It Looks Like Punxsutawney Phil Was Wrong This Year...

Finally, as promised, the warm weather is here at last! Additionally the warm weather looks like it is here to stay well into next week, so no need to worry about this being a temporary break from the cold. Highs in the 60s and 70s will be the norm across Oklahoma in the coming week, which will allow people to wear t-shirts and shorts for the first time in weeks.







In Oklahoma

Right now, strong winds are blowing across much of the state, with gusts reaching as high as 40 mph. This is creating hazardous conditions for fire weather across the area, so be careful when you are doing your outdoor activities. These winds will continue into next week, so be sure to exercise caution in these potentially hazardous fire conditions. Skies will remain clear through the night and into tomorrow, with sunny skies expected throughout the weekend. Saturday's highs are expected to be warm across the state, ranging from the lower 60s in northern Oklahoma to the southern portion of the state. Similar highs are expected on Sunday, so go out and enjoy this beautiful weekend in store for the state. Although not-record breaking, these highs will still be well above average.

The sunny conditions will continue into Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures on Monday expected to be very similar to the weekend. Temperatures on Tuesday will climb even higher, and will range from the mid 60s in the northern half of Oklahoma to the low 70s near the Texas border. On Wednesday and Thursday temperatures will continue to be warm, although a slight chance of rain is possible on both days. On Friday, the rain will have already left the area, leaving partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures in its wake.

Across the Nation


The parade of winter storms continued this past week, with Winter Storm Pax slamming into the Southeast before moving up the coast into New England. In a situation very similar to the one that affected Atlanta a couple weeks ago, motorists in Raleigh, North Carolina were left stranded when almost 4 inches of snow covered the roads and caused multiple car accidents.
Additionally, parts of Georgia got 11 inches of snow from this storm system! As if this winter wasn't snowy enough already, there is another snowstorm on the way. Winter Storm Quintus is set to impact the Northeast this weekend, where it could dump almost 18 inches of snow in some parts of Maine.

Around the World

Temperatures at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia have been very mild, with temperatures reaching the 60s on some days in the past week. This has caused some of snow that was stored from last year's winter to be placed on the mountain to artificially augment the snowpack. Temperatures will drop slightly this weekend, but will still remain relatively mild, with highs expected to be in the low 50s.



Sources: NWS, The Weather Channel, ABC News, Slate, LA Times



- TW