textproduct: Norman

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 125 AM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

- Unsettled weather pattern continues today into the weekend with daily opportunities for strong-to-severe thunderstorms.

- Briefly drier Monday into Tuesday before additional storm chances return next week.

- Fire weather possible behind the dryline this weekend, mainly across far western/northwestern Oklahoma.

UPDATE

Issued at 714 AM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

The area of heavy rainfall last night and light winds this morning have created an environment supportive of dense fog, with 1/4 to 1/2 mile visibility being reported at Stillwater, Cushing, and Perkins. A dense fog advisory has been issued for Payne and Noble Counties for a few hours this morning.

NEAR TERM

(Through Friday) Issued at 125 AM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

Storms continue to move slowly southward along and ahead of a cold front moving across northwest into west-central OK. Storm intensity has slowly been on the decrease the last couple hours as activity has become elevated behind the outflow. Isolated instances of large hail and/or damaging wind gusts remain possible the next one to two hours but the overall severe risk continues to diminish. Flooding will also continue to be a concern in areas that have seen training thunderstorms last evening but this threat will also decrease over time as forward speed of the line increases and storms move into areas that did not receive rain yesterday.

Expect the front/outflow to continue to move slowly southward this morning as a surface low also sinks southward into southwest OK through the day. These features will be important to watch for redevelopment this afternoon as the airmass ahead of the surface low and cold front will be favorable for severe thunderstorms once again. Hi-res guidance shows some spread on exactly where these features will set up during the afternoon with some solutions showing the boundary slowing across central into south-central OK during the afternoon, while others progress the boundary southward towards or south of the Red River. As of now the more favored scenario appears to be the faster progression with thunderstorm development probable by mid to late afternoon across south-central and southeast OK as capping erodes. Storm coverage is likely to be isolated to scattered, with hail and damaging wind gusts the main hazards as the low-level jet appears quite weak tomorrow evening. That said, backed surface winds near/north of the front/outflow boundary could locally enhance the shear enough that a tornado or two cannot be ruled out. Activity should weaken and/or move out of the area by midnight tonight if not earlier.

Ware

SHORT TERM

(Friday night through Sunday night) Issued at 125 AM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

West-southwest flow will persist into the weekend across the area as broad troughing is maintained over the western US. Synoptic forcing will be somewhat nebulous on Saturday, though there are hints of a weak embedded mid-level wave in the flow crossing the area during the afternoon. At the surface, the residual cold front will begin lifting northward as a warm front through the day on Saturday in response to pressure falls across the panhandles into southwest KS. The front will lift into central or north-central OK by mid afternoon with a dryline expected across southwest into central OK. Strong instability is expected near and south of the front, with low-level shear being enhanced along the boundary as well. Storms are most likely to initiate along/north of the warm front Saturday afternoon into the evening, though the exact location of where the boundary sets up and how many storms develop is still uncertain. Large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are all possible Saturday.

By Sunday a much more coherent shortwave will approach from the west and will lift into the panhandles and southern KS by late afternoon into the evening. As of now the wave timing appears to be slightly misaligned with peak diurnal heating (too slow), which may be partly why most models have backed off on storm initiation along the dryline in our area. However, if storms are able to develop, a rather volatile environment is forecast in the warm sector with extensive CAPE and low-level shear evident on model soundings which will bring a risk for all severe hazards. As of now the greatest risk appears to be generally along and east of the Hwy 81 corridor, though this could still change depending on exactly where the dryline sets up.

Elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions will be possible to the west of the dryline across western OK. Depending on the nature of precipitation leading into Sunday, additional fire weather headlines will be possible where fuels remain concerningly dry.

Ware

LONG TERM

(Monday through Thursday) Issued at 125 AM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

Drier conditions are expected Monday as surface moisture is shunted to our south and east behind a Pacific front and our area is positioned within a zone of subsidence behind Sunday's wave. However, with broad southwest flow being maintained over the region additional chances for showers/storms (and severe weather) could return as early as Tuesday and continue into midweek as surface moisture lifts back northward into the area.

Ware

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 654 AM CDT Fri Apr 24 2026

The primary aviation concern is at and near KSWO where the heavy rainfall last night has produced an environment supporting LIFR conditions with low visibilities and low ceilings. Otherwise some scattered MVFR ceilings also will exist across central and south central Oklahoma for a little while this morning.

A cold front and an outflow boundary are both moving through the area with winds shifting to northerly. These will continue move through the area bringing a wind shift to areas where the surface winds are still southerly. With time this evening, winds will shift to easterly.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Oklahoma City OK 81 58 83 62 / 10 0 30 30 Hobart OK 85 57 88 59 / 0 0 10 10 Wichita Falls TX 88 61 92 64 / 0 0 0 10 Gage OK 82 52 83 53 / 0 10 20 10 Ponca City OK 79 54 79 59 / 10 0 50 60 Durant OK 86 62 86 65 / 30 20 20 40

OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

OK...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for OKZ013-020.

TX...None.