Tulsa Weather: Heat stress builds, storm chances increase in Oklahoma during the weekend
The mid-level ridge of high pressure remains anchored to the west, sustaining northwest upper-air flow across the region.
Most of Thursday and Friday will remain dry with morning lows in the mid-70s and highs reaching into the mid-90s. A few isolated or pop-up thunderstorms may still occur this afternoon across far eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.
The abundant moisture in the atmosphere could allow any mature storm to produce locally heavy rainfall.
Rain Gear This Weekend?
Yes, keep it handy. You may be on the sidelines at times, waiting for storms to pass through the area. Despite these slightly cooler readings, heat index values will still be expected in the mid-90s.
Later tonight and into early Friday, a disturbance emerging from the Rockies into Kansas will initiate showers and storms north of the state.
An associated outflow boundary may drift southward late Friday night into early Saturday, bringing a chance for showers and storms across southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma.
We'll have a low-end chance for a few showers or storms late Friday, but higher chances will remain north or northwest of our immediate area.
By early Saturday morning, some storms will be possible across northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. 
By Saturday afternoon and evening, this boundary is expected to be positioned across northern OK and will become more active, supporting additional thunderstorm development.
Some storms may become strong to severe, capable of producing damaging wind gusts and intense rainfall over a short period, raising the potential for localized flooding. 
Timing is still somewhat uncertain, but the greatest storm chances currently appear to be late Saturday evening into early Sunday morning across northern Oklahoma.
Additional scattered showers and storms remain possible Sunday with the outflow nearby. Still, its presence will help trigger additional thunderstorms, with locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding possible due to deep tropical moisture.
Higher probabilities are currently positioned for Saturday, but both days have the possibility.
Any Severe Threats?
While the severe threat remains low overall, a few stronger storms could produce gusty winds capable of prompting brief severe thunderstorm warnings.
Recreational Impacts
Area lake levels remain elevated, which could impact some recreational areas. Many lakes also have floating debris. Use extra caution on the water. Levels are slowly dropping, but will remain high for the upcoming week.
The Morning Weather Podcast:
The daily morning weather podcast briefing will remain on hold indefinitely due to ongoing internal workflow issues.
We're working to resolve these challenges as soon as possible and appreciate your patience. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to be back soon. Thank you for your understanding.
Hot weather safety:
🔗Oklahoma heat safety tips: How to spot and prevent heat illness
🔗 Top summer safety tips every family needs to know
🔗 Swimming pools, splash pads & aquatic centers in Tulsa metro to stay cool
Need-to-know severe Oklahoma weather prep:
🔗Severe weather safety: what you need to know to prepare
🔗Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning: what they mean and what to do
🔗Severe weather safety: what to do before, during, and after a storm
🔗Why registering your storm shelter in Oklahoma could save your life
🔗Floodwater kills more Oklahomans than tornadoes in the last decade, here's why
🔗'Turn around, don't drown': Flood safety tips for Oklahomans
🔗5 things to know: How Oklahomans can get federal money to install storm shelters
🔗Breaking down the SoonerSafe Rebate Program: Do I qualify for a storm shelter?
Watch us on YouTube
Follow NewsOn6 on X/Twitter for automated severe weather alert posts: @NewsOn6
Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:
Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.
- PSO Outage Map
- OG&E Outage Map
- VVEC Outage Map
- Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map
- Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note: Several Smaller Co-ops Included)