Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 3, 2026

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 3, 2026
Start: 2026-04-03T14:32
End: 2026-04-03T21:12
Location: Oklahoma

April 3, 2026 · NWS OUN · 19 events in 8 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $260,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

A high-amplitude (closed) upper storm system moved eastward across the Rockies on the 3rd and fostered a severe convective episode across portions of Oklahoma and western-north Texas. Initial thunderstorm development during the afternoon focused along a cold front from southwest into north-central Oklahoma, with a mix of multicell and supercell storm modes producing hail. Later in the evening, an intense complex of thunderstorms moved from west-central into east-central Oklahoma, including across the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area. This cluster produced swaths of damaging winds and several tornadoes. By the late evening, increasing frontal thunderstorms moved towards the Red River, producing intermittent wind gusts/damage and flooding.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Apr 3, 12:42 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Updated at 142 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026
Cold front brings potential for strong to severe storms and locally heavy rainfall/flooding this afternoon into Saturday morning.
Dry conditions and cooler, seasonable temperatures are expected Saturday and into early next week.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 12:42 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
142 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 142 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

- Cold front brings potential for strong to severe storms and
  locally heavy rainfall/flooding this afternoon into Saturday
  morning.

- Dry conditions and cooler, seasonable temperatures are expected
  Saturday and into early next week.

&&

.NEAR TERM...
(Rest of today and tonight)
Issued at 142 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

After a pleasant day of weather on Thursday, another round of strong-
to-severe thunderstorms and heavy rain/flooding potential arrives
this afternoon and continues through the night.

Current satellite imagery captures a broad upper trough meandering
eastward across the Rocky Mountains, while a rather active branch of
the subtropical jet begins to impinge across the area. At the
surface, a cold front continues to sink slowly southeastward across
northern portions of the area, currently extending from ~Cheyenne to
Cherokee.

Expectation remains for the development of scattered thunderstorms
along the length of the front in the 2-5 PM timeframe, as
synoptic-scale ascent begins to overspread the area. Thunderstorm
development is likely to continue during the evening into night,
especially as a warm air advection/isentropic pattern increases
near the front after sunset.

The combination of strong (>2500 J/kg MLCAPE) instability and ~40
kts of deep-layer wind shear will promote organized
thunderstorms. A large hail and damaging wind risk will likely
accompany the initial phase (i.e., supercell mode) of the
convective event, with the main risk transitioning towards
occasional damaging wind gusts as upscale growth occurs throughout
the evening. While a deep moist profile may temper the wind risk
some, local corridors of more focused risk are possible associated
with rear-inflow jet/surges of more organized linear convective
segments along and ahead of the front.

While not zero, the risk for tornadoes is expected to remain
limited this evening and tonight, primarily owing to weak low-
level wind shear and potential for undercutting effects from
storm-scale outflows and eventually the front. However, as a low-
level jet (and attendant low-level wind shear) increases after
sunset near and east of the I-35 corridor, will closely monitor
for potential of a tornado or two. This would be especially true
should an organized storm or two develop within a broad zone of
near-surface convergence during the mid-evening, as a few near-
term guidance members have shown this morning.

Perhaps the greatest risk (at least from a coverage perspective)
looks to be heavy rainfall and the associated potential for
flooding, especially in areas along/east of I-44 and along/south of
I-40 late this evening into early Saturday. A combination of >95th
percentile (from a seasonal perspective) preciptable water, slow
storm motions and potential for multiple or repeated rounds of
thunderstorms drives this concern. A Flood Watch has been
initiated for portions of the aforementioned area from 4 PM Friday
to 9 AM Saturday morning.

Ungar

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Saturday through Sunday night)
Issued at 142 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Saturday will be dreary/rainy early, especially near and south of
the Red River. We currently expect all areas to be precipitation
free by the early afternoon, with post-frontal cloudiness clearing
from northwest-to-southeast throughout the day. Daytime highs (low
to upper-60s) will be the coolest of the next several days,
especially where clouds linger into the afternoon (i.e., central
and southeastern Oklahoma).

Conditions begin to moderate on Sunday, as greater influence from an
expanding western US upper ridge begins to be felt across the
region. Peak daytime readings look to run from the low to mid-70s
across the region with mostly clear skies and a light north to east
wind. Very splendid weather for outdoor activities to close out the
weekend!

Ungar

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Monday through Thursday)
Issued at 250 AM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Seasonable and dry conditions will continue into Monday with
northwest flow aloft. The flow will become westerly by Tuesday,
which will result in lee cyclogenesis east of the Rockies. In
response, a strengthening surface pressure gradient will result in
breezy southerly winds.

