- Evacuations ordered as wildfires have sprouted in western Texas and Oklahoma – including part of Norman – amid ‘extreme’ fire danger.
- Powerful storm brings gusts over 70-85 mph to the Southern Plains. Amarillo hit 83 mph while Lubbock hit a gust of 81 mph so far.
- Relative humidity levels are expected to drop into the teens and single digits.
LUBBOCK, Texas – A dangerous combination of hurricane-force winds, dry land and cratering humidity levels are bringing sweeping dust storms and an “extremely critical” fire threat to millions across wide swaths of Texas , New Mexico and Oklahoma on Friday.
Some towns have been evacuated due to nearby fires, while multiple roads are closed around the region – some due to near-zero visibility triggered by sprawling dust storms; others due to smoke and flames from fast-moving wildfires.
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…