Warm, gusty weather today before rain and cold arrive Saturday

Gusty south winds, sunshine, and warm weather are expected today, with afternoon highs reaching the mid-70s.

A cold front will move across the area this afternoon and evening, followed by an upper-level storm system arriving tomorrow. These systems will combine to bring chilly and wet conditions to areas near and south of the Tulsa Metro on Saturday.

Cold air aloft with the storm system could result in some precipitation transitioning to a mix of snow across the western part of Oklahoma with this system. 

The second half of the weekend looks great, with sunny skies and temperatures rising into the 60s on Sunday.

Two strong storm systems are expected to impact parts of the area next week: one on Wednesday and the other on Friday. Both systems will bring at least a slight chance of showers or storms across the extreme eastern sections of the state.

These dynamic storm systems could produce severe weather if low-level moisture arrives in advance. At this point, the probability of severe storms remains very low.

Do I Need a Jacket Today?

Most will not need a jacket after the early morning hours. South winds developed overnight and continue early this morning at 15 to 30 mph.

Morning temperatures are noticeably warmer, with readings in the upper 40s and lower 50s. Highs today will reach the mid to upper 70s.

Due to the gusty winds and dry conditions, fire spread rates are elevated today near and west of the Tulsa Metro.

As the cold front moves through, winds will briefly decrease speeds before shifting to the north later this evening and increasing again from 10 to 20 mph.

Should I Keep The Rain Gear Ready for Saturday?

A strong upper-level system currently across the western United States will approach eastern New Mexico tomorrow and move quickly across the Red River Valley of Oklahoma and north Texas by Saturday night into Sunday morning.

This cold-core system will bring precipitation to the southern half of Oklahoma and parts of north Texas. Some rain is also possible along the highway 412 corridor region, including the Tulsa metro. 

Limited instability might produce a few rumbles of thunder, but severe weather is expected to remain south of the Red River.

Snow is likely across the OK and TX panhandle region where some impactful accumulation will be likely. Some light snow will also be possible across part of west-central Oklahoma but with minor or no travel impacts in those areas.

As the cold core passes near or south of our area on Saturday afternoon and evening, some precipitation may briefly mix with or transition to light, non-impactful snow. No significant impacts are anticipated for our immediate vicinity.

Saturday Looks Chilly!

High temperatures on Saturday will depend on precipitation. Areas along and north of the Highway 412 corridor will see highs in the lower 50s, while locations to the south, along both sides of I-40 and southern Oklahoma, will experience highs in the upper 40s due to clouds and precipitation.

Precipitation will begin early Saturday near the I-35 corridor westward across Oklahoma, where daytime highs will struggle to reach the mid-40s. This system is expected to exit the region late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

Sunday Weather Forecast

Sunday morning will start with temperatures near freezing, but highs will climb into the mid-60s with sunshine and a light north breeze by the afternoon.

Early Next Week Weather

Early next week, another powerful storm system will develop to the west. Before it arrives, gusty south winds will prevail on Monday and especially Tuesday.

Morning lows on Monday will be in the mid-40s, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 70s.

Stronger south winds on Tuesday will bring morning lows in the 50s, with highs again reaching the mid to upper 70s.

Fire spread rates will remain elevated both days, particularly near and west of the Tulsa Metro.

Midweek Storm Potential

As a strong storm system approaches the area on Wednesday, there may be enough low-level moisture near and east of Oklahoma to support strong to severe thunderstorms.

A few storms could develop late Wednesday morning or afternoon, mainly along and east of Highway 69. If storms do form, some could be severe as they move into Arkansas. The probability of thunderstorms with this system currently remains near 20%.

Another strong upper-level storm system is likely to impact the area late next week.

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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/episode/5B7vv5FF4Vt8bma7kVdHpa

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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