A Mild Afternoon Before Wet Weather Returns Thursday

What is the forecast for Wednesday?

Afternoon highs will reach the lower 60s for most locations this afternoon with a few clouds and south winds returning speeds from 10 to 20 mph. A storm system brings shower chances into the area Thursday with morning lows in the upper 40s and afternoon highs in the mid-50s. As the system leaves our area late Thursday night, blustery and colder weather arrives Friday before another warming trend arrives early next week.

A compact short-wave trough will move from New Mexico into Oklahoma Thursday and exit into Missouri Friday morning. As this feature approaches, a surface area of low pressure will develop to our southwest today and eject northeast across the state Thursday afternoon and evening. South winds at 10 to 20 mph will be likely today with increasing speeds from 15 to 25 mph Thursday bringing low level moisture into the state. Deeper moisture will remain mostly across southeastern OK into northeast TX where some moderate to occasionally heavy downpours will be possible. More northward, mostly lighter amounts are expected across northeastern OK. Severe weather threats continue to trend southward, mostly in Texas, but a few storms may produce some hail across southeastern OK tomorrow afternoon.

As the system ejects across the state Thursday evening, there will remain a possibility of dry slot developing and limiting coverage across part of the area later tomorrow night from the south to north. We'll continue with a likely category for precipitation from midday through early evening. Showers will be exiting far northeastern OK pre-dawn Friday with blustery northwest winds and temperature falling into the 40s for the day. This cool-down will be mostly short-lived with temperatures rebounding into the upper 50s and some lower 60s this weekend and continuing for a few days next week. We continue to track another wave this weekend that may be able to squeeze-out a sprinkle or shower Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, but the probability continues to remain very low.

CLICK HERE for Alan Crone's weather podcast.

How to prepare my home for a freeze?

The City of Tulsa says it's important to protect your pipes from the cold.

Officials recommend protecting outside pipes by disconnecting garden hoses from your house and installing covers on outside faucets.

Also, if a sink is along an outside wall of your home, allow a trickle of water to run and open the cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate.

The National Weather Service says when temperatures drop to 28°F or lower for a couple of hours you should bring pets indoors, protect sensitive vegetation, protect outdoor pipes and let indoor faucets drip and to turn off automatic sprinklers.

Space Heater Safety Tips (via CBS News)

1. If you're using a space heater, make sure it's not too close to things that can burn like upholstered furniture, clothing, a mattress, or bedding.
2. Never plug a space heater into an extension cord, always plug it directly into a wall outlet.
3. Remember to turn it off before leaving the room or going to bed. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets. Look for signs of malfunctions, especially on older models.
4. Make sure it has an automatic shutoff function.
5. Make sure you have working smoke detectors with fresh batteries. Change the battery twice a year.

On average, fires caused by portable heaters cause 65 deaths and 150 injuries a year, according to the US Fire Administration.

Overnight on Sunday, firefighters battled several house fires across Tulsa as temperatures dropped below freezing.

Click here for Alan Crone's weather podcast

Follow the News On 6 Meteorologists on Facebook!

Meteorologist Travis Meyer

Meteorologist Stacia Knight

Meteorologist Alan Crone

Meteorologist Stephen Nehrenz

Meteorologist Aaron Reeves

Meteorologist Megan Gold

------------