Yes, Oklahoma Really is the Hottest Place on Earth This Week

Between the recent weeks of rain and the forecasted temperatures this week, parts of Oklahoma and Texas are set to be among the hottest places on Earth later this week.

While it has been hard to trust the forecast all spring in SWOK, the outlook is looking pretty similar across every outlet.

Here's what the forecast looks like in Lawton, OK.

I know what you're saying... 108°? That ain't nothin'! How many days did we have above 110° in 2022? I think Lawton topped out at 114° last year, but the variable is how wet June has been so far.

The Heat Index

People tend to get the temperature and heat index confused, so let's break it down into easy terms.

The temperature is the temperature. There's no changing that, but it very rarely is accurate to the human experience.

The heat index is what the actual temperature feels like, and it all depends on the humidity. The more humidity there is, the hotter it feels relative to what the temperature is.

In order to cool off, we sweat. Most living things do this, even plants. We sacrifice moisture in order to stay cool... but when the humidity is high, our sweat can't evaporate in a moist environment, thus we start feeling hot and wet. It's miserable.

How hot can the index get?

As I'm writing all of this, it's 89° with a relative humidity of 38%. With the heat index, it feels relatively normal outside around 90°-ish... but as the day goes on, flush with our recent tons of rain, as that temperature climbs, the heat index is going to do some pretty nifty things.

If the humidity manages to stay within that same range, by the time we hit 108° on Wednesday, the heat index could spike into that insane 130° realm.

Luckily, as the temperature climbs, the humidity normally falls... but it's the sheer amount of rainfall we've received over the last two weeks that has everyone wondering what it's going to do.

Even if the humidity falls to half its current trend, it's still going to be dangerously hot outside. It's worth mentioning that this will be a week for inside activities, at least during the heat of the day--2 PM thru 7 PM-- with plenty of water breaks and cheap icy Fun-Pops to stay cool.