The University of Tulsa
Mountain Cedar Pollen Forecast
Metropolitan Area |
Exposure Risk |
Oklahoma City |
Low |
Tulsa |
Moderate |
St. Louis MO |
Low |
Date Issued: 19 December 2012
Mountain Cedar Location(s): Arbuckle Mountains, OK
Regional Weather: Wednesday, December 19 – TX/OK:
Across the region the weather will continue to be unseasonably warm today but changes are underway that will bring
cooler temperatures tonight and tomorrow. Most areas across Texas will be in the middle to upper 70’s with high
temperatures expected to reach the 80’s in San Antonio and other areas along the southern edge of the Edwards Plateau.
In southern Oklahoma temperatures in the low 70’s are expected. As the weather begins to change more humidity
will be moving in from the southwest on moderate to strong winds. The greater humidity will result in mostly cloudy
extending across Texas into southern and central Oklahoma. From Dallas southward along the edge of the Edwards
Plateau wind gust may reach 25 to 30 miles per hour. Tonight skies will be partly cloudy as temperatures drop
into the 30’s and winds switch from the southwest to the northwest. Along with the wind change, strong winds will
occur as the predominant southwesterly flow is replaced by much colder air from the northwest. The wind shift
will be reflected in the low temperatures that will be in the 30’s and 40’s. Tomorrow high temperatures will drop
be at least 20 degrees. Today’s 70’s will mostly be in the low to mid 50’s. Skies across the region will be mostly
sunny over the Edwards Plateau and sunny skies in the surrounding areas. On the Plateau winds will begin to calm,
but it will maintain strong conditions with gusts at 30 to 35 miles per hour.in the communities surrounding the
eastern Edwards Plateau. Tomorrow night skies will be clear to the north and mostly clear over the Edwards Plateau.
The surrounding communities will be partly cloudy. Nightime temperatures will drop below freezing with most readings
in the 20’s across the region. Winds to the north will remain from the northwest, but to the west southwestern
winds will begin to push back into the region.
Trajectory weather: Air mass trajectories over the Arbuckle Mountains move north to northeast today on strong
southwesterly winds. On the ground, gusts reaching into the 30 mph level are possible in late afternoon and overnight.
Across Oklahoma mostly cloudy skies and warm conditions will dominate early, and then start to cool off towards
the evening and overnight. Change will begin during the afternoon and into the evening with the winds switching
from the southwest to the northwest. Temperatures are expected to drop into the 20’s and 30’s. Overnight the
winds will maintain their strength. Tomorrow cooler conditions will occur with most of the trajectories switching
to a more southerly direction. Again wind strength will be gusty. With the change in the winds will come cooler
temperatures during the day and then below freezing temperatures tomorrow night.
OUTLOOK: *** Moderate Threat today and Low threat Tomorrow ***
Good conditions for pollen release today but poor conditions tomorrow as the winds shift. Good conditions for
entrainment and transport both days with strong gusty winds and lots of turbulence. Warm conditions with strong
wind speeds will occur across the Edwards Plateau and to the east today. Overnight winds will change from a dominant
southwesterly direction to one from the northwest. With this change cold conditions will infiltrate the region.
The season of pollen release from Juniperus ashei is just beginning therefore there may be limited amounts of
pollen ready to be shed. The past number of days have had with good conditions for release, therefore pollen ripe
and ready to be shed may be limited. A recent canvas of the trees in central Texas showed only about 5% of the
cones ready to shed pollen. Tomorrow cold conditions should dampen pollen release.
Trajectory Start (s) (shown by black
star on map): Davis, OK.
Prepared by: Estelle
Levetin
(Faculty
of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104) and Peter
K Van de Water
(Department of Earth and Environmental Science, California State University Fresno, 2576 East San Ramon Avenue,
M/S ST24, Fresno CA 93740-8039). This forecast gives the anticipated future track of released Mountain Cedar pollen,
weather conditions over the region and along the forecast pathway, and an estimated time of arrival for various
metropolitan areas.
Questions: Aerobiology Lab e-mail: pollen@utulsa.edu
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