Not only was the record high temperature for June 27 broken yesterday, it was blown away.
Monday's temperature reached 106 degrees.
106. The previous high was 102, set in multiple years but most recently in 1980.
With the humidity here in Tulsa Monday afternoon, that's about a 112 degree heat index. (What exactly is heat index? Well, I'm
glad you asked.)
Our high was a far cry from the 115 degree high seen Sunday in some western Oklahoma towns.
And though it was our first time to reach 100 in Tulsa this year, it was far from the earliest. That was on Aptil 12, 1972.
"That was totally a fluke, because you have to go to May before you find the next 100-degree day on record,” said Craig Sullivan, Tulsa National Weather Service meteorologist.
Now, I’m cautious to say this, but we are
forecast to see some relief today. And by relief, we’re talking
only 92 degrees. By any standard definition, that’s still hot. But I’ll take 92 of 106 any day.
Tonight could see some rain, too. Forecasters are calling for a 40 percent chance of rain tonight.
After that, it’s more of the same: hot and dry. Very hot, and very dry.
I’m really trying to pull out some positives here, so I’ll say at least the 4th of July holiday forecast looks pretty good: Sunny and upper 90s.
--Jerry Wofford
