Koco Weather: Friday night warnings fade, but storms keep Oklahoma on alert
At 8: 45 p. m. ET on Friday, the tension in central Oklahoma was measured in minutes: a tornado warning still covered northwestern Grady County and southeastern Canadian County, while other tornado warnings had already been allowed to expire. In the churn of updates, koco weather coverage centered on a simple reality for people in the Oklahoma City metro—storms were arriving in waves, and the map kept changing.
What warnings were active Friday night, and what did they mean?
Severe thunderstorms fired off Friday with multiple waves of storms expected, bringing a tornado threat to Oklahoma. The National Weather Service allowed tornado warnings to expire, but severe weather warnings remained in place across several counties as the evening progressed.
A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for northern Grady County, Oklahoma County, northwestern Cleveland County, south central Logan County, Canadian County and northwestern McClain County until 9: 15 p. m. ET. The stated main threats were 60 mph wind gusts and nickel-sized hail.
In addition, a flash flood warning was issued for southeastern Canadian County and northern Grady County until 11: 45 p. m. ET. Another flash flood warning was issued for west central Caddo County, northeastern Kiowa County and southeastern Washita County until 11: 30 p. m. ET.
A tornado warning remained in effect for northwestern Grady County and southeastern Canadian County until 8: 45 p. m. ET, with the National Weather Service advising those in affected areas to take precautions.
Where could hail, wind, and flooding hit in the OKC metro?
The severe thunderstorm warning area included a long list of communities that residents in the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding towns recognize instantly: Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Del City, El Reno, Newcastle, Blanchard, Yukon, Bethany, Mustang, Warr Acres, The Village, Noble, Tuttle, Piedmont, Slaughterville, Spencer, and Nichols Hills.
The flash flood warning for southeastern Canadian County and northern Grady County identified locations that could be affected by flash flooding, including southwestern Oklahoma City, El Reno, Newcastle, Yukon, Mustang, Tuttle, Union City and Minco.
Separately, the flash flood warning covering west central Caddo County, northeastern Kiowa County and southeastern Washita County included Carnegie, Mountain View and Gotebo as places that could see flash flooding.
Koco Weather and the human toll of a fast-changing night
Beyond the boundaries of the metro, the night’s hazards showed up in sharp, physical ways. Storm tracker Hank Brown described hail falling near Gotebo, Oklahoma, while storm tracker Val Castor had his windshield destroyed in Mountain View on Friday after a golf ball-sized piece of hail struck it. Castor also observed golf ball-sized hail in southwest Oklahoma, a reminder that even when a warning is time-limited, the consequences can be immediate and costly.
For many households, the evening’s uncertainty came from stacked alerts: tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings, and flash flood warnings overlapping across counties. The National Weather Service messaging highlighted two clear, immediate threats in the severe thunderstorm warning area—60 mph wind gusts and nickel-sized hail—while flash flood warnings underscored the risk of water rising quickly in the warned locations.
As the National Weather Service allowed some tornado warnings to expire, the broader storm pattern remained active. Multiple waves of storms were expected, and warnings continued for parts of Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Logan, McClain and Oklahoma counties into the late evening hours.
Image caption (alt text): koco weather map showing storm warnings affecting the Oklahoma City metro Friday night.
