Oklahoma Weather March 5 Midday - Fire Weather Watch

Good afternoon. Oklahoma. I'm Aaron Jolly. Step outside and that muggy 63 degrees tells you everything. Spring warmth is here. But it's fuel for tonight's fireworks. In the next 24 hours. Severe thunderstorms are bearing down on Oklahoma this evening. We're talking large hail, damaging winds. And tornadoes — all on the table. Southwest Oklahoma is already cooking at 76 degrees this afternoon. Central areas hit 74. Northeast sits at 72. Those south winds gusting to 25 miles an hour? They're pumping in Gulf moisture like a freight train. The severe threat cranks up after 6 P.M. Western Oklahoma faces the highest risk first. Storms push east-northeast through the evening, reaching central areas around 9 P.M. With a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms. Some will be severe. Tonight's lows only drop to the low 60s statewide as that unstable air lingers. Friday brings round two. Highs climb to the mid-70s — 75 in central and northeast Oklahoma, 80 in the southwest. Severe weather returns, especially east of I-35 where all hazards are possible again. Western Oklahoma faces a different problem Friday. Fire weather. Winds gust to 40 miles an hour with bone-dry air. Any fires will spread fast. Saturday the pattern breaks. A cold front sweeps through, dropping temps to the upper 50s to low 60s. Saturday night could bring our first freeze of the season across northern areas — lows near 39 degrees. Sunday turns gorgeous. Sunny skies, highs around 70 to 72 statewide. Monday warms into the upper 70s to low 80s before more storm chances return Tuesday. Have multiple ways to get warnings tonight. This isn't a drill. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.