Please be prepared! Following ice and snow across parts of Oklahoma the weekend before Thanksgiving, we are looking at the potential for another major winter storm to take shape from Thursday through Sunday across the state. This winter storm has the potential to bring snow and significant icing, prompting travel concerns. Additionally, temperatures will be unbelievably and dangerously cold. Again, now is the time to prepare. As winter weather is difficult to predict, because we must take into account factors such as enough moisture in the air, cold enough temperatures both at the surface and in the upper levels of the atmosphere, and the exact position of the low pressure system, details may still be uncertain or incorrect at this time. However, we have done our best to detail what you can expect over the next few days by region. This is a lengthy post, but we have a lot to cover. Please check back later this week for future blog updates when we are more certain of the exact timing and details of this major storm.
THE PANHANDLE
Temperatures in the panhandles reached the 70s this afternoon. As the cold front arrives, those temperatures will be near 40 degrees colder at this same time tomorrow. The front, working its way south and eastward from the Rockies, will come through the panhandle this evening, and temperatures will fall to the low-20s by sunrise Wednesday. For Wednesday afternoon, highs will be in the low-to-mid-30s under partly cloudy skies. A southwest wind Tuesday afternoon blowing between 10 and 15 mph will shift to a northeast wind blowing between 10 and 15 mph after the passage of the front. Wind chill values will be between 15 and 20 degrees.
The winter precipitation will arrive Wednesday night into Thursday morning for the panhandle and will come in the form of snow. Chances are slight at this time, ranging from 20 to 40 percent. However, the chance for snow remains through Friday morning, and skies will remain generally cloudy. The big story for the panhandle are frigid temperatures the region will be experiencing towards the weekend. For Wednesday night into Thursday morning, expect lows in the low-to-mid-teens. Thursday afternoon will provide little relief from these very cold temperatures, as highs are not expected to break the teens and remain in the mid-to-upper-teens. Friday morning will be worse. Lows in the single digits will occur, as will be the case with Saturday morning. Friday afternoon will also see highs in the mid-to-upper-teens. This is cold! To top this off, the northerly winds will lead to negative wind chill values from Wednesday night through Saturday morning. Please bundle up if you plan to go outside!
By the weekend, temperatures will warm - well, sort of. Saturday's highs will be in the low-20s under mostly cloudy skies. Saturday night sees a slight chance of snow with lows in the low-teens. On Sunday and Monday, the high should hit freezing, or a degree or two above. Skies will at least begin to clear up by that time. Lows will still remain chilly in the low-to-mid-teens.
A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT is in effect for the panhandle. This statement issued by the National Weather Service in Amarillo, TX details and warns of the exceptionally cold weather ahead.
NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
Temperatures have also warmed up quite a bit here this afternoon, but of course, this will change tomorrow. As with the panhandle, the front is slated to pass through the region this evening, bringing a rapid drop in temperatures. Tomorrow morning, you can expect lows in the low-to-mid-30s. However, highs will not vary much from this and only be in the upper-30s to low-40s. Skies will be generally clear tonight and tomorrow, but winds which will blow from the southeast at 10 to 15 mph ahead of the front will shift to northwest winds blowing at 20 to 25 mph behind the front. Gusts could reach 30 mph, leading to cold wind chill values.
For Wednesday night, cloud cover will begin to increase, and lows will drop down to the mid-to-upper-teens. Wintry precipitation will come on Thursday starting in the afternoon and last through Friday morning. Then, Saturday and Sunday could see a second round of wintry precipitation. Of course, the wintry precipitation will not be constant throughout this entire period; the best chance looks to be Thursday night. In this region, the wintry precipitation will come in the form of snow but could be a freezing rain or drizzle on Sunday. Highs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will remain well-below freezing in the low-to-mid-20s. Lows will drop down to the low-to-mid-teens. On Sunday and Monday, highs will generally be in the upper-20s. Skies will begin to clear Sunday night.
A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT is in effect for northwest Oklahoma. This statement issued by the National Weather Service in Norman, OK details and warns of the conditions ahead.
SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
Temperatures have been exceptionally warm this afternoon in extreme southwest Oklahoma, reaching the mid-70s. When the cold front arrives later tonight, expect a change to occur. Expect lows tonight and tomorrow morning to be in the upper-30s to low-40s under generally clear skies. For Wednesday, highs will not be in the 70s but the upper-50s instead under generally sunny skies. Southerly winds ahead of the front will shift to northerly winds behind the front, blowing at 5 to 15 mph. For Wednesday night, clouds will begin to increase, and winds will really begin to pick up speed. A north-northeast wind will blow between 20 and 25 mph and gust as high as 40 mph, mainly after midnight. Wednesday night's low will be in the upper-20s.
Wintry precipitation will come into the picture beginning Thursday, with a 30 to 50 percent chance of freezing rain. This will create slick spots on bridges and overpasses, so plan extra time for travel. Strong northerly winds will continue, and the high will be at or just below freezing in the low-30s. For Thursday night, wintry precipitation is almost certain, with chances as high as 80%. Freezing rain and sleet will be likely before midnight, then snow will occur after midnight. For Friday, a 40 to 50 percent chance for snow exists before noon. Lows Thursday night will drop down to the low-20s, and these temperatures will barely recover for Friday as they only reach the upper-20s. Some partial clearing in skies is expected to occur Friday night into Saturday morning, dropping the low temperature down to the low-teens. For the weekend, a chance of light snow, sleet, and freezing drizzle is possible, with highs remaining in the mid-20s on Saturday and rising to the freezing mark by Sunday. Wintry weather exists by Sunday night, and highs will rise above freezing beginning Monday. Lows will remain in the teens and 20s.
A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for southwest Oklahoma. This statement issued by the National Weather Service in Norman, OK details and warns of the conditions ahead.
NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Because all of central Oklahoma is difficult to talk about as a whole, we will break it down into three parts: north central, central, and south central Oklahoma. Here we will talk about north central Oklahoma first. For tonight and tomorrow, expect areas of dense fog to develop after midnight and stick around through mid-morning. Thus, please be careful while driving Wednesday morning. Lows tonight will be in the mid-30s. For Wednesday, highs will be in the low-to-mid-40s under partly sunny skies. A wind shift from southeast to northwest will occur after the front passes through, with speeds increasing to 10 to 20 mph behind the front. For Wednesday night, cloud cover will increase, with lows in the mid-20s.
Thursday begins the winter weather story. Expect a mixture of snow and sleet to occur Thursday morning, transitioning to all snow in the afternoon, through Thursday night, and early Friday morning. The chance for precipitation is 40% for the day on Thursday but increases to 60% Thursday night and Friday morning. Thursday's highs will only be in the upper-20s, cooling even more to the low-20s on Friday, and then the mid-20s on Saturday. Lows will drop to the mid-teens Thursday night, the upper single-digits Friday night, and then the mid-teens again for Saturday night. After the winter precipitation ends early Friday morning, skies will begin to clear partially. But then, Saturday and Sunday brings a second round of winter precipitation with a mix of snow and freezing drizzle possible. Chances for this second round are slight at this time but could still impact travel and weekend plans. A concern for north central Oklahoma is that temperature are not slated to rise above freezing for the entire 7-day forecast period at this time. Thus, if any wintry precipitation does fall, it will stick around for quite awhile
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Here, we are basically including the Oklahoma City metro area and surrounding cities. For tonight and into Wednesday morning, expect areas of fog to develop. The fog could be dense again, so please take caution when driving and add plenty of time to your travel plans. Lows will drop down to the upper-30s to low-40s tonight, but then the cold front will arrive, and highs Wednesday will be in the upper-40s to low-50s. Skies will remain generally clear. A wind shift will occur after the passage of the front, shifting from south to north-northwest. Sustained speeds will be between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. For Wednesday night, clouds will increase, as will the wind speeds, and lows will drop down to the mid-to-upper-20s.
As with regions of the state described thus far, wintry weather comes into the picture beginning Thursday. Highs will remain below freezing in the upper-20s on Thursday, so freezing rain will occur starting Thursday morning and continue through the evening hours. The freezing rain may mix or alter with sleet at times. Then, beginning Thursday evening, expect the wintry mix to become mainly snow, perhaps mixing with some sleet early. Periods of snow will occur through Friday morning. Lows Thursday night into Friday morning will drop down to the upper-teens, but then Friday's highs will not be any warmer than the mid-20s. Very slight chances for snow remain in the forecast for Friday night and Saturday. Even Saturday night through Sunday night, a slight chance for a wintry mix of precipitation is in place. Highs are not slated to rise above freezing until Tuesday, with lows dropping down to the single-digits Friday night into Saturday morning. Even with gentle winds, this will lead to extremely cold conditions for the OU vs. OSU Bedlam game on Saturday, with kickoff slated for 11 a.m. CST. If you are going to the game, please dress warmly!
SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Lows tonight will drop down to the upper-40s, then rise to the low-to-mid-60s Wednesday under generally clear skies. The cold front will not reach the area until later in the day, accounting for the warmer temperatures than the rest of the state described thus far. For Wednesday night, clouds will begin to increase, and light winds early will blow from the north-northeast at 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph, later in the night. Lows will drop down to the mid-30s but, importantly, remain above freezing.
Rain is expected to fall on Thursday, but this will only be a cold rain, as temperatures will remain just above freezing. In fact, expect steady temperatures in the mid-30s all day on Thursday. Thursday night is when we need to be more concerned above winter weather. As temperatures dip down into the mid-20s, any rain falling will become freezing rain, leading to the potential of significant icing. The freezing rain Thursday night will become all snow Friday morning, ending around the afternoon hours. Friday and Saturday's highs will be in the upper-20s. Friday night's low will drop down to the mid-teens. Additional light wintry precipitation in the form of snow and freezing drizzle is possible Saturday, Saturday night, and Sunday. By Monday, all wintry precipitation will come to an end, with skies clearing and temperatures rising above freezing by Monday afternoon.
A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for all of central Oklahoma. This statement issued by the National Weather Service in Norman, OK details and warns of the conditions ahead.
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
Expect patchy dense fog to begin later this evening and last through mid-morning Wednesday. Lows will be in the mid-40s tonight, but highs tomorrow will only be in the upper-40s to low-50s. Skies will be partly cloudy on Wednesday, but clouds will increase Wednesday night with lows in the mid-to-upper-20s.
On Thursday, the winter precipitation will begin mid-morning, coming in the form of freezing rain first and then turning to all sleet. Thursday's highs will be in the upper-20s. For Thursday night, sleet will occur first before transitioning to all snow. The snow will occur throughout Thursday night and last into Friday morning. Thursday night's lows will be in the low-20s, while Friday's highs will not budge and remain in the low-20s, maybe a degree or two warmer. For Friday night and Saturday, expect a clearing of skies, but because of this, temperatures will drop down to the single digits Friday night and then only be in the mid-20s on Saturday. A brief second round of winter precipitation may come Saturday night and Sunday, with snow or freezing drizzle. As with north central Oklahoma, highs will remain below freezing (well-below freezing) through the end of the forecast period. In fact, expect highs in the 20s through Tuesday and lows in the teens and single-digits!
A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for northeast Oklahoma. This statement issued by the National Weather Service in Tulsa, OK details and warns of the conditions ahead.
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
Last but not least is southeast Oklahoma! Patchy dense dog is possible later tonight through Wednesday mid-morning with lows dropping down to the mid-40s tonight and highs on Wednesday in the upper-50s (except for extreme southeastern Oklahoma, where highs will reach the mid-70s ahead of the front). On Wednesday night, except a slight chance for showers with lows dropping down to the low-to-mid-30s (or the low-40s for extreme southeastern Oklahoma). For Thursday, periods of freezing rain will occur throughout the day, with highs at freezing. (In extreme southeastern Oklahoma, expect showers with highs in the mid-40s). For Thursday night, periods of sleet will occur with lows dropping down to the low-20s. (Extreme southeast Oklahoma will see only rain as lows drop down to the mid-30s.) On Friday, sleet will occur in the morning, then transition to all snow in the afternoon with the high only in the low-to-mid-20s. (Extreme southeast Oklahoma may see some freezing rain in the morning if the temperature reaches the freezing mark. Otherwise, expect a cold rain to continue.) Precipitation will end by Friday night, with partially clearing skies. Single-digit lows will occur across all but extreme southeastern Oklahoma on Friday night. For Saturday, highs will be in the upper-20s to mid-30s across the entire region, and for Saturday night and Sunday, freezing rain is possible, with lows dropping down to the mid-to-upper-20s.
A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for all of southeast Oklahoma except McCurtain County. This statement issued by the National Weather Service in Tulsa, OK details and warns of the conditions ahead.
We did not mention anything about accumulations in the above paragraphs, mainly as it is still a little too early to pinpoint anything yet. However, the National Weather Service in Norman, OK has provided this preliminary graphic detailing what you can expect in terms of snow and ice accumulations. Again, please remember that this graphic is only preliminary and will change as more details are gathered in the coming days.
INFOGRAPHICS
Provided by the National Weather Service in Norman, OK
AC
Sources: NWS, HOOT
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