Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 1, 2026

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
1246 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1226 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

- Severe storms expected by early this evening and into the
overnight hours. Potential hazards:
	-- Large hail (> 2")
	-- Damaging winds (60-75 mph)
	-- Tornadoes

- Elevated fire weather conditions remain possible into early next
  week, mainly over portions of western Oklahoma and western north
  Texas.

- Strong/severe thunderstorm chances return Friday afternoon and
  night.

&&

.NEAR TERM...
(Rest of today and tonight)
Issued at 1203 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

After a long, hot February and March, the atmosphere's April Fool's
Day prank for us this year is to jump us straight into active severe
weather on the first of the month. Satellite shows a band of cirrus
over the southern Rockies in advance of a compact trough. Robust
height falls will overspread the dryline (along a line from near
Seiling to San Angelo) this afternoon. Subsequent
cooling/destabilizing aloft will prove more than sufficient for
storm development, and perhaps widespread development/rapid upscale
growth. A secondary area to watch for storm development will be
along a surging warm front, which by mid-afternoon will extend east-
northeast from that dryline into north central Oklahoma. This area
is more removed from forcing and thus the chances for storms prior
to sunset are lower.

Shear profiles along the dryline will favor splitting supercells
initially this afternoon. Dewpoint depressions near 20 and weak 0-1
km shear will temper the initial tornado threat, but very large hail
is possible with mid-level lapse rates in the 7.5/8 C/km range. If
any storms develop late this afternoon along the warm front, low-
level shear would be greater there, leading to a conditionally
greater potential for supercellular tornadoes.

Storm development/amalgamation will continue east of the dryline as
forcing continues late this evening. We anticipate that this will
eventually lead to development of an eastward-moving squall line.
Guidance has trended toward greater 100-mb mean mixing ratios and
more classic Great Plains LLJ-induced hodographs between 0Z and 04Z
tonight. Thus, concern is heightened for the potential for line-
embedded tornadoes, one or two of which could be strong (EF2+). The
risk for damaging winds will also increase as the LLJ ramps up and
downdrafts have increased momentum to mechanically mix to the
surface.

The squall line will exit our area late tonight and winds will
increase from the south-southwest as a surface low develops in
Kansas.

Meister

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Thursday through Friday night)
Issued at 1203 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

As the surface low moves eastward during the day on Thursday, the
dryline will elongate from southwest to northeast and mix eastward.
The residual High Plains airmass will continue to be extremely dry,
so even with rather marginal surface winds, elevated fire weather
will emerge in far western Oklahoma/western north Texas. The exact
location of this elevated fire weather is yet to be determined due
to the potential damping effect (pun not intended) of rainfall on
the fuelscape. Temperatures will remain well above-normal, which is
basically par for the course for this year.

Another round of storms will sweep in with a much stronger cold
front on Friday. The primary surface low/upper-level forcing is
expected to be closer to Iowa, leaving us on the southwestern fringe
of an elongated "banana low". Those kind of early-spring banana low
environments are ripe (pun not intended) for anafrontal convection
as the cold front sweeps southward, and all indications are that we
will see that here. That will potentially limit the severe threat or
at least focus it more into a damaging wind threat along the front,
though the environment does look rather unstable and shear profiles
are robust. Regardless, Friday brings hope of another widespread
round of wetting rain as we move into the peak of the green-up
season.

Meister

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Saturday through Tuesday)
Issued at 258 AM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

Cooler temperatures are expected on Saturday following the passage
of the cold front, with decreasing clouds. Low temperatures on
Sunday morning will be on the cool side and range from the upper
30's to mid 40's. No rain chances are in the forecast through
Tuesday and will see temperatures gradually increase into the
70's.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1226 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

Surface winds remain light and variable north of a warm front
this morning, while a breezy southerly wind prevails across most
of southern Oklahoma and western north Texas.  As the warm front
lifts northward this afternoon, winds will gradually increase out
of the south with improving ceiling heights through the afternoon.
By late afternoon, strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to
develop mainly across western and northern Oklahoma. By early
evening, thunderstorm coverage should become numerous/widespread,
so most terminals will be impacted by thunderstorms between 22Z
Wednesday and 9Z Thursday.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  62  83  64  82 / 100   0   0  50
Hobart OK         58  85  62  86 /  70   0   0  50
Wichita Falls TX  63  88  64  85 /  90   0   0  50
Gage OK           50  84  58  82 /  60   0   0  10
Ponca City OK     60  80  62  80 / 100   0   0  50
Durant OK         65  83  65  82 / 100  30  10  40

&&

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

NEAR TERM...04
SHORT TERM...04
LONG TERM....01
AVIATION...06

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
441 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

OKZ015>017-012215-
Dewey OK-Custer OK-Blaine OK-
441 PM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Custer,
northern Blaine and southeastern Dewey Counties through 515 PM CDT...

At 440 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Fay, moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Watonga, Thomas, Canton, Longdale, Hitchcock, Oakwood, Canton Lake,
Eagle City, Fay, and Southard.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3592 9825 3571 9865 3575 9878 3582 9882
      3617 9862 3617 9858
TIME...MOT...LOC 2140Z 218DEG 22KT 3580 9864

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Ware