textproduct: Norman

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 320 PM CDT Mon Aug 24 2026

- Excessive heat continues tomorrow, with less hot conditions towards the midweek.

- Strong to severe storms are possible Tuesday night into Wednesday morning across northwest Oklahoma.

NEAR TERM

(Rest of today and tonight) Issued at 320 PM CDT Mon Aug 24 2026

Dangerous heat is ongoing this afternoon across southern Oklahoma and western north Texas ahead of a surface low and attendant cold front that is located in central Oklahoma (i.e., "pre-frontal torch"). Temperatures in this area are in the mid 100s to above 110 deg F. Wichita Falls has already tied their record high temperature for the date.

The veered low-level flow and very hot temperatures ahead of the cold front has allowed for elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions as relative humidity values have fallen below 20% (and as low as 12%) with breezy west-southwest winds. As a result, a Red Flag Warning is in effect for this area through 9 PM this evening.

Overall, the chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening has trended downward (<20%) with relatively weak low-level convergence along the cold front. Any thunderstorms that develop will be capable of producing strong to severe to wind gusts from downbursts given the very hot conditions and large amount of downdraft CAPE in a deeply-mixed boundary layer.

Mahale

SHORT TERM

(Tuesday through Wednesday night) Issued at 320 PM CDT Mon Aug 24 2026

No appreciable cold air advection is expected in the front's wake for tomorrow. As a result, dangerous heat will continue once again. We issued a Heat Advisory across southern Oklahoma and western north Texas for tomorrow. We issued the Heat Advisory where we have the greatest confidence where we'll have the hottest weather. There is a little more uncertainty farther north with temperatures expected to be a few degrees lower near the I-40 corridor. There is a chance that we will have to expand the Heat Advisory farther north and perhaps even upgrade parts of the Heat Advisory to an Extreme Heat Warning.

With the very hot conditions and low relative humidity, transient elevated fire weather conditions are possible across southern Oklahoma and western north Texas tomorrow afternoon. Winds are expected to be lighter tomorrow, so fire weather conditions should be lower than today.

A complex of thunderstorms is expected to develop across the High Plains Tuesday afternoon and evening as a shortwave trough rotates around the periphery of the mid-level ridge that will retrograde slightly to the west.

The remnants of this complex will likely move into northwest Oklahoma late Tuesday into early Wednesday morning with a threat for damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall. The complex should weaken with time as it moves to the southeast.

There will be a stronger, reinforcing cold front that will advance southward in the wake of the complex of thunderstorms that will result in more appreciable cold air advection on Wednesday. High temperatures across the northern half to two-thirds of Oklahoma are forecast to be in the 90s deg F with the 100s deg F confined across far southern Oklahoma and western north Texas.

Mahale

LONG TERM

(Thursday through Sunday) Issued at 145 AM CDT Mon Aug 24 2026

It still appears as though the high-amplitude/strong upper high will subtly retrograde into the middle of the week, putting a check on temperatures and keeping the door open for at least low precipitation chances.

Thursday looks to be another "cooler" (yet still above average) day on the temperature front, with upper-90s to near-100F highs across Oklahoma and western-north Texas. The current forecast would advertise the lowest/least areal coverage of heat headlines this day, though will be dependent on how surface features (namely a front) evolves on Wednesday. It does currently appear that we begin to warm more notably into next weekend, as advection of warmer airmasses re-establishes.

While no period stands out amongst the rest in terms of rain and storm chances, our position relative to the aforementioned high will allow for at least episodic (low) chances from Thursday evening into the weekend (especially across northern and western Oklahoma).

Ungar

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 540 PM CDT Mon Aug 24 2026

VFR conditions will continue areawide during the upcoming period. A front will offer potential for changing/erratic wind direction (of generally modest wind magnitudes) across the I-40 corridor overnight tonight. Low-level wind shear is also expected near and south of the frontal zone across southern Oklahoma and western-north Texas through daybreak Tuesday.

Safe travels!

Ungar

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Oklahoma City OK 77 101 75 96 / 20 10 30 20 Hobart OK 77 105 74 99 / 10 10 40 20 Wichita Falls TX 81 108 77 102 / 0 0 20 10 Gage OK 71 99 67 94 / 0 20 60 20 Ponca City OK 72 97 72 93 / 0 0 10 20 Durant OK 79 107 77 102 / 20 20 10 10

OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

OK...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for OKZ016>019-021-022- 026-030>032-042-043-048.

Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for OKZ021>023- 027>030-033>042-044>047-050-051.

Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM CDT this evening for OKZ023>025- 027>029-033>041-044>047-050>052.

Heat Advisory from 1 PM to 7 PM CDT Tuesday for OKZ033>048- 050>052.

TX...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for TXZ083>090.

Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM CDT this evening for TXZ083>090.

Heat Advisory from 1 PM to 7 PM CDT Tuesday for TXZ083>090.