textproduct: Norman

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 230 PM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

- Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon.

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

- Less hot weather is expected Wednesday and Thursday in the wake of a cold front.

NEAR TERM

(Rest of today and tonight) Issued at 230 PM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

A ~598 dam mid-level ridge remains centered across New Mexico today, which places the Southern Plains on the northeast periphery of the ridge's influence (which is why we are not completely dry). At the surface, the cold front from yesterday has stalled near the I-40 corridor. Dangerous heat is ongoing near and south of stalled front with afternoon highs in the upper 90s to 110 deg F and elevated fire weather conditions. North of the front, it is a bit cooler with abundant cloud cover and northerly winds.

There are two zones of shower and thunderstorm development this afternoon. One zone is across northwest Oklahoma. Satellite imagery indicates that gravity waves from thunderstorms in Kansas may have served as a trigger for this activity. A second zone is across southwest Oklahoma into western north Texas. A subtle shortwave trough exiting from the Texas panhandle likely served as a trigger for this activity. These waves may continue moving eastward into central Oklahoma this afternoon (along with surface convergence associated with a surface low). Therefore, there will at least be a chance of storms through early evening. Strong wind gusts and cloud-to-ground lightning will be the potential hazards with any storms.

As a shortwave trough rotates around the periphery of the ridge, a complex of showers and thunderstorms will develop across the High Plains to our northwest. This complex of thunderstorms will approach northwest/western Oklahoma late this evening as it moves to the southeast. There will be a risk of strong to severe thunderstorms with a threat for damaging wind gusts. The complex of thunderstorms should weaken as it moves to the southeast.

Mahale

SHORT TERM

(Wednesday through Thursday night) Issued at 230 PM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

There will be a chance of redevelopment of showers and thunderstorms from the remnants of the complex during the day Wednesday as the remnants may become a mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) that will drift to the southeast. The greatest chance for redevelopment is across central/east central Oklahoma.

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.

There is some uncertainty on how far south the effective cold front will advance and the amount of convective debris from the morning convection. Therefore, we opted not to issue a Heat Advisory for tomorrow at this time. There a chance one may eventually be needed across southern Oklahoma and western north Texas.

There will be a chance of additional thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday morning, but there is a chance these storms may stay west of our area (depending on how far south the front advances tomorrow). The less hot weather will continue on Thursday with continued north to northeast winds.

Mahale

LONG TERM

(Friday through Monday) Issued at 136 AM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

By Friday, the upper ridge begins to expand back eastward. As this occurs, a stronger shortwave will move through the central Rockies into the central and northern Plains and south winds return. As this occurs we will see temperatures respond back into the triple digits by the weekend with hot, dry and breezy conditions. The models do hint that this eastward expansion will be rather limited as the upper high continues to transition eastward and becomes centered over the southeast part of the CONUS. If this does in fact occur, it would put the southern Plains into a southwest flow pattern and perhaps bring additional rain chances as we go into early September. Until then, a continuation of hot and mainly dry conditions will continue.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 653 PM CDT Tue Aug 25 2026

Isolated storms are still occurring early this evening across western north Texas and north central Oklahoma, but these are weakening. Additional storms in the northwest Texas panhandle will move toward northwestern Oklahoma, although outflow from this afternoon's storms has moved into the Texas panhandle and that may affect how these storms evolve this evening. The best chance for storms will be at KWWR and KCSM between roughly 05Z and 12Z. Apart from thunderstorms, VFR conditions are generally expected.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Oklahoma City OK 75 94 72 93 / 20 30 10 10 Hobart OK 74 98 71 96 / 30 20 20 20 Wichita Falls TX 78 101 73 99 / 10 20 20 20 Gage OK 67 93 65 92 / 60 10 20 30 Ponca City OK 73 91 69 90 / 20 20 20 0 Durant OK 78 102 73 99 / 0 30 20 10

OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

OK...Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for OKZ021>023-027>035- 038>043-046>048-050>052.

Extreme Heat Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for OKZ036-037- 044-045.

TX...Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for TXZ083-084-087>089.

Extreme Heat Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for TXZ085-086- 090.