Fast Facts:

• Powerful storm to bring gusts to 60-70 mph or more to the Southern Plains.
• Relative humidity levels expected to drop into the teens and single digits.
• Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and wide swath of northern Texas, including some suburbs of Fort Worth, under “extreme” fire threat.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A dangerous combination of ferocious winds, dry lands and cratering humidity levels are bringing an “extremely critical” fire threat to millions across wide swaths of Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, including multiple urban areas.

It’s a slice of the effects of a powerful and sprawling storm expected to bring a variety of impactful weather stretching over dozens of states in the Midwest and East Coast as an intense 100-plus-mph jet stream moves into the southern Plains on Friday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK COULD UNLEASH HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS, STRONG TORNADOES

A rapidly strengthening surface low over the central Plains will bring very strong, 60-70 mph westerly winds or more across a mass of extremely dry air with relative humidity values dropping into the teens and single digits.

These ingredients will act in creating a perfect-storm scenario for fire weather, meaning any fires that ignite could spread rapidly and become difficult to contain.

“Extreme fire weather days are way less common,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan. “What’s unique to me about (Friday’s) setup is that this is in a part of (Texas and the Southern Plains) that they’re not doing terrible from a drought perspective, but that speaks to the powerful low, that the humidity levels are going to be so low. We’re going to have a dry line that will have already bypassed this part of Texas and Oklahoma — winds could be dangerous and with the recent bout of some drier weather, that vegetation is just prime fuels.”

Both High Wind Warnings and Fire Weather Warnings spread across much of the Southern Plains with “extreme” fire risks covering over 5 million from North Texas into the heart of Oklahoma and southern Kansas. That includes the cities of Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma; Midland, Abilene and Wichita Falls in Texas, plus some of the western and northern suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

“With sustained winds between 25-40 mph, gusts approaching 60 mph and relative humidity between 10-20%, the potential for fire starts and spread will become dangerously high,” said meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth. “The most significant threat will be west of the I-35 corridor. Extreme wildfire behavior is expected, and fire containment will be extremely difficult given the expected winds. Avoid any and all activities that could start wildfires!”

A “critical” fire threat covers the rest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as other major Texas cities of Austin and San Antonio.

MAKING SENSE OF WILDFIRE JARGON

“Behind the scenes, all the area fire departments and first responders are calling each other, going into meetings and ensuring our lines of communication are open,” said officials with Pflugerville Fire. “That we’re staffed accordingly, and that we have units where they need to be.”

It’s the first time some of those other Fort Worth suburbs have ever had an “extreme” fire risk forecast two days in advance, the NWS said.

The gusts and fire danger is even more dire in the Texas Panhandle.

WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR EVACUATION ‘GO’ BAG DURING WILDFIRE SEASON?

“Dangerous high wind and fire weather episode (Friday) with gusts near 80 mph and a dust storm are expected,” NWS Lubbock posted on X in all capital letters. “Isolated, extreme wind gusts up to 90 mph will be possible across portions of the Caprock Escarpment (Friday).”

Dry, windy conditions in Colorado helped fan the flames of several brush fires on Thursday, which triggered evacuations.

The largest was named the Meridian Fire, which burned over 3,000 acres outside of Colorado Springs.

A nearby shelter was opened for evacuees, but firefighters reported making progress in stopping the advance of the flames, which allowed for some of the evacuation orders to be rescinded.