Flood Watch again today... hit and miss storms around now. We had 0.19" of rain fall near downtown Edmond from 6:30 am to about 6:50 am and then it stopped.

Storms are firing now to the NW of metro moving slowly SE. These will be the main show this afternoon, becoming more spotty in nature heading into tonight. The bulk of the action tonight will be across W/SW OK where it still much needed.

Preemptive flashflood warning issued for all of Oklahoma and most of Canadian counties.

Main storm cluster coming in from the NW right now. ~2:38pm

Maybe a few small pop up storms and showers this afternoon with sunshine, but otherwise the rain is done for C OK.


The last 7 days, OK has been blessed by the water gods. Nearly the entire state is now at 100% or more of average rainfall. Here in C OK region we are nearly +3" of rain on the year. This type of a week is usually only something that happens here with a tropical storm. The way the rain waves were spaced out, allowed for a lot of soaking as well. I know a lot of posters here want sunshine and 105F temperatures, but sparing just a week for a year+ of statewide benefits is 400% worth it. I am sure some of you that want sunshine and hot - also use lakes and rivers.

This Independence weekend looks amazing with temps in the mid 80s with no rain. Some moderate storm chances sneak in Monday afternoon.

https://www.mesonet.org/data/public/mesonet/maps/realtime/rainrfc.168hr.png

I'm definitely OK with having fewer days of triple digit temperatures and the rain is definitely a good thing, but I'm also over some of this thick air we've been having.

Quick popup storms have developed directly over metro. Nothing too significant at this time.

^

I was downtown around 1PM and had to duck under the overhang of the convention center, because it poured buckets.

While not directly related to weather, didn't know where else better to put this item of possible interest. This map shows how air pollution levels went up in part of Oklahoma due to fireworks. From lots of recent rainy weather, the air had been washed down to levels of 50 or less, but fireworks Sunday night brought it up to the 100 to 200 range. Such pollution levels can be harmful to some sensitive people if exposed for as long as 24 hours. Fortunately, after 11 or 12 pm, pollution levels began to subside, probably due to people firing off fireworks in their backyards quit and went to bed.

The lowest pollution level shown on the map, 67, represents a small residential subdivision in far north Stillwater in an area not heavily populated. Unfortunately, Oklahoma City has no air sensors to contribute to the Purple Air sensor network. Elsewhere in the country, many city pollution levels, apparently from fireworks, were commonly in the 100 to 200 range with some going over 200 or 300.

https://stillwaterweather.com/photos/fireworkseffect.png

That might’ve been the most pleasant weather we’ve ever had for 4th of July. Usually it’s either blazing hot or we got rained out but never like that. More mild temps this week too it looks like (for July anyway).

Not surprised it was so bad near Sapulpa. The number of fireworks going off was insane. This year the town sold licenses for the first time in years and the actual town firework show was almost upstaged by what was being set off all over town. My allergies have been going insane today. I'm not sure if it's any relation or not.

Slight chance of a shower and storm this evening (Wednesday). Tropics to the south are dominating the area from any solid rain chances right now.

On the long-range outlook, the ridge of death is coming.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/hrrr/2021070712/hrrr_ref_frzn_scus_9.png

Slight chance of a shower and storm this evening (Wednesday). Tropics to the south are dominating the area from any solid rain chances right now.

On the long-range outlook, the ridge of death is coming.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/hrrr/2021070712/hrrr_ref_frzn_scus_9.png

Ugh, say it ain't so. Damon Lane had an outlook through the 2nd week of August and it showed below normal temps through that period of time. When are you seeing it possibly coming?

Storm cluster approaching OKC metro from the N right now ~3:30pm. Should provide a nice cool-down.

What is the ridge of death? Sounds exciting.

Death ridge isn't an official term, more coined by local chasers of when the storm season is dead across the plains. Basically the jetstream flow places High pressure over the area. This is when the hottest temperatures and least amount of rain occurs. Because of all the recent moisture, temperatures won't be as high in number. But of course as a result of the moisture, heat indexes will still make it miserable.

What is the ridge of death? Sounds exciting.

It’s a normal occurrence over the Southern Plains in July and August. Some years it is stronger than others but the Southwest relies on it for a lot of their annual monsoonal rainfall

https://spectrumnews1.com/content/dam/News/2020/07/25/desert_sw_monsooneastpng

Pretty solid chance of a line of storms coming in from the N Saturday night. Best chances out in E OK, but chances still high across C OK. Areas of the line will likely be severe. SPC has Marginal Risk across the area for that day.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/nam3km/2021070812/nam3km_ref_frzn_scus_60.png

MEH Look at Sw Iowa, Northwest Missouri today. HUGE BUST. My confidence any more in weather forecast is getting very low.

MEH Look at Sw Iowa, Northwest Missouri today. HUGE BUST. My confidence any more in weather forecast is getting very low.

15 minutes after I posted this tornado watch got issued. Cap was strong. Are we capped for tomorrow I haven't looked

OKC area will probably be capped until the cold front gets closer but I definitely expect storms to start firing along the KS/OK border by 3-4 p.m. or so. Looks like a decent severe threat for July. As per usual at this time of year, damaging winds will be the main threat.

And sure enough, SPC D1 Outlook has OKC in an Enhanced Risk for wind.

Latest short-range models continue to show a hefty line of storms moving through the Metro between 8-11 p.m. this evening.

Is anyone else concerned on how the model runs keep pinging tornado soundings and how the storms are individual and don't even really form until the are just north of the metro area? The squall out still over OKC but just north and west of the metro looks interesting for a bit. Tail end Charlie maybe?

