Weather Blog: Gusty Winds, Fire Danger, And Record Highs Today

What's today's forecast?

The front that moved through the area yesterday is now lifting northward across northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas early this morning. This may lead to a few spotty showers or storms, mainly in southeastern Kansas, but this chance will quickly diminish.

Strong southwest winds will develop, reaching 15 to 30 mph by midday and afternoon, with highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

Fire spread rates will increase along and northwest of I-44 this afternoon, and several counties are currently under burn bans. Overall, conditions are not favorable for outdoor burning for the foreseeable future.

What's the forecast for Friday?

Another fast upper-level wave will move across the northern part of the country later tonight, pushing a surface cold front southward early tomorrow morning.

Shower and storm chances will primarily be along and ahead of this boundary, mostly affecting far northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, with the highest probabilities staying outside our area.

Local Friday night high school football games will kick off in the mid-70s and finish with temperatures dropping into the mid-60s. North winds are likely at 10 mph with a mostly clear sky.

Weekend football forecast:

It's homecoming for the University of Tulsa. Saturday morning lows will range from the upper 40s in some valleys to the lower 50s near the metro area.

Tailgating will be in the 60s Saturday midmorning with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff in the lower to mid-70s with mostly sunny sky and northeast winds at 10 to 15 mph.

The University of Oklahoma is traveling to Oxford, MS, to face Ole Miss. Game-time temperatures are expected to be in the 70s, with plenty of sunshine and no rain in the forecast.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys travel to Central Texas to play the Baylor Bears. Temperatures will be approaching 90 during the game with south winds at 10 to 15 mph.

Forecast for next week:

A strong area of low pressure developing across the Pacific will move slowly eastward, approaching the central and southern Plains by the middle of next week.

As this occurs, the pressure gradient will strengthen on Monday and Tuesday leading to very strong southerly winds. Surface winds may reach Wind Advisory criteria, with speeds of 20 to 35 mph on Monday and 20 to 40 mph on Tuesday.

Low-level moisture will return to the state by Tuesday night and Wednesday ahead of a surface cold front. This front is expected to bring increased chances for showers and storms, with higher probabilities for measurable precipitation during its passage.

While the exact timing may still change some in the data, some rainfall is likely in the middle of next week. This pattern may also bring a threat of strong to severe storms near the region. This system should also bring more fall-like weather by the middle to end of next week.

What are the major traffic projects around Tulsa this week?

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) provide daily details on several traffic advisories for the Tulsa area and surrounding regions.

To start October, here are some of the significant traffic advisories. For more information, see our detailed list.

I-244 Pavement Rehabilitation

1. Ongoing pavement work between I-44 and the Arkansas River bridge, with lane and ramp closures lasting through spring 2025.

US-75 Bridge Rehabilitation

1. Lane closures at 7th St. and off-ramp closures to 7th St. through fall 2024 for bridge rehabilitation.

US-412 Bridge Rehabilitation

1. US-412 narrowed to two lanes at 81st W. Ave. in Sand Springs through February 2025.

Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:

Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.

PSO Outage Map

OG&E Outage Map

VVEC Outage Map

Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map

Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note Several Smaller Co-ops Included)

The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0dCHRWMFjs4fEPKLqTLjvy

The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oklahoma-news-from-kotv-news-on-6-in-tulsa-oklahoma/id1499556141

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