Weather Blog: The Tuesday Morning Weather Update

What is the forecast for today?

A minor disturbance in the upper airflow could lead to some isolated sprinkles or showers this morning across the far northwestern areas, mostly along and northwest of I-44. 

This morning, temperatures are mostly in the upper 40s to lower 50s in eastern Oklahoma's valleys and into the 50s near the metro. We're expecting daytime highs hitting the lower 80s under mostly sunny skies, with east-southeast winds at 5 to 10 mph.

What is the forecast for the rest of the week?

Wednesday will start with similar cool temperatures for the morning and climb to the lower and mid-80s for the afternoon.

A slightly higher chance for a few showers will be possible early Thursday morning. The region will stay dry for the foreseeable future, and unfortunately, drought conditions in eastern Oklahoma are likely to worsen.

The rest of the week will see a steady warm-up, peaking in the lower 90s on Sunday. A potent storm system trekking across the Northern Plains to the Upper Great Lakes this weekend will push a strong front through parts of Oklahoma by Sunday afternoon or evening.

Despite the front's passage, we're not expecting any rain. This sets the stage for a return to more autumn-like conditions early next week, with morning lows dipping into the 40s and daytime highs settling in the mid-70s.

The upper air pattern is expected to shift by mid-next week, increasing the chances for frequent fronts near northern Oklahoma. Although there is no strong indication of significant precipitation, a return to more fall-like conditions with temperatures near or slightly below the seasonal averages is anticipated by the middle of next week. 

A system nearing next Tuesday may bring some shower chances over a larger area.

Football Forecast:

Both the university and Tulsa and Oklahoma State will not play this weekend. OU travels to the Cotton Bowl for the annual Red River Rivalry with the University of Texas. Game time Temperatures at the Cotton Bowl will be in the lower and mid-90s.

Update on Hurricane Milton:

Hurricane Milton continues to be a dangerous storm. After a rapid intensification process yesterday, the storm is expected to undergo eyewall replacement cycles with some minor variation. 

It will continue to be a very powerful Category 4 to 5 hurricane but may slowly decrease wind speed as it approaches the Western Gulf Coast region of Florida Wednesday night, possibly nearing Cat 3 status. Regardless of specific classification, this dangerous storm will produce a significant storm surge across the coastal areas of Western Florida.

Storm surge anywhere from 7 to 12 feet will be possible. Slightly higher Storm surge is possible in some areas. Rainfall amounts from 7 to 15 inches will be likely. This system will have no direct influence on Oklahoma's weather.

What are the major traffic projects around Tulsa this week?

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) provide daily details on several traffic advisories for the Tulsa area and surrounding regions.

To start October, here are some of the significant traffic advisories. For more information, see our detailed list.

I-244 Pavement Rehabilitation

1. Ongoing pavement work between I-44 and the Arkansas River bridge, with lane and ramp closures lasting through spring 2025.

US-75 Bridge Rehabilitation

1. Lane closures at 7th St. and off-ramp closures to 7th St. through fall 2024 for bridge rehabilitation.

US-412 Bridge Rehabilitation

1. US-412 narrowed to two lanes at 81st W. Ave. in Sand Springs through February 2025.

Turnpike Ramp Closures

1. Nightly ramp closures on the Will Rogers Turnpike for cashless tolling construction through Saturday.

Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:

Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.

PSO Outage Map

OG&E Outage Map

VVEC Outage Map

Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note Several Smaller Co-ops Included)

The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QkhxigOvfcFbWdBAKooRH

The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weather-out-the-door/id1499556141?i=1000672193130

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