Shear looks pretty unidirectional for a tornado threat IMO. Think storm mode will be initial HP supercells with a large hail threat in Northern OK, transitioning to a linear system with a predominant wind threat in the Metro.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch is out for the entire Metro. I’m sitting in Guthrie watching towers go up to my north. Expecting convective initiation west of I-35 within the next hour, estimating storms should make it into OKC around 9 p.m. or so. Prior post on storm mode still applies, still expecting mainly a wind damage threat.

Line of storms should start unzipping any minute now, roughly from Stillwater to Watonga to Elk City. Line as a whole will slowly sink south over the next several hours, with individual cells in it moving ESE.

Line of storms should start unzipping any minute now, roughly from Stillwater to Watonga to Elk City. Line as a whole will slowly sink south over the next several hours, with individual cells in it moving ESE.

The storm didn't get very bad as it built up over Stillwater. In rained close to 2" in some parts of southwest Stillwater. No high wind or hail here, but the line has some small hail pockets in it. The line is building up strength as it back builds and heads towards OKC.

Wall to wall coverage time for severe thunderstorm warning. No other place in the United State would go wall to wall for a Thunderstorm warning. JS SMH

Getting absolutely deluged in Luther right now. Lots of lightning and there was some amazing storm structure before the sun went down, but no real severe threat to speak of here. Maybe some 40 mph winds, no hail.

Something wicked this way comes...

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/skyline071021a.jpg

16955

Earlier from 50 Penn Place (11th floor)

I hear thunder and it's raining. Oh and now my dish box is out. Now it's getting real.

If nothing else, this is one of the nuttiest lightning storms I’ve seen in quite a while. Lots and lots of cloud to ground strikes that are too close for comfort.

This strobe lightning has been nonstop for a half hour at least now, insane.

A couple more pre-storm shots:

16956

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29 mile per wind gust at will rogers world airport. Wait what exactly are these tv stations going crazy for?

I met that line of storms right as I got on I 40 last night out by henryetta. That drive back to the city, after 14 hours in the car already, freaking sucked. It was a cool light show though.

I had to pull off the road on my way back to OKC, as there were multiple CG lightning strikes that had to be a mile away at most, and it was making me very nervous even being in my car.

Also, some shameless self-promotion, got some neat shots while out watching the line form NE of town yesterday, if anyone wants to take a look: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRMSJuYr623/

Decent chance for overnight showers & storms tonight. Best chances are across NE and E OK. Impacts on C OK will be determined by if storms can develop far enough west before the boundary has passed.

Would expect rain around midnight or later.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/hrrr/2021071514/hrrr_ref_frzn_scus_15.png

Looks like the end of July is gonna continue the trend of being cooler than average, which I certainly won't complain about. I would love a summer without a stretch of 110 degree days.

https://twitter.com/okmesonet/status/1415668243054743559

The consistent rainfall has really helped keep moisture in the region, which in turn keeps temps down. Sign me up to get this every summer.

One state's cooler and wetter weather is another states' drought/hotter weather though. Just right across all 50 states never seems to occur.

Looks like the end of July is gonna continue the trend of being cooler than average, which I certainly won't complain about. I would love a summer without a stretch of 110 degree days.

https://twitter.com/okmesonet/status/1415668243054743559

There hasn't been a stretch of 110 degree days since 2012.

With the heat index?

With the heat index?

No.

Looks like the end of July is gonna continue the trend of being cooler than average, which I certainly won't complain about. I would love a summer without a stretch of 110 degree days.

https://twitter.com/okmesonet/status/1415668243054743559

https://www.weather.gov/oun/climate-okc-heatwave

It's only been 110 or hotter 11 times, ever, since OKC started keeping records. 2011 and 2012 were both horribly hot summers.

Tomorrow will feel miserable. But a cool down begins this week. Nice!

Yep the recent rains have really upped the humidity. Only downside to relatively frequent summer storms.

it feels amazing outside now...

I was speaking with first time visitors to OKC who said, "you have such amazing summer weather here". I hated to tell them how unusual this summer weather has been for us.

I was speaking with first time visitors to OKC who said, "you have such amazing summer weather here". I hated to tell them how unusual this summer weather has been for us.

Hoping that this is some kind of new normal (less tornaders, cooler summers, and Siberian winters) with the Climate Change stuff.

You lost me at Siberian winters :rolleyes:

Looks by the end of the week we'll be heading into the mid and high '90s.

The longer we can stall the extreme heat, the happier I am.

Yes, starting today we’ll gradually be heading into a more typical midsummer pattern. No rain chances for the next week. We still get 2-3 more days of below-average temperatures (tomorrow morning and Wednesday morning in particular should be pretty nice), but then by the weekend we will see lows in the lower-mid 70’s and highs in the lower-mid 90’s.

Gorgeous evening tonight.

Maybe a couple of more before we are shoved into the oven for a while.

Gorgeous evening tonight.

Maybe a couple of more before we are shoved into the oven for a while.

YES! Took a nice long walk, and it was just beautiful out. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Ridge of death moving into the area heading towards the weekend. Like Pete mentioned, the oven is turning on.

By the first week of August, looks like we could have 100s across majority of the state.

#%^*+

Mother Nature giveth rain and cooler than normal temps, and she taketh them away.

I'm hoping that the hotter temps will come with a decrease in humidity. The rain is nice for keeping the temperatures down but makes it so humid it's almost worst than the heat. I've been having to do a lot of work outside lately and the humidity is killer.