Severe Winds and Fire Risk: Oklahoma Faces Dangerous Conditions On Friday

Oklahoma’s fire danger is reaching extreme levels as a powerful storm system brings devastating wind gusts up to 70 MPH on Friday.

Read Stacia Knight's weather blog for Friday - Fire danger Friday: wind brings extreme wildfire threat across Oklahoma

⚠️ What to Expect Friday

1. Morning: Winds start at 25-30 MPH by 7 a.m.
2. Afternoon: Gusts of 50-60+ MPH, peaking from noon to 6 p.m.
3. Northwest Oklahoma: Some areas could see gusts near 70 MPH
4. Fire Risk: Bone-dry conditions, one spark could be disastrous
5. Health Alert: Blowing dust will create poor air quality

Dangerous fire weather conditions will persist throughout the day as a powerful storm system impacts Oklahoma, Kansas, and the surrounding region.

A few isolated storms may develop as the dry line passes into eastern OK by midday with any activity rapidly exiting into Arkansas and Missouri.

Red flag warnings and high wind warnings will be in effect from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected, with gusts ranging from 50 to 60 mph.

There is a lower-end probability of a wind gust of up to 70 mph along the I-44 corridor early this afternoon. The storm system will gradually move out of the region later tonight and into early tomorrow morning, with winds slowly decreasing. 

🔗What is a red flag warning? Understanding different wildfire alerts

When Will the High Winds Arrive?

You’ll notice gusty winds during the early morning hours, but the stronger winds will be noticeable by noon into the afternoon.

A dry line—a boundary separating moist and dry air—is moving rapidly eastward and will pass through the Tulsa Metro by midday.

East of this feature, there is a chance of a rapidly developing shower or storm late morning into early afternoon before the system moves into the Missouri Valley or western Arkansas, where a significant severe weather outbreak is likely through the Midwest. 

As the dry line moves east, and a stronger portion of an upper level jet approaches, strong winds will be more likely to arrive.

Strong Winds and Blowing Dust

As the dry air arrives, strong winds aloft will mix down to the surface, resulting in exceptionally strong west to southwest winds. Sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph will support gusts of 55 to 65 mph, with a few higher gusts up to 70 mph possible in central Oklahoma.

These strong winds increase the potential for sporadic wind damage and power outages.

Additionally, periods of blowing dust are likely from midday through early evening, as dust originating from eastern New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and western Oklahoma will be carried into the area by the high winds.

Fire Spread Concerns

The main concern remains the potential for rapid fire spread throughout the day. Extreme caution is urged to avoid any activities that could ignite a spark or fire.

Fire spread rates are projected at 380 to 420 feet per minute, equivalent to moving across a football field in less than a minute.

🔗Prepare your wildfire 'Go Bag' in case of quick evacuation

When will the wind start to calm down?

Tonight, a cold front will approach, causing a wind shift to the northwest. The wind will remain strong initially but will decrease in intensity through the evening and overnight hours.

By Saturday morning, northwest winds at 20 to 30 mph will gradually diminish to 10 to 15 mph by the afternoon. Morning temperatures will be in the mid to upper 40s, with highs reaching the mid-60s under partly to mostly cloudy skies.

A few sprinkles cannot be ruled out across extreme southeastern Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon but are not likely. Cooler weather will prevail as the trough exits the region.

The Weekend Outlook

A cold front will pass through the area tonight, bringing slightly cooler weather for the weekend. The upper-level trough will linger over Oklahoma until late Saturday evening, leaving a chance for some cloud cover across eastern Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon.

Gusty south winds will return early next week, accompanied by a warming trend and heightened fire danger before another cold front moves through the area on Wednesday with a slight chance of showers or storms across the far eastern parts of the state.

What Happens Next Week?

Sunday will feature morning lows in the mid-30s, with daytime highs in the upper 60s under sunny skies and lighter breezes.

Early next week, the pattern will repeat, bringing strong south winds of 15 to 30 mph, a warming trend, and increasing fire weather risks.

Highs will reach the lower 80s on both Monday and Tuesday. A cold front on Wednesday will bring a minor cooldown, with morning lows in the 50s and highs in the lower 60s.

There will also be a slight chance of showers or storms, mainly east of the area.

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See related stories:

🔗What is a controlled burn? Rules on when and how you can safely do them

🔗Oklahoma Forestry Service prepares firefighters for potential wildfire threats

🔗How to protect your home from wildfires: Tips from experts

🔗Oklahoma fire danger: How rural fire departments prepare for days of extreme danger

🔗Red Cross shares tips for preparing wildfires

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.

1. PSO Outage Map
2. OG&E Outage Map
3. VVEC Outage Map
4. Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map
5. 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/show/0dCHRWMFjs4fEPKLqTLjvy

The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/oklahoma-news-from-kotv-news-on-6-in-tulsa-oklahoma/id1499556141

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