Storm Updates: Oklahoma Moderate Flood — Oct 14 Morning

Tropical: None · Severe: Slight · Flood: Moderate

What Changed

• Compared with the prior version of this morning desk and the October 13 afternoon pulse (Slight severe / Slight flood), the WPC Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook continues the Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall across portions of Oklahoma into the Red River Valley of Texas (latest discussion 0020 UTC / 7:20 PM CDT October 14, valid through 12Z October 15). Greatest probabilities for additional 3”/5”/8” remain centered on central Oklahoma including the Oklahoma City metro. Category unchanged.
• SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook updated 0100 UTC / 7:47 PM CDT Wednesday, October 14, 2026 (valid 150100Z–151200Z) maintains the Slight Risk across parts of the southern Plains. Primary evening threat remains severe wind gusts from linear segments along the cold front in northwest Texas into southern and eastern Oklahoma, with a marginal residual into the Ozarks and southern Ohio/Tennessee Valleys. No category change.
• Severe Thunderstorm Watch #685 remains in effect until 0400 UTC / 11:00 PM CDT October 15 for portions of southwest Oklahoma and west/northwest Texas. Status reports and Mesoscale Discussion 2377 confirm the severe weather threat continues, including a QLCS with bowing segment and embedded mesovortex along the Red River Valley. Primary threats: damaging winds (isolated to 75 mph), large hail (isolated to 2 inches), tornado or two possible. Active Severe Thunderstorm Warnings with 60–80 mph wind threats continue in northwest Texas and southwestern Oklahoma as of late evening.
• Multiple Flash Flood Warnings and Flood Warnings remain active from NWS Norman across the Oklahoma City metro and western/central Oklahoma (3–6+ inches already fallen, locally 4–11 inches west near Elk City/I-40 and Canadian/Kingfisher counties), plus residual FFWs in northwestern Texas (Lubbock) and parts of Ohio/West Virginia. Flood Watches continue through Thursday afternoon for much of Oklahoma and northern Texas. Record October PWAT 2.23 inches at 12Z OUN. Canadian River near Bridgeport forecast upgraded to major flooding earlier.
• No tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings on the U.S. coast or Gulf of America. No named tropical cyclone threatens or has just hit U.S. land. Atlantic quiet; Eastern Pacific Hurricane Simon (weakening) and Tropical Storm Trudy remain offshore Mexico with no U.S. impact.

Pulse Table

SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook

The latest SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook, updated 0100 UTC / 7:47 PM CDT Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and valid 150100Z through 151200Z, maintains a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms across parts of the southern Plains. The summary states that thunderstorms with severe wind gusts will be possible this evening across parts of the southern Plains. A marginal wind-damage threat will also be possible in parts of the Ozarks, and from the southern Ohio Valley into the northern Tennessee Valley.

A mid-level shortwave trough is moving through west Texas within southwesterly flow aloft. At the surface, a cold front is located from northwest Texas extending east-northeastward into southern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. Thunderstorms are ongoing near the front in northwest Texas and are expected to continue east-northeastward along the boundary this evening. Although moderate instability is analyzed over parts of north Texas, instability is weaker near the boundary. RAP forecast soundings indicate 40 to 50 knots of southwesterly mid-level flow supporting organized thunderstorms. Predominant mode is linear; more intense line segments could produce damaging wind gusts. The threat may persist into the late evening as the line moves through southern and eastern Oklahoma. A marginal threat may continue overnight across part of the Ozarks. Severe Thunderstorm Watch 685 remains in effect until 11 PM CDT, with Mesoscale Discussion 2377 highlighting continued QLCS risk along the Red River Valley including possible brief tornado.

WPC Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook

The Weather Prediction Center Day 1 Excessive Rainfall Outlook maintains a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall across portions of Oklahoma into the Red River Valley of Texas, valid through 12Z Thursday, October 15, 2026 (updated ~0020 UTC). The greatest probabilities for exceeding the 3-inch, 5-inch, and 8-inch thresholds remain positioned over central Oklahoma, with the Oklahoma City metro a notable focus. High-resolution guidance continues to indicate widespread areas of additional 3–5 inches of rain with local maxima upwards of 8 inches on top of already observed totals of 3–8 inches (locally higher, up to 11 inches in some western areas) in parts of the region.

An anomalously moist environment is in place with plentiful Gulf moisture and influence from offshore Hurricane Simon, producing precipitable water values near or past record levels for October. The 12Z OUN sounding showed 2.23 inches, the highest recorded for the month during the period of record. Overnight and morning storms produced areal average estimated rainfall totals of 3 to 4 inches (locally 6–8 inches and higher) from central Oklahoma west-southwest into the southeastern Texas Panhandle. Coordination with the Norman forecast office supports the Moderate Risk from southwestern Oklahoma and the Red River basin through central Oklahoma and into the Tulsa metro area. Flood Watches remain in effect through Thursday afternoon for much of Oklahoma and adjacent northern Texas. A Slight Risk extends into the Ohio Valley and Appalachians. Life-threatening flash flooding has been reported across the Oklahoma City metro, with major flooding forecast on the Canadian River near Bridgeport.

Active Watches, Warnings, and Reports

As of late evening Wednesday (approximately 9:12 PM PDT / 11:12 PM CDT / 0412Z 15 October 2026), Severe Thunderstorm Watch 685 is in effect until 11 PM CDT for southwest Oklahoma and west/northwest Texas. Status reports and MD 2377 indicate the severe weather threat continues with a well-defined QLCS and embedded mesovortex advancing along the Red River Valley. Active Severe Thunderstorm Warnings from NWS Norman cover portions of Foard, Knox, Hardeman, Wilbarger and adjacent counties in Texas (destructive 70–80 mph winds, hail, tornado possible near Crowell, Quanah, Vernon) and Comanche, Cotton, Jackson, Tillman counties in Oklahoma (60–70 mph winds near Lawton, Cache, Fort Sill, Geronimo). Multiple Flash Flood Warnings remain active from NWS Norman across the Oklahoma City metro (Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan and adjacent counties) and western/central Oklahoma, plus residual from NWS Lubbock in northwestern Texas (Crosby, Dickens, Garza, Kent, Cottle, Motley with 2–5 inches fallen) and NWS Charleston in Ohio and West Virginia (1–2.25 inches). Flood Watches continue through Thursday afternoon across broad areas of Oklahoma and northern Texas. Life-threatening flash flooding of creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, and underpasses is ongoing or expected in places. Turn around, don’t drown remains the critical public message. Preliminary reports emphasize heavy rainfall totals of several inches (OKC metro 3–6 inches, western areas 4–11 inches including Elk City ~8.5 inches and Hinton ~9 inches) and developing wind damage under the watch.

Tropical

The National Hurricane Center reports no tropical cyclones in the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of America. Tropical cyclone formation is not expected over the next seven days in the Atlantic basin. In the Eastern Pacific, Hurricane Simon remains offshore Mexico with no threat to the United States, and Tropical Storm Trudy is also well south of Mexico. No Storm Surge, Tropical Storm, or Hurricane Watches or Warnings are in effect for any U.S. coastline or the Gulf of America.

Rising queries

Trends unreachable.

Informational only — not an official warning. Always consult the latest products from the National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center, Weather Prediction Center, and National Hurricane Center for official guidance and warnings. Watches and warnings expire and are replaced. Preliminary reports can change.