Oklahoma City, OK — As Oklahoma moves past Christmas and looks ahead to the New Year, weather patterns are signaling a potential stretch of near-record warmth to close out 2025 and usher in 2026. Forecasts for the December 27 through January 2 period strongly favor above-normal temperatures, an unusual trend for what is typically one of the coldest times of the year.
The latest outlooks from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center place Oklahoma within a broad zone of above-average temperature probabilities, driven by a dominant ridge of high pressure over the central United States. This setup is expected to suppress Arctic intrusions while promoting mild, Pacific-influenced air masses across the Southern Plains.
In Oklahoma City, where average late-December highs usually sit in the upper 40s, daytime temperatures could climb into the upper 50s and 60s around New Year’s. If clouds thin at times, a few afternoons may flirt with daily record highs, particularly during the final days of December. Overnight lows are also projected to remain well above normal, limiting freeze potential and giving the state a spring-like feel compared to a typical winter pattern.
The warmer conditions may reduce heating demand and limit winter weather concerns, but they could also increase wildfire risk during dry periods and bring gusty winds on passing frontal boundaries. Any precipitation during this stretch is expected to fall as rain, with little to no threat of snow or ice.
Looking ahead beyond New Year’s Day, the warmth appears poised to linger. The January 3–16, 2026 outlook continues to favor above-normal temperatures across Oklahoma, suggesting that sustained cold air may remain bottled up farther north well into the first half of January.
Overall, Oklahoma looks set to begin 2026 with an unusually warm start, reflecting a broader national pattern of late-December and early-January warmth across much of the country.
