Clouds, humidity, and a very un-April-like 70°F at Will Rogers World Airport are greeting Oklahoma City this morning, with a southerly breeze dragging warm, sticky air into the metro. Afternoon highs should push near 81°F, but the quiet stretch ends there. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to fire up late Friday, April 17, and some could turn severe, bringing sudden heavy rain and gusty winds right as many folks are heading home.
Afternoon Storms Possible
Storm chances ramp up after 1 p.m. Friday, April 17, with the highest risk from late afternoon into the evening. A few stronger cells could produce large hail and damaging wind. Most spots should see only light rain during the day, but heavier totals of roughly a quarter to a half inch are possible overnight. Forecasters are also flagging near-critical to critical fire-weather conditions in western Oklahoma, along with a Red Flag Warning for parts of the west this afternoon and evening, so outdoor burning is a hard no today, according to NWS Norman.
What To Expect Around Town
South winds will crank up this afternoon at 15 to 22 mph with gusts into the low 30s, then flip to the north-northwest as the front sweeps through. The evening drive could get sloppy, with sudden downpours, lightning, and brief bursts of damaging wind in the mix. It is a good time to secure patio furniture, tie down tarps, and pad your commute with extra minutes. For more on how this pattern has been brewing, see our April 10 breakdown in our earlier storm threat update.
Evening Winds And Advisory
A Wind Advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, through 8 a.m. Saturday, April 18. North winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are possible across parts of the metro and nearby counties. According to NWS Norman, gusts that strong can toss around unsecured objects and make driving tricky, especially for high-profile vehicles. Build in extra travel time and save any ladder or roof work for another day. Event organizers and utilities should be ready for isolated outages or scattered downed limbs overnight.
Into The Weekend
Once the front slides through, the air cools off quickly. Friday night lows are expected in the mid 40s, and Saturday looks breezy with a high near 64°F, then clear and cooler again overnight with a low near 41°F. Most of the metro should dry out Saturday and Sunday with sunshine returning, although forecasters warn that a localized freeze is possible Sunday morning in western and northern Oklahoma, so cover sensitive plants if you are in those areas. Keep NOAA alerts turned on and have a simple shelter plan ready in case strong storms fire up this afternoon and tonight.
