After a weekend of wildfires and a sharp dip into freezing temperatures, Oklahoma will soon face potentially record-breaking heat at the end of the week.
According to the National Weather Service, much of the state could see highs over 90 degrees on Thursday, March 19, through Sunday, March 22.
In addition to rising temperatures, Oklahoma will face several days of elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions due to the warming temperatures, extremely dry air, and gusty winds. The National Weather Service has placed a fire weather watch over parts of western Oklahoma and northwestern Texas.
More: How many tornadoes have touched down in Oklahoma so far? See latest data
The wildfire threat will be heightened by the minimum relative humidity being between 10 and 25% throughout the state and wind gusts up to 35 mph.
The fire threat will lessen throughout the week, as Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday all have an 'elevated' fire risk throughout the state. The 'near-critical' fire risk will return on Sunday with a concentration in southwestern Oklahoma and northwestern Texas.
Sunday will have similar conditions throughout the state as Tuesday, with a high of 93 degrees and a relative humidity of 15 to 30%. Gusts are expected to reach 30 mph.
Potential for record-breaking heat this week
Oklahoma will experience possibly record-breaking heat Thursday through Sunday. Forecasters say Saturday will be the warmest, with a chance for Oklahoma City to beat the hottest daily temperature record of 95 degrees, which was first set in 1916.
Near-record to record breaking temperatures are possible late this week into the weekend.
On average, these temperatures are 25-30 degrees above average according to the National Weather Service.
Here is the forecast for Oklahoma City throughout the weekend:
Tuesday, March 17: partly cloudy, High: 66; Low: 46
Wednesday, March 18: scattered clouds, High: 80; Low: 51
Thursday, March 19: scattered clouds, High: 88; Low: 54
Friday, March 20: sunny, High: 91; Low: 57
Saturday, March 21: sunny, High: 94; Low: 59
Sunday, March 22: sunny, High: 86
Weekend wildfires roar in western Oklahoma
This week's fire risk and rising temperatures come after a weekend of wildfires.
On Sunday, emergency managers in Sayre, Oklahoma, in Beckham County ordered neighborhoods to evacuate as fires swept north of the community of about 5,200 people two hours west of Oklahoma City. The order was lifted around 2 p.m. Sunday as fire officials declared the fire under control. Estimates on damage were not immediately available.
There were also wildfires east of Arapaho and near Martha, five miles north of Altus, the NWS Norman reported.
A majority of the state was under a red flag warning for fires and a high wind warning with gusts of up to 65 mph through the day Sunday. On Monday, the state is in a red flag watch, which means that the risk of hazardous weather is increasing, but not immediately occurring.
"Postpone any activities that could spark a fire, and be sure to secure outdoor belongings and use caution when driving high-profile vehicles like box trucks, semis, or tall vans," the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said on its Facebook page.
In the Oklahoma City metro, meanwhile, downed power lines caused the closure of the southbound lanes of I-35 in Norman on Sunday. The road was reopened to traffic at 1:30 a.m. Monday.
At the height of the fire activity on Sunday, there were more than 25,000 power outages reported statewide, according to the Oklahoma State Emergency Operations Center.
As of Monday morning, almost all power has been restored. Counties with the highest number of damages are Canadian, Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Cleveland.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma faces record-breaking heat, wildfire risk this week: Forecast
