textproduct: Norman

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1146 PM CST Thu Jan 22 2026

- A significant winter storm will impact the entire area beginning Friday morning through Sunday morning. - There is a medium to high chance (60-80%) of snowfall accumulations of 6+ inches across at least the northern half of Oklahoma.

- Lower snowfall totals across southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, with significant sleet accumulations.

- The best chance for a 1/4 inch of ice will be across far southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, and especially our southeastern counties.

- There is a very high (>95%) chance for very cold temperatures across the area Friday into Monday, with wind chills below 0F likely.

NEAR TERM

(Rest of tonight through Friday) Issued at 1146 PM CST Thu Jan 22 2026

A significant winter storm will be moving into the forecast area today.

Friday:

A cold front is pushing through the forecast area tonight, bringing much colder air and gusty northeast winds behind it. Cooling will be gradual, but substantial, with falling temperatures throughout the day. Areas along and north of I-40 should be below freezing by 9am and along and northwest of a Holdenville to Pauls Valley to Frederick line by noon. By afternoon, wind chills will drop into the single digits in central Oklahoma; below zero in northwest Oklahoma. It will be Sunday afternoon before we see wind chills rise back above these levels (and even then, we're talking wind chill maximums in the single digits across the forecast area).

Isentropic ascent will increase Friday morning, yielding light precipitation over western Oklahoma and western north Texas. This may result in areas of rain/freezing rain, and perhaps enough for a light glaze across west central and northwest Oklahoma.

Precipitation intensity will gradually increase Friday afternoon as deep, saturated air moves in. Most precipitation will begin to transition to frozen, with snow most likely in northern Oklahoma and freezing rain in western north Texas. In between, wintry mix with substantial areas of sleet. Currently, the most likely area for ice accumulation will be along and near the I-44 axis from north Texas up through around Chickasha. Any snow / sleet accumulations during this period should be light.

Friday Night:

Precipitation will pick up Friday evening and overnight. During this period, the northern third to half of Oklahoma will see mainly snow. There will be a transition area somewhere near the I-40 corridor in which we will see a snow / sleet mix (and some low potential for freezing rain). Further south will be more sleet and freezing rain. High resolution models are hinting that the period of heaviest snowfall will be between 06Z and 12Z Saturday over north central Oklahoma, with 1 inch per hour rates possible. Near and north of I- 40, you can expect to wake up to around 2 to 6 inches in western Oklahoma; 3 to 8 inches in central Oklahoma. Near and south of I-40, we may see an inch or two of sleet. Southern Oklahoma and north Texas are the most likely areas to see a few hundredths to a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation. Substantial overlap between precipitation types is expected with transition zones remaining one of the bigger uncertainties.

Day

SHORT TERM

(Friday night through Saturday night) Issued at 1146 PM CST Thu Jan 22 2026

Moderate precipitation will be ongoing Saturday morning, gradually decreasing from west to east. This will leave us with a lull before the next rounds arrives later Saturday night.

Wind chills Saturday morning will range from near -20 degrees in northwest Oklahoma to the single digits in southeast Oklahoma.

After the brief lull Saturday afternoon, a second round of wintry precipitation is expected Saturday night into Sunday morning. This round should see the transition line further southeast, resulting in a larger area of snow. Sleet chances will be highest southeast of I- 44. Freezing rain will have mostly shifted southeast of the forecast area. Most precipitation should be ended by Sunday afternoon.

Wind chills will again be dangerously cold sunday morning, ranging from near -20 degrees in northwest Oklahoma to -5 in southeast Oklahoma. Maximum temperatures will struggle to get out of the teens.

Cold weather continues into Monday as morning wind chills again fall into the -10 to -20 degree range. Maximum temperatures will rise into the mid 20s to the lower 30s.

Day

LONG TERM

(Sunday through next Thursday) Issued at 1146 PM CST Thu Jan 22 2026

Next week appears mainly dry after Sunday, but cold temperatures will persist for some time. Highs continue mainly in the 30s with lows in the teens through most of the week. There are some hints of precipitation chances returning next weekend.

Day

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1129 PM CST Thu Jan 22 2026

Light east winds will back toward the northeast tonight and become gusty as a cold front moves through.

Stratus is expected to develop across western Oklahoma into western north Texas tonight with impacts expected at KSPS, KLAW, KCSM, and KWWR. At least MVFR ceilings are expected. Some IFR ceilings are possible--especially at KSPS.

Deteriorating flight conditions are expected as an area of freezing rain and sleet develops across western Oklahoma into western north Texas tomorrow morning. The wintry mix will expand north and east tomorrow afternoon and evening. Snow is expected across northern Oklahoma (KWWR, KPNC, KSWO) with snow/sleet mix near the I-40 corridor (KCSM, KOKC, and KOUN) and a sleet/freezing rain mix to the south (KLAW, KSPS, and KDUA). Gusty winds will combine with the precipitation to cause reductions in visibility (IFR to LIFR).

Mahale

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Oklahoma City OK 55 26 33 6 / 0 0 60 100 Hobart OK 50 25 37 6 / 0 10 70 100 Wichita Falls TX 57 35 44 12 / 0 0 80 100 Gage OK 52 15 26 0 / 0 10 50 90 Ponca City OK 54 19 24 3 / 0 0 40 100 Durant OK 56 39 44 19 / 0 10 90 100

OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

OK...Winter Storm Warning from 6 AM Friday to noon CST Sunday for OKZ004>048-050>052.

Extreme Cold Warning from midnight Friday night to 9 AM CST Monday for OKZ004>048-050>052.

TX...Winter Storm Warning from 6 AM Friday to noon CST Sunday for TXZ083>090.

Extreme Cold Warning from midnight Friday night to 9 AM CST Monday for TXZ083>090.