Storm System Brings Chance Of Severe Thunderstorms To Northeast Oklahoma

A storm on the Oklahoma-Kansas border prompted Tornado Warnings in a few counties Thursday evening.

Tornado warnings were issued in Oklahoma’s Nowata and Washington counties, as well as Montgomery and Chautauqua counties in Kansas, however, they have already expired.

Meteorologist Stacia Knight said the storm moved north/northeast at 20 to 25 mph and produced hail up to the size of golf balls.

Storm Tracker Von Castor reported a suspected tornado on the ground in Caney, Kansas, however there was no confirmed tornado at the time.

Storms are expected to return to Green Country later Thursday night, with some capable of producing hail and occasionally triggering a severe thunderstorm warning into the early hours of formation.

Noble and Payne Counties were under Severe Thunderstorm Warnings until 7:15 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Craig, Kay, Nowata, Osage, Washington, and Noble counties until 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Thunderstorms are likely in northwest Oklahoma and southeast Kansas, with wind and hail being the predominant threats.

Following Thursday night’s storms, News On 6 will have trackers out.

Scattered thunderstorms are developing Thursday morning accompanying an expanding warm front moving northeast across the region.

A strong low-level jet positioned atop this boundary will also help to generate showers and thunderstorms throughout northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas in the early morning hours.

A handful of these storms will produce hail, which may occasionally result in a severe thunderstorm warning during the early stages of formation.

An early morning storm will quickly move out of NE Oklahoma and into the Missouri Valley by late morning.

Additional showers and thunder should continue to develop southward across the Arbuckles into southeastern to east-central Oklahoma. Thursday morning through afternoon, as the low-level jet turns eastward and a weak mid-level vortex moves east.

A few storms may form later Thursday afternoon near and north of a stalling warm front in southcentral or southeastern Kansas.

By early afternoon, precipitation is predicted to decrease across central and northern Oklahoma, with some partial clearing allowing for sunshine west of the Tulsa metro and cloudy weather south and east.

Temperatures will rise into the lower to mid-70s across northwestern and central Oklahoma, with spots near Tulsa approaching 70. The afternoon highs in southeastern and east central Oklahoma are expected to be in the mid to upper 60s.

Strong southeast winds of 15 to 30 mph will form and transfer extra moisture into a surface region of low pressure in western Oklahoma.

A dry line feature will extend southward from this low, with a surface cold front forming in southeastern Colorado and southwestern Kansas.

Thunderstorms will form around the junction of these features in northwestern Oklahoma later Thursday afternoon and overnight, gradually moving east late tonight into early Friday morning.

Low-level southeast winds backing into the surface suggest a rotating thunderstorm with a number of these storms.

The largest severe weather threat will be in the far western portion of the state, extending into northcentral Oklahoma, with large hail and damaging winds. As the storms approach central Oklahoma and Interstate 35 later Thursday night, a few strong to severe storms may make it into northeastern Oklahoma.

How will the weather be in Oklahoma on Friday, March 8?

As the cold front moves across northern Oklahoma, the surface low will begin to move east to southeast in the early hours of Friday morning. We’ll have a brief window early Friday morning for a few strong to severe storms near the Tulsa metro before the overnight storms subside and the cold front passes through.

As the front moves into east-central and southeastern Oklahoma Friday midday to early afternoon, the surface low will be near or southwest of the metro and should continue to drop southeast into the Red River valley.

Southeast surface winds will converge across southeastern Oklahoma, increasing the likelihood of more surface-based severe storms capable of producing huge hail and damaging winds.

Suppose deep low-level moisture continues in place until the surface low and cold front arrive. In that case, there will be enough instability and deep layer shear to support a low-end tornado warning for this system, which would primarily affect far southeastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas.

The front should eventually clear the area by early Friday afternoon, moving the severe threat across the Red River into north Texas.