Wind Howls In Northeastern Oklahoma; Fire Weather Watches In Effect

Howling winds swept across the state on Tuesday, once again creating a fire danger for Green Country.

A wind advisory was in effect across several northeastern Oklahoma counties, but it expired at 3 p.m. Thursday.

A fire weather watch was issued by afternoon for the following counties: Craig, Creek Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Rogers, Tulsa and Washington.

Gusty north to northwest winds, some up to 45 mph, moved through northeastern Oklahoma on Thursday.

Problems caused by the wind lit up the phones at the Tulsa Fire Department, which received about 20 calls of downed power lines. On North Sheridan Road, the wind knocked out a transmission line.

By noon, there were about 400 outages across Tulsa County, according to Public Service Company of Oklahoma. Most of those have been restored.

The high winds made driving in high-profile vehicles difficult, and even walking between buildings downtown Tulsa, there's a wind-tunnel effect.

Folks walking around downtown sought shelter behind overhangs and structures to escape the wind gusts.

"Unless you've got good balance, it's not going to be easy. I can tell you that much," Ron Constable said.

The wind also makes it another day of high fire danger across the state.

Officials at Oklahoma Forestry Services are urging residents to avoid outdoor burning this week due to the dry, windy conditions present over a large portion of the state.

Low relative humidity combined with higher temperatures and gusty winds means fires can ignite easily and spread quickly.

All outdoor burning is discouraged across the state. There are 12 counties under current burn bans. You can view the map by clicking here.