Tulsa Easter Weekend Weather: Severe thunderstorm watch, heavy rain and flood threat timeline HERE

All eyes will be on the Oklahoma skies this Easter weekend as a chance for severe storms moves in Friday night.

A powerful spring storm system is set to deliver rounds of rain, thunderstorms and potential severe weather across Oklahoma from Friday afternoon through Easter Sunday, with Tulsa and surrounding areas facing the full force of the impact.

Watches and Warnings:

1. A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, McIntosh, Mayes, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa and Wagoner County until 3 a.m.
2. A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Lincoln and Payne County until 4 a.m.
3. A tornado watch has been issued for Hughes County until 4 a.m.
4. A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Adair, Cherokee, and Delaware County until 1 a.m.
5. A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Osage and Pawnee County until 1:30 a.m.

>> Daily weather updates for Tulsa, Oklahoma, HERE.

Below is some information to remember and a full weather timeline for this weekend in Green Country.

🌩️ Oklahoma Storm Timeline: What to Know April 18–21

Oklahoma Severe Weather Key Takeaways:

1. Severe Weather Threat Increases Friday Night: A strong upper-level system arrives, bringing the potential for severe storms late Friday into Saturday, especially near the cold front.
2. Heavy Rain and Severe Storms Saturday: Storms may bring damaging winds, hail, and localized flooding. Areas along and south of I-40 in Oklahoma will be most at risk, with temperatures ranging from the upper 60s to mid-70s.
3. Unsettled Easter Morning: Some rain and thunder are possible early Sunday as the front lifts slightly. Conditions should clear by midday with highs in the upper 60s.

📅 Friday, April 18: Warm Temps, Cold Front & First Severe Threat

1. Afternoon Highs: Tulsa area temperatures will reach near 80°F by mid-afternoon, while areas behind the front (northwest Oklahoma) cool into the 50s and 60s.
2. Cold Front Timing: The front enters the I-44 corridor (including Tulsa) by mid to late afternoon.
3. Spotty Showers: Scattered light showers may develop between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. ahead of the system.
4. Severe Storm Window Opens:
5. Main timing: 7 p.m. Friday – 7 a.m. Saturday
6. Threats: Large hail, damaging winds, isolated tornadoes (especially along and south of the boundary)
7. Rain amounts: Begin accumulating Friday night

On Friday, a strong southwest upper-level flow from the Desert Southwest will continue to intensify.

A powerful upper-level wave moving down the Rockies is expected to merge with the Southern Stream, bringing additional upper air support for thunderstorms late Friday night into early Saturday.

Current data indicates the front will move into northern Oklahoma Friday afternoon, then shift slightly south of the metro late Friday night, triggering more frequent thunderstorms.

The Storm Area in Oklahoma On Friday

The position of the cold front Friday evening will be key in determining the extent of heavy rainfall and severe weather threats through the weekend.

Friday afternoon, temperatures will start in the upper 60s, with daytime highs in the lower to mid-80s before the front nears the area by the evening hours. 

⛈️ Saturday, April 19: Cooler, Wet, and Unsettled

1. Morning: Storms continue into early morning, especially east of Tulsa.
2. Daytime Highs:
3. North of the front: Upper 50s to low 60s
4. South of the front: Mid to upper 60s
5. Winds: Gusty north winds will usher in cooler air behind the front.
6. Rainfall: Persistent light-to-moderate rain likely through the day, with pockets of heavy rain possible.
7. Severe Round #2?
8. New storms may develop Saturday night, especially in southern Oklahoma
9. Some could turn severe again by late evening into early Sunday morning

Saturday Severe Threats Include Heavy Rainfall

Some of the storms near and south of the front will be strong to severe with damaging winds and hail. Most locations will have a threat of heavy rain on Saturday. 

The boundary is expected to move south of the I-40 corridor early Saturday morning before stalling, placing much of eastern Oklahoma in the zone for pockets of locally heavy rainfall through midday Saturday.

Locations north of the front, mostly along and north of I-40, will see highs in the upper 60s, while areas south of I-40 will experience temperatures in the mid-70s on Saturday.

🌧️ Sunday, April 20 (Easter): Stormy Start, Calmer Finish

1. Morning: Rain and some embedded storms continue into early Easter morning
2. By Late Morning (9 a.m. – Noon):
3. Storms should exit eastern Oklahoma, including Tulsa
4. Conditions improve rapidly midday into afternoon
5. Afternoon Highs: Mid 60s with drying conditions and a return of sunshine for some areas.

Easter Sunday: Continued Storm Chances

As the upper-level wave merges and progresses across the middle of the country, the front could briefly lift north as a surface low-pressure system develops along its boundary early Sunday morning.

This may keep some rain and thunder near the region early Sunday before moving east, out of the area quickly Sunday morning. This portion of the forecast may still undergo additional changes. 

Easter Sunday morning temperatures will generally be in the mid-50s with highs reaching the upper 60s.

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