Flash flood watch issued Friday for northeast Oklahoma

(TULSA, Okla.) A flash flood watch is in effect overnight through Friday afternoon for much of northeast Oklahoma. 1 to 3 inches of rain is expected within the watch area as a thunderstorm complex moves across the region. There may be rainfall totals as high as 5 inches in a few isolated locations. This may lead to flooding of low lying areas. The thunderstorm complex will develop across portions of central and southern Nebraska Thursday evening along an existing cold front as an upper level disturbance passes through the central Plains. The complex will hold together long enough to move into areas along the Kansas border prior to sunrise, and into a good portion of northeast Oklahoma and far northwest Arkansas the rest of the morning before diminishing toward midday. The potential for damaging wind gusts will be low and remain fairly isolated, with heavy rainfall and flooding being the main threat aside from the obvious lightning hazards. Much of the area remains fairly wet, given 7-day rainfall amounts 150 percent of normal along the Kansas border to as high as 600 percent of normal for a good chunk of the area southeast of I-44. Given these conditions, at least isolated flash flooding is a very good bet. There should be somewhat of a break Friday afternoon and possibly into Friday evening, but another thunderstorm complex is expected to move southward across eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas Friday night and into Saturday. Depending on what happens rainfall wise, another Flash Flood Watch may be necessary to cover this activity. Expect a potential repeat Saturday night as well, with the pattern remaining active through the weekend. Upper level ridging expands across the area early next week, which should lead to a return of above normal temperatures and an extended period of dry conditions.