10/11/2021 update: It ended up being a late night. Several tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Oklahoma, including a few in NE Oklahoma. One of those dropped a tornado in Coweta.
Some damage was reported. Fortunately no injuries were reported as of this morning. Schools in Coweta were closed this morning to give them time to assess the damage and restore power.
I finally went to bed about 12:30 and I’m paying for it today.
More storms are on tap for the rest of the week. Stay weather aware.
6:44PM update: We’ve already had a couple tornado warnings SW of OKC. It’s going to be a busy night.
3:25PM update: A Tornado Watch has been issued for the Tulsa area. Effective until 10:00 pm.
Don’t let the mild temps and a little blue sky and puffy clouds fool you. The weather is about to change.
I’ve been reviewing the weather models the past couple of days and I’m pretty confident that we’ll see severe weather unfold this afternoon through the overnight hours. Unfortunately, the worst of this event will be after dark.
As you can see by the graphic below, Tulsa is in the moderate risk for severe weather.
But, that’s only part of the story. Tulsa is also in the significant risk for tornadoes.
The forecast is saying storms will develop after 1pm, my thinking is the severe stuff will begin around 7pm and continue through the night. The NWS is showing a 6:00 pm initiation.
Currently, the dryline is still way out west, but it’s moving this way and I think storms will develop along the dryline.
So, my suggestion is that everyone in the areas of Oklahoma shown on the outlook map get their shelters in order, make sure there’s fresh batteries in your flashlights and your weather radio, and make sure you have more than one way to receive weather warnings. You should also stay tuned to local media for the latest weather updates.
Because this event will happen after dark, I won’t be chasing or spotting it. I will be following the developments here. Follow me on Twitter and check back here for updates.
The risks for tonight are:
- Tornadoes (could see EF2 or greater)
- Severe gusty winds
- Damaging hail
- A lot of Lightning
- Heavy rain with flooding potential
As with any Oklahoma weather event, power outages are possible. Get everything you’ll need charged up.
I’ll update here and on Twitter if conditions change. Please be safe and take care of each other.