LATEST: From Severe Weather to Winter Weather

The Storm Prediction Center has lifted the moderate risk, but that does not mean that severe storms are not likely! Beginning this evening, and continuing through the overnight hours, residents across Oklahoma must be on the lookout for severe thunderstorms, some of which may produce tornadoes. The large CAP, which prevented severe thunderstorm development in Oklahoma yesterday, is vanishing. A slight risk for severe thunderstorms continues to stretch across the central and eastern part of the state. Primary threats from developing storms will be damaging winds, large hail, and still possibly tornadoes. Now is the time to prepare!

Following the severe storms, Oklahoma will then need to switch gears and prepare for wintry weather as this powerful cold front moves through. Already a significant temperature gradient is in place across western Oklahoma. Currently, we have about a 55-degree range in temperatures across the state, with 20s in the panhandle and 80s in the southeast!

Tonight
For tonight, all of the state looks to be impacted by some type of weather. We’ll have the threat for severe weather extend across the central and eastern part of the state. At this time, wintry weather now looks to be possible across the entire western half of the state, extending into parts of central Oklahoma! A large swath of WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES have been issued. Low temperatures will be frigid and well-below freezing across western Oklahoma, dipping down as low as the low-20s in the panhandle (maybe even some upper-teens in the far western part of the panhandle) and mid-to-upper-20s in the rest of the west. Therefore, any precipitation that falls will create a significant ice problem! For central Oklahoma, expect lows in the 30s tonight as the cold front passes through, dropping below freezing by early morning. The rain is expected to continue, also creating an icing problem here! In the east, tonight’s temperatures will not be true “lows” as the cold front will still be passing through. Expect a sharp temperature gradient to be in place over eastern Oklahoma, giving us a range of temperatures from the 40s to 60s tonight. However, by tomorrow afternoon, you’ll get your wake-up call.

Wednesday
On Wednesday, eastern Oklahoma will see showers and thunderstorms, but these storms should not be severe. Central Oklahoma will see lingering showers throughout the day, but with sub-freezing temperatures likely in the morning, freezing rain is now a great possibility. A wintry mix of precipitation is also possible in north central and northwestern Oklahoma in the morning. Then skies will slowly begin to clear. Wednesday’s highs will be unseasonably cold, with the 40s expected across most of the state. However, highs only topping out in the 30s are not out of the question in northwest Oklahoma.

Thursday and Friday
So how does the rest of the week shape up? By Thursday and Friday, the severe threat exits the state, with skies clearing. Temperatures remain chilly on Thursday, though. You can expect highs in the low-to-mid-50s across the core of the state, with highs reaching the upper-50s to low-60s across the panhandle and far southwestern Oklahoma. By Friday, with skies still generally clear, highs will remain in the 50s for the most part. Then you can enjoy the return of the 60s and 70s by the weekend, with some sunshine.


To view the latest convective outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, CLICK HERE.

Sources: NWS, SPC, HOOT, Mesonet