TULSA, OKLA — Southerly winds will increase Saturday as the next weather system approaches. This will pull warmer, more humid air into the region, pushing afternoon temperatures into the mid to upper 70s under mostly sunny skies.
Winds may gust up to 25 mph, but the fire risk should remain limited since humidity levels will stay moderate. The lowest humidity—and slightly higher fire danger—will be west of Highway 75 in northeast Oklahoma.
Conditions change quickly late this evening into tomorrow as a powerful cold front approaches. Winds will strengthen overnight, with gusts between 25 and 35 mph, and a few gusts over 40 mph possible.
The cold front is expected to move through the region Sunday morning into early afternoon. Temperatures may briefly reach the upper 60s to 70s ahead of the front before dropping rapidly into the 30s and 40s by evening.
Behind the front, very strong northwest winds will develop with widespread gusts of 40 to 50 mph, and isolated gusts possibly reaching 55–60 mph. These strong winds could increase wildfire spread, especially along and west of Highway 75.
A few light showers may develop Sunday morning, but the best chance for rain comes with the front itself. A line of showers and thunderstorms could develop Sunday afternoon. If storms form before the front moves out, damaging wind gusts would be the main threat. However, if the front moves through faster, the storm threat may shift east of the area.
Rainfall totals are expected to be light for most locations, with the highest chances in northwest Arkansas. As colder air moves in Sunday evening, some light snow could briefly mix in across far NE Oklahoma, with minor accumulation possible on grassy surfaces but no travel impacts expected.
A hard freeze is likely Sunday night into Monday morning, especially north of I-40.
Monday will be much colder, with highs only in the 40s and wind chills in the single digits and teens early in the morning.
After another freeze Monday night, temperatures will gradually warm through the week. By late next week, highs could climb back into the 80s, with some parts of eastern Oklahoma possibly nearing 90 degrees.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
