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Strong winds return, storm chances before Halloween

Online Niel October 30, 2024

Northeast Oklahoma is experiencing severe drought conditions that are expected to persist despite this approaching storm system.

The data suggests a modest amount of precipitation, with most areas receiving between one-quarter and three-quarters of an inch of rain.

7-day rain history

However, there is a small chance that some regions to our west may have a slightly lower probability compared to the east.

What is the forecast for today?

Metro Tulsa and the surrounding area will experience strong southerly winds of 20 to 45 mph, bringing additional wind advisories for portions of the area.

Winds Tuesday-Wednesday

Wind Advisory Tuesday

Temperatures this afternoon are expected to reach 80 degrees.

Tuesday's highs

Wednesday forecast:

Tomorrow starts with lows in the 70s, climbing into the upper 70s by the afternoon. The day is expected to be active with a low level jet stream and increased humidity that could bring isolated showers in the early morning.

Scattered thunderstorms are likely as the day progresses, especially in the afternoon near and east of the dry line in west-central Oklahoma. Strong upper-level winds and lift moving around the Intermountain region will aid storm development in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas.

Wednesday's storm area

Storms are expected to peak between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m., starting near I-35 and moving northeast, with supercell storms as the initial concern.

Wednesday radar

By evening, a cold front interacting with the dry line will trigger additional storms, organizing into a linear pattern with the potential for damaging winds and hail. Although the stronger lift should move around midnight, severe storms may persist until about 3 a.m. as they move out of southeastern Oklahoma.

Halloween Forecast:

A cold front moving in late Wednesday will make for a cooler Thursday.

Thursday morning will bring temperatures in the 40s and 50s, warming to the mid-60s by afternoon with plenty of sun and north winds at 10 to 15 mph.

Halloween night forecast

The Halloween forecast looks clear and calm with lighter winds and cool evening temperatures.

Expect pleasant conditions on Halloween night with temperatures in the 50s from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Friday forecast:

Some areas are likely to dip into the upper 30s by Friday morning, while the metro area will start out in the low to mid 40s.

Friday afternoon looks seasonal, with temperatures nearing 70 degrees and south winds returning to 7 to 12 mph.

7-day temperature history

Weekend forecast:

This weekend, a weather system moving in from the west will bring additional chances for showers and thunderstorms, especially Saturday afternoon into Sunday.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely Saturday, with south winds 10 to 20 mph and mostly to partly cloudy skies.

Temperatures will reach 70 degrees with storm chances increasing by early Sunday morning. Overnight lows will drop into the 50s, while Sunday afternoon highs will reach back into the 70s.

Next week’s forecast:

After that, another system is likely to bring additional showers and thunderstorms Monday into the early afternoon. Some of these systems could affect Election Day.

We will continue to monitor the model and provide additional information on it tomorrow.

What are the major traffic projects around Tulsa this week?

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

To kick off October, here are some important traffic advisories. For more information, see detailed list.

I-244 Pavement rehabilitation

Paving work underway between I-44 and the Arkansas River Bridge, with lane and ramp closures until spring 2025.

Rehabilitation of the US-75 bridge

Lane closures on 7th St. and off-ramp closures to 7th St. until the fall of 2024 for the rehabilitation of the bridge.

Rehabilitation of the US-412 bridge

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

Emergency Information: Outages in Oklahoma:

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

PSO outage map

OG&E outage map

VVEC disruption map

Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) outage map.

Oklahoma Electric Cooperative Association Outage Map — (Note that several smaller cooperatives are included)