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Tennis Ball-Sized Hail, Wildfires Possible As Cold Front Arrives In Oklahoma

Updated 2:19 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for much of central and eastern Oklahoma as the threat of severe weather slowly increases.

The Norman Forecast Office says the prime time for storm development should come between 3 and 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Updated 12:12 p.m.

Oklahoma could see its first bout of severe weather Wednesday.

The 2015 storm season also comes after a mild 2014 with an uncharacteristically low number of significant tornado outbreaks.

The National Weather Service says there's an increasing chance for strong thunderstorms across central and southeastern Oklahoma Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Norman Forecast Office meteorologist Bruce Thoren says 60-to-70 mile-per-hour damaging straight line winds are possible. The Storm Prediction Center indicates there’s a moderate risk for golf-to-tennis ball-sized hail northeast of the metro.

“Initially storms may develop near the Oklahoma City area, primarily after 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon,” Thoren said. “Then by the mid-to-late evening, most of the severe weather will be confined to southeast of the Holdenville, Ada, and Ardmore line.”

A Wind Advisory goes into effect at 4 p.m. Wednesday for Northwest Oklahoma, and 7 p.m. in the metro. Both last until 4 a.m. Thursday.

The Tulsa area and western Arkansas could see an isolated tornado late this afternoon and early evening.

In northwest Oklahoma behind the cold front and dryline there's an elevated concern for wildfires due to a wind shift. Those gusting north winds could make travel a little difficult, especially along an East-West axis.

Highs will be in the lower 80s Wednesday afternoon in central Oklahoma, and about 10 degrees cooler in the northwest.

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Brian Hardzinski is from Flower Mound, Texas and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He began his career at KGOU as a student intern, joining KGOU full time in 2009 as Operations and Public Service Announcement Director. He began regularly hosting Morning Edition in 2014, and became the station's first Digital News Editor in 2015-16. Brian’s work at KGOU has been honored by Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI), the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters, and local and regional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Brian enjoys competing in triathlons, distance running, playing tennis, and entertaining his rambunctious Boston Terrier, Bucky.
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