WINTER WEATHER: Round 2

Round 1 of a winter storm brought a large swath of snow, some heavy, to central and southern Oklahoma.  A large snow gradient was observed with this system.  For example, areas north of the Oklahoma City metro area saw as little as only a trace of snow, while areas towards the south of the metro picked up as much as 4 to 6 inches of snow.  Extreme southwestern Oklahoma and far north Texas picked up the most snow from this system, with totals between 8 and 12 inches.

Winter Storm: Round 1

Round 2 of wintry weather will arrive later tonight and last through tomorrow evening.  Here, the area of impact will be reversed in that northern and central Oklahoma will be the heaviest impacted, with impacts diminishing farther towards the south.  We will now give you the latest forecast details.

Winter Alerts in Effect

Tonight and Tuesday
PANHANDLE: A wintry mix of precipitation with snow, sleet, and some freezing drizzle will occur before midnight.  After midnight, this mix will transition to all snow.  Snow will last through Tuesday evening before tapering off.  Lows tonight will drop down to the low-to-mid-20s, and highs on Tuesday will remain steady in the mid-20s.  Little to no ice accumulation is expected.  Total snow accumulations through tomorrow night are expected to be around 3 to 4 inches but could reach up to 6 inches in the eastern portions of the panhandle.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY



NORTHWEST: Beginning after midnight tonight, snow will fall.  There is a 100 percent chance for a generally steady snow from tonight after midnight through tomorrow evening.  A 30 percent chance for lingering snow exists from Tuesday evening through midnight.  Lows tonight will be in the mid-20s, with highs tomorrow showing little to no variation, perhaps rising a degree or two.  Winds will generally blow around 10 mph, from the south to southeast tonight, shifting to the east-northeast on Tuesday.  Snowfall accumulations tonight could total around 1 to 3 inches, with additional accumulations on Tuesday totaling 3 to 5 inches.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER STORM WARNING


SOUTHWEST: Before midnight, expect a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain or drizzle.  This will transition to snow after midnight.  Tomorrow, expect snow to fall mainly before noon.  Lows will be in the mid-to-upper-20s, with highs tomorrow rising to the low-to-mid-30s after precipitation ends.  Winds will blow between 5 and 10 mph.  Little to no ice accumulation is expected, and snow accumulations will be a dusting to one inch.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

NORTH CENTRAL: Snow will begin after midnight tonight.  A 90 to 100 percent exists for snow tomorrow morning through evening.  Lows tonight will be in the mid-to-upper-20s, with highs tomorrow rising only a degree or two late in the afternoon.  Winds will blow between 5 and 15 mph but will increase tomorrow to around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.  Please beware that stronger winds may create areas of blowing snow, greatly reducing visibilities.  In these conditions, it is imperative to drive with caution and slow down.  Total snow accumulations for the region tonight will be between 1 and 3 inches, with accumulations totaling 4 to 8 inches farther towards the north and 2 to 4 inches father south.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER STORM WARNING

CENTRAL: A mix of freezing drizzle with some snow flurries may occur in the late evening before midnight.  After midnight, snow will fall and last through about noon tomorrow.  Lows tonight will drop to the upper-20s, with highs tomorrow remaining below freezing in the upper-20s to low-30s.  Winds will blow around 10 mph from the east, shifting to the north later tomorrow.  As with the previous system, another tight snow gradient will occur.  Areas north of the metro will see snow accumulations 1 to 3 inches through tomorrow.  Oklahoma City itself will see around an inch of snow.  Areas south of the metro will see between a dusting and 1 inch of snow.  With this, forecasts will be monitored more closely for a possible southward shift of the system.  Should this occur, areas south of the metro, such as Norman and Moore, could see between 1 and 3 inches of snow.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

SOUTH CENTRAL: A chance for freezing rain will occur after midnight tonight as lows drop down to the low-30s, right at or just below freezing.  Early tomorrow morning, a chance for freezing rain exists, then a chance of rain exists through noon as temperatures climb above freezing.  Highs on Tuesday should actually rise to the upper-30s to low-40s.  An easterly wind will blow around 10 mph earlier in the day then diminish to 5 mph later, becoming calm by the evening.  Little to no ice accumulation is expected.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: NONE

NORTHEAST: A wintry mix of freezing rain, snow, and sleet will occur after midnight with lows dropping to the mid-to-upper-20s.  For Tuesday, an occasional wintry mix of freezing rain, snow, and sleet will occur before noon, with a snow and freezing rain mix likely until mid-afternoon, and then a chance of freezing drizzle from mid-afternoon through the evening hours.  Highs will rise to the low-30s but remain at or below freezing.  Winds will blow from the east, shifting to the north later in the day, at around 5 to 10 mph.  New ice accumulations may total around a tenth of an inch.  New snow accumulations will be between 2 and 4 inches.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

SOUTHEAST: Freezing rain, possibly mixed with some sleet, will start to fall after midnight tonight with lows dropping down to the freezing mark or a degree below.  For Tuesday, extreme southeastern Oklahoma will see periods of freezing rain through mid-morning until frozen precipitation transitions to all rain by late morning as temperatