Rocky Mountain Front and the subtropical ridge restrengthens. All of that points toward lower confidence in storm coverage compared to 24 hours ago. With that said, the potential will still exist for isolated to scattered thunderstorms from western to northern Oklahoma. The strongest of those updrafts will be capable of downburst winds up to 60 mph. This threat should diminish fairly rapidly toward and just after sunset. Meister && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through Tuesday) Issued at 221 AM CDT Wed Sep 18 2024 Thursday looks quite similar to today in many respects, though with the addition of a frontal boundary that will approach (or reach) northwest Oklahoma before stalling and washing out in the afternoon. Height tendencies will be neutral with the subtropical ridge migrating westward toward the Big Bend. The 0Z HREF (and other high- res guidance) painted a surprisingly bullish picture of overall storm coverage late in the afternoon near the pseudo-triple point in northern Oklahoma, with some CAMs then propagating that activity southward toward I-40 in the evening. Though global guidance does not depict this scenario, the high-res guidance was robust enough to warrant introducing chance (30 percent) PoPS late in the day tomorrow. Deep-layer shear looks sufficient for updraft organization, though high dewpoint depressions will likely promote outflow dominance before long. The strongest storms will be capable of winds up to 60 mph, and once again storm coverage should wane pretty rapidly after sunset. The approach and stall of the frontal boundary on Thursday will also lead to prefrontal torching across the area. Highs will reach near 100 along and northwest of I-44 with temperatures in the upper 90s south and east of it. This will be the first of two miserable days of summer heat - the ridge moves overhead on Friday and temperatures bump up another degree or two. Heat indices may eclipse 105 in parts of our area tomorrow, so we will have to watch for the potential need for a heat advisory. Relief is expected to arrive this weekend as a trough lifts into the central Plains and encourages a cold front to approach the area. Right now the best rain chances look to be across the northern half of Oklahoma on Saturday night, though there is some indication for storm potential with the boundary sweeping through on Sunday. Uncertainty increases after this, but a common model solution shows a reinforcing cold front on Sunday night, which would bring drier air into our region for the early part of next week. Meister && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1247 PM CDT Wed Sep 18 2024 VFR conditions are expected today and tonight with mainly clear skies apart from some high clouds and/or some scattered cumulus at most sites. There is a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms across northwest Oklahoma, mainly during the 22z-02z period, but chances were too low to include mention at KWWR. South winds will back slightly to SSE this evening before veering once again to S/SSW tomorrow morning. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 73 97 74 97 / 0 30 10 0 Hobart OK 74 100 74 100 / 20 30 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 74 100 74 101 / 0 10 0 0 Gage OK 70 100 68 99 / 20 10 0 10 Ponca City OK 72 100 70 99 / 20 20 10 10 Durant OK 70 97 73 99 / 0 0 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...04 LONG TERM....04 AVIATION...08