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Severe Thunderstorms, Excessive Rain and Heat Hazards

A Moderate Risk of severe thunderstorms (level 4 of 5) is in the outlook across portions of the Midwest today. Damaging winds, a few tornadoes and frequent lightning with heavy rainfall are in the forecast. Meanwhile, dangerous heat across the southern Plains into the Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic and Northeast will expand into Friday. Risk for wildfires for the central Rockies and Sacramento Valley. Read More >

Rick Smith
Warning Coordination Meteorologist


Rick Smith is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Norman Forecast Office. He manages NWS Norman’s hazardous weather preparedness, outreach and education activities for the office’s 56 county area of responsibility. Rick and the NWS Norman staff work closely with the media, emergency managers and other state, county, tribal and local government officials to ensure that communities in central and western Oklahoma and western north Texas are ready when hazardous weather threatens.

Rick has been a meteorologist with the National Weather Service since 1992, working at offices in Memphis, Tennessee, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fort Worth, Texas before coming to Norman in 2002.