Strong South Winds Soon Before A Friday Night Storm Chance
What is the forecast for Thursday?
A powerful storm system influences our weather for the latter half of the week, including late Friday night into early Saturday with a chance for some showers and storms across Eastern Oklahoma. A few of the storms could be strong and severe, especially across southeastern sections of the state. This will bring blustery and colder weather for the weekend.
Thursday morning temperatures will start in the mid-40s with afternoon temperatures into the upper 60s. Very strong southerly winds are likely Thursday at 25 to near 40 mph. A wind advisory is likely to be required for our immediate area. The strong winds combined with antecedent dry conditions will support a very high fire danger on Thursday. Please refrain from any activity that could start a fire on Thursday.
Friday morning will be very mild with temperatures in the lower to mid-50s along with gusty south winds. Low level moisture in the form of mid 50-degree dewpoints will be streaming from Texas into part of Eastern Oklahoma. A surface area of low pressure is likely to develop across the far western part of the state. As these processes commence, a few spotty showers or areas of drizzle may develop on Friday morning. Friday afternoon temperatures will remain above seasonal averages with daytime highs in the upper 60s near 70. Friday night as the cold front slowly approaches the area, strong winds aloft associated with the powerful upper-level storm system will be nearing. This brings a favorable window for a few strong to severe storm chances mostly across extreme southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. If the system slows down even slightly, this could provide thunderstorms developing overnight into Saturday morning east of the Tulsa metro. After early Saturday morning, most of the active weather will move across Arkansas, Louisiana, and locations east where additional severe weather threats will be likely both Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday features gusty winds out of the north at 15 to 30 mph with temperatures starting in the lower 50s to upper 40s Saturday morning but dropping into lower or mid 40s by afternoon. A few spots may rebound near 50 by late in the afternoon. The main upper-level trough will be lagging the boundary and will bring colder air over Northern Oklahoma Saturday afternoon. Most data suggest precipitation will be out of the area by Saturday afternoon. However, any shower activity remaining could theoretically flip to light snow Saturday afternoon or evening. At this point, our probability remains very low and mostly across southern Kansas. Higher opportunities for wintry precipitation with this system will be across portions of eastern Kansas into Missouri.
Sunday morning temperatures will start in the upper 20s or 30s with daytime highs remaining in the upper 40s near 50. Lighter winds are expected Sunday with additional sunshine. Monday and Tuesday features morning lows near freezing and daytime highs in the 50s before another storm system approaches our area by the middle of next week.
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How to prepare my home for a freeze?
The City of Tulsa says it's important to protect your pipes from the cold.
Officials recommend protecting outside pipes by disconnecting garden hoses from your house and installing covers on outside faucets.
Also, if a sink is along an outside wall of your home, allow a trickle of water to run and open the cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate.
The National Weather Service says when temperatures drop to 28°F or lower for a couple of hours you should bring pets indoors, protect sensitive vegetation, protect outdoor pipes and let indoor faucets drip and to turn off automatic sprinklers.
Space Heater Safety Tips (via CBS News)
- If you're using a space heater, make sure it's not too close to things that can burn like upholstered furniture, clothing, a mattress, or bedding.
- Never plug a space heater into an extension cord, always plug it directly into a wall outlet.
- Remember to turn it off before leaving the room or going to bed. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets. Look for signs of malfunctions, especially on older models.
- Make sure it has an automatic shutoff function.
- Make sure you have working smoke detectors with fresh batteries. Change the battery twice a year.
On average, fires caused by portable heaters cause 65 deaths and 150 injuries a year, according to the US Fire Administration.
Overnight on Sunday, firefighters battled several house fires across Tulsa as temperatures dropped below freezing.
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