Moisture advection appears somewhat limited, so a dry return flow
(DRF) pattern for fire weather is possible Tuesday afternoon with
the potential for elevated to near-critical fire weather
conditions across northwest Oklahoma. This area is expected to
receive limited to no rainfall with today's system, so the fuels
will likely be susceptible wildfire spread.

The breezy southerly winds will likely continue Wednesday and
Thursday with the continued risk for some fire weather
conditions; however, increasing moisture advection should limit
the risk by Thursday.

The next chance for appreciable rainfall looks to be late
Thursday into the upcoming weekend as both deterministic models
and ensemble members indicate southwest flow aloft will likely
develop across the Southern Plains.

Mahale

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1211 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Gusty south winds will continue ahead of a front bringing gusty
north winds behind it. This front is currently passing by KWWR and
will continue southeast through the evening. Storms are expected
to initiate along this front, starting mid afternoon, and merge
into a line as they sweep southeastward. One or two isolated
storms will be possible out ahead of the front in south central
Oklahoma this afternoon as well, but those chances are low.

Day

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  50  63  41  70 /  90  10   0   0
Hobart OK         49  69  39  72 /  80  10   0   0
Wichita Falls TX  53  66  43  71 /  90  50   0   0
Gage OK           41  65  36  75 /  10   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     45  62  37  70 /  60   0   0   0
Durant OK         53  63  44  70 / 100  90   0   0

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for OKZ023>032-035-037>048-
     050>052.

TX...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for TXZ086-089-090.

&&

NEAR TERM...09
SHORT TERM...09
LONG TERM....10
AVIATION...14

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 1:18 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
218 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

OKZ036-TXZ083-085-031945-
Jackson OK-Wilbarger TX-Hardeman TX-
218 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central
Jackson, northwestern Wilbarger and east central Hardeman Counties
through 245 PM CDT...

At 218 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4
miles east of Chillicothe, 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...
Chillicothe, Odell, Fargo, and Hess.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3451 9925 3442 9923 3442 9924 3440 9924
      3439 9922 3437 9922 3437 9921 3434 9920
      3431 9921 3428 9921 3428 9919 3425 9919
      3418 9951 3429 9953
TIME...MOT...LOC 1918Z 236DEG 23KT 3427 9944

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

Meister

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 1:43 PM CST, 49 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
243 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

OKZ036-037-TXZ085-032015-
Tillman OK-Jackson OK-Wilbarger TX-
243 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central
Jackson, northwestern Tillman and northwestern Wilbarger Counties
through 315 PM CDT...

At 242 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Fargo, moving northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny 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...
Frederick, Tipton, Odell, and Fargo.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3425 9944 3432 9947 3456 9908 3430 9896
TIME...MOT...LOC 1942Z 242DEG 17KT 3433 9932

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Meister

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 1:55 PM CST, 37 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
255 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

OKZ007-008-012-032030-
Garfield OK-Kay OK-Grant OK-
255 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northwestern Kay,
eastern Grant and northwestern Garfield Counties through 330 PM
CDT...

At 255 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Caldwell to 4 miles southeast of
Hillsdale. Movement was east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny 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...
Medford, Pond Creek, Lamont, Kremlin, Braman, Hunter, Deer Creek,
Jefferson, Renfrow, Nardin, and Blackwell Lake.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3652 9758 3650 9799 3700 9765 3700 9727
TIME...MOT...LOC 1955Z 256DEG 17KT 3700 9759 3654 9792

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Schueth

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 2:18 PM CST, 14 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
318 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

OKZ011-012-017-018-032045-
Major OK-Garfield OK-Kingfisher OK-Blaine OK-
318 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northwestern
Kingfisher, northeastern Blaine, Garfield and southeastern Major
Counties through 345 PM CDT...

At 317 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 4 miles south of Kremlin to near Drummond to 4
miles south of Ames. Movement was northeast at 35 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...
Enid, Waukomis, Garber, Lahoma, Drummond, Breckenridge, Ames,
Fairmont, Vance Air Force Base, Bison, and North Enid.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3655 9747 3630 9763 3613 9782 3613 9835
      3625 9823 3653 9794
TIME...MOT...LOC 2017Z 237DEG 31KT 3648 9783 3630 9799 3618 9821

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

Schueth

Special weather statement, Apr 3, 2:19 PM CST, 13 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
319 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

OKZ022-023-035-032045-
Kiowa OK-Washita OK-Caddo OK-
319 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern
Washita, southwestern Caddo and northeastern Kiowa Counties through
345 PM CDT...

At 319 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5
miles south of Mountain View, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny 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...
Carnegie, Mountain View, Fort Cobb, Gotebo, Fort Cobb Reservoir,
Alfalfa, and Cowden.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3492 9898 3510 9891 3529 9869 3530 9843
      3496 9839
TIME...MOT...LOC 2019Z 247DEG 29KT 3502 9877

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Meister

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment