UPDATE: Severe Weather Continues Through Thursday

Storms were slow to fire today but finally have across western and eastern Oklahoma.  These storms are slowly pushing eastward and contain large hail with damaging winds.  As the storms move eastward, they will slowly begin to weaken and eventually die out.  However, the storms are still packing a punch at this hour.  Even the threat for some small hail and damaging winds will remain with the weaker storms.

Risk of Severe Storms Tuesday Through Thursday

Following last week's severe weather, we do not get much of a break before facing another chance for severe thunderstorms tomorrow through Thursday.  The main focus for thunderstorm development and the risk for severe storms shifts each day, with southwestern Oklahoma being the primary focus zone on Tuesday, western/north central Oklahoma on Wednesday, and central/eastern Oklahoma on Thursday.  Please be prepared. 

Enhanced Risk of Severe Storms Wednesday

It's springtime in Oklahoma!  Following a few strong storms in eastern Oklahoma today as the result of a weak cold front, a much stronger cold front resulting from an upper-level trough will move through the state Wednesday.  With a capping inversion weakening throughout the day and sufficient surface heating, moisture, and low-level shear, the atmosphere ahead of the cold front will be unstable and favorable for the development of strong to severe thunderstorms.  As this will be our first widespread occurrence of severe weather this year, we encourage you to take necessary precautions.

Pattern Change Ahead!

We hope you survived what is the last round of wintry precipitation for at least the next couple of weeks and what is likely the last round of widespread wintry precipitation until next season.  Of course, anyone who travelled into the state today may question if Oklahoma received any snow at all as most if not all the snow that fell Wednesday has already melted due to sunny skies and temperatures that were well-above freezing this afternoon.  Even if some spots on the ground still have snow on them after today, you won't have to wait too long in the future until all the snow is completely gone and winter becomes a distant memory.  A pattern shift will occur in the coming days that brings an upper-level high from the Pacific and allows it to set up over the western and central United States.  This will lead to precipitation-free, above-average temperatures beginning next week. 

Winter's Last Stand!

 

With moisture still in place and much colder air arriving as the result of a cold front, another round for wintry weather is expected beginning later this evening and lasting through Wednesday.  This will (hopefully) be winter's last stand.  Long-range models are showing normal to above-normal temperatures and normal to below-normal precipitation for at least the next couple of weeks beginning this weekend.  We can do this!  Together, we can survive winter's final battle!

Meteorological Winter: The Results are in!

With a lull in precipitation, we thought we'd take the time to give you the results of the 2014-2015 winter season.  Alright yes, the spring equinox is not for another three weeks, and with snow still on the ground how could we even be thinking about spring?  But we meteorologists like to be different and define winter from December 1 through February 28 (or 29 during a leap year).  So now that we're officially into March, we will share some results about this past winter.  Some of them may even shock you.  All data comes from the National Weather Service.

Winter Weather Update

UPDATED 5:55 PM CST
Greetings from a snow-covered state!  After a couple of rounds of winter weather that occurred Friday and today, all of Oklahoma is currently covered with some form of wintry precipitation.  The heaviest of precipitation is beginning to wind down, but this does not mean the end of the precipitation.  Here we have an update on what you can expect in the coming days.

Winter's Desperate Catch-up

Alright winter, we get it.  You were, for whatever reason, not present during most of December and January, so you're trying to make up for lost time and bring a February chill.  Anyone else thinking this?  After above-average temperature finishes for both December and January across the state, February is coming to a close, and based on the upcoming forecast, we are set to finish with an average temperature that is at least two degrees below normal.  The forecast for the foreseeable... Wait, what?  Excuse me just one minute.  Oh, winter is doing it to us again!  The forecast through Monday calls for below-average temperatures.  Then on Tuesday, we'll have above-average temperatures likely in the 60s across most of the state.  But by Wednesday, temperatures will yet again fall below average.  Toss in plenty of moisture, and we've got a tricky forecast for the next few days.  Thanks winter!

Winter's Firm Grip!

Pattern changes are fun, aren't they?  What seemed like the "winter that wasn't" is now anything but.  The arrival of much colder air and moisture will allow for decent chances for snow and sleet across the state Sunday and Monday, and yet again by the end of the week.  And by cold air, we mean cold air.  Across the panhandle and northwestern Oklahoma, afternoon temperatures today will be in the upper-teens to low-20s, with highs on Monday across all of the state no higher than the 20s.  This blog will detail the early winter storm through the end of the weekend and early into the work week, also hinting at what may be on the way by the latter part of the week.

Here Comes Winter!

It may be warm now, but later this evening a strong cold front will surge through the state, and temperatures will take a 40 to 50 degree nosedive behind the arctic front.  That's right.  Highs in the 70s and 80s across the state today will be replaced by highs in the 30s tomorrow.  A chance for wintry precipitation is also possible Sunday night into Monday morning and Monday night into Tuesday morning.  Models are generally showing the presence of moisture and the best chances for wintry precipitation in eastern and south central Oklahoma.  However, parts of central Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metro area, may pick up on some wintry precipitation as well.

Following Cold Front, Spring Fever Comes to End

The passage of a cold front through the state beginning Wednesday morning will bring temperatures back to near-normal levels for this time of year, effectively signaling an end to the second round of spring fever we were treated to over the past four days.  While tomorrow's afternoon high temperatures are expected to hover right around normal or be just a few degrees below normal, Thursday will be much cooler, with highs across most of the state forecast to run between 10 and 15 degrees below average.  The exception will be the panhandle, which will see highs back in the 60s.  Friday will be significantly warmer, with highs in the 50s and 60s across the state.  However, another front on Saturday will drop temperatures yet again to the 40s and 50s.  The cooler weather will remain through the weekend into next week, with another blast of arctic air possible by early next week.

January 2015: A Tale of Two Seasons

One can use the phrase "A Tale of Two Seasons" to describe nearly any month in Oklahoma.  This phrase can especially be applicable during the winter months, and ironically, we wrote a post last year about January 2014 being "A Tale of Two Seasons."  But January 2015 was special in its own way.  For the first fourteen days of the month, perhaps you thought that this winter would be brutally cold and that spring could not get here quick enough.  After all, those fourteen days reported average temperatures which were generally well below average.  But then a pattern change occurred, and suddenly the average temperatures were above normal.  This lasted through the end of the month, including a stretch of three record-setting high temperature days at Oklahoma City during the last week in January.  This blog post will explain the temperature anomalies in January and why they occurred.