Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 60, NWS Norman, OK

April 26, 2026Jefferson County, Oklahoma; Clay County, Texas

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 2026, 7:26 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Oklahoma; Clay County, Texas. It was in force for 49 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 26, 2026, 7:26 PM CDT (00:26 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 2026, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.75 in

Counties Jefferson County, OK, Clay County, TX

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:25 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 26, 3:55 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 26, 5:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 514 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
  • Conditional risk for severe storms this afternoon and evening. If storms occur, all severe hazards would be possible including very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a low tornado risk.
  • Drier air moves in Monday, with elevated to near critical fire weather expected across western/northwestern OK.
  • Low storm chances across southeast OK Tuesday, better chances for showers and storms over the entire area Thursday into Friday.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 26, 5:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
517 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 514 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

- Conditional risk for severe storms this afternoon and evening.
  If storms occur, all severe hazards would be possible including
  very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a low tornado risk.

- Drier air moves in Monday, with elevated to near critical fire
  weather expected across western/northwestern OK.

- Low storm chances across southeast OK Tuesday, better chances
  for showers and storms over the entire area Thursday into
  Friday.

&&

.NEAR TERM...
(Today and tonight)
Issued at 1135 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

A conditional severe risk with a complex set of meteorological
features is in place for today.

Warm air advection has been ongoing and has already produced a few
weak storms in north central Oklahoma this morning. Most of this
isolated to scattered activity is expected to remain weak, though a
strong storm or two can't be ruled out as we get into the afternoon
hours.

Later this afternoon and evening, we'll see the potential for
convection to focus in two main areas: along a dryline roughly near
and west of highway 81 (mainly southern Oklahoma and north Texas),
and in the warm front zone across northern Oklahoma.

Dryline convection will be more dependent on daytime heating with
upper support being quite distant. CAMs are inconsistent on whether
there's enough forcing to get storms to form, but any storms that do
form will have a risk for large to very large hail and tornadoes.

The warm front may be a later show as the upper wave approaches.
CAMs depict storms starting in northwest Oklahoma and moving
eastward across the state. Again, there is some uncertainty in
getting storms to form, but the chances are higher in this region.
Similarly, large to very large hail and tornadoes are both potential
hazards.

The tornado risk may be most acute when the low level jet starts to
ramp up this evening. This jet will also help storms persist into
the overnight period.

Day

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Monday through Tuesday night)
Issued at 1135 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Southwesterly / westerly low level flow will bring in much drier air
on Monday, setting us up for elevated to near-critical fire weather
across western portions of the forecast area. The low level thermal
ridge is expected to set up across southwest Oklahoma into central
Oklahoma, putting it out of sync with the highest ERCs in northwest
Oklahoma. There will likely be some overlap to watch, but most areas
outside of northwest Oklahoma have seen enough green-up to mitigate
fire danger. Winds will be breezy (especially along the thermal
ridge) and highs will be in the 80s and 90s.

A weak cold front will enter northern Oklahoma Monday night, then
stall roughly halfway across the forecast area on Tuesday (though
there is still some uncertainty in this frontal position). This will
provide a focus for showers and storms along and south of the front
in south central Oklahoma Tuesday afternoon and evening. The front
will also set us up with a temperature gradient ranging from highs
in the lower 70s in northern Oklahoma to the low 90s in north Texas.

Day

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday through Saturday)
Issued at 200 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Dry/cooler conditions are forecast across the area on Wednesday as
low amplitude ridging will be in place over the southern Plains
ahead of another shortwave across the southwest US. Shower and
thunderstorm chances will then increase Thursday and especially
Friday as the wave draws moisture northward over the residual
frontal zone. Extensive warm air advection and isentropic ascent
is forecast could lead to heavy rainfall across portions of the
area (currently most favored across southern OK and western north
TX). The severe risk appears more uncertain and will depend on
whether or not sufficient instability can return northward.

Highs during this period will be below normal, mainly in the 60s to
low 70s through the weekend.

Ware

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 514 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026

Showers and a few thunderstorms may impact portions of the area
this afternoon and evening, primarily across western north Texas
and southwestern Oklahoma, and northern Oklahoma. There is a
little uncertainty into impacting TAF sites, but it may be close.
LLWS will affect most TAF sites late tonight into early Monday
morning.

 &&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  69  88  55  80 /  20   0   0  20
Hobart OK         63  90  52  86 /  20   0   0  10
Wichita Falls TX  70  93  62  91 /  10   0   0  20
Gage OK           53  82  44  76 /  20   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     65  84  48  71 /  40   0   0  10
Durant OK         71  90  68  83 /  20  10  10  60

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...None.
TX...None.
&&

NEAR TERM...14
SHORT TERM...14
LONG TERM....08
AVIATION...14

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 26, 6:50 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 26, 6:58 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 26, 7:04 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 26, 7:05 PM CDT, 21 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 26, 7:13 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 26, 7:21 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 26, 7:01 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOUNCotton, Jefferson119 min
Apr 26, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKay21 min
Apr 26, 7:45 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNNoble30 min
Apr 26, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNNoble19 min
Apr 26, 8:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatOUNJefferson40 min
Apr 26, 10:46 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNMajor29 min
Apr 26, 11:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAlfalfa, Grant, Woods34 min
Apr 26, 11:40 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAlfalfa, Grant35 min
Apr 27, 12:48 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNKay27 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 2026Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.