Freeze watch issued for Tulsa County, area
BY Staff Reports
Thursday, October 25, 2012
10/25/12 at 3:04 PM
After five-straight days of reaching the 80s, the National Weather Service issued a freeze watch for Tulsa County.
The weather service's freeze watch, in effect Friday night through Saturday morning, also applies to Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Rogers and Washington counties.
The weather service forecasts lows in the 30s starting tonight and each night through Monday, when overnight lows in the 40s are forecast for Tulsa.
While temperatures were in the 70s as of 9 a.m., Tulsa's temperatures fell to the 50s by this afternoon. Wind gusts as high as 20 mph are forecast for tonight.
Daily highs in the 50s are forecast through Monday, when Tulsa's highs are expected to rise to the 60s, according to the weather service.
Tulsa's highest temperature so far this month was 86 degrees, recorded on both Sunday and Oct. 15. The lowest temperature so far this month was 32 degrees on Oct. 7.
The U.S. Drought Monitor weekly report, released today, was unchanged from last week statewide. Tulsa County's northern and southeast parts remain classified as D3 for extreme drought, while central and southwest Tulsa County remain D2 for severe drought.
About one-quarter - 27 percent - of the state, mostly in northern Oklahoma and a small part of southwest Oklahoma, is under the highest drought classification, D4 for exceptional drought.
According to the weather service, Tulsa has received 2.74 inches of rain so far this month, which does not include the 0.01 of an inch Tulsa received today, as of 3 p.m.
Associated Images:
A yellow leaf sticks to the windshield of a car in Tulsa Thursday. Rain and cooler temperatures moved into the area Thursday. CHRISTOPHER SMITH/ Tulsa World
This statewide temperature map shows a cold front passing through the state, as of 9:30 a.m. today. Map courtesy of the Oklahoma Mesonet
Rain chances and colder temperatures are forecast for the area today. Map courtesy of the National Weather Service.
The U.S. Drought Monitor was unchanged from last week statewide. It classified Tulsa County as both D2 for severe drought and D3 for extreme drought. About 27 percent of the state was under the highest drought classification, D4 for exceptional drought. Map courtesy of the U.S. Drought Monitor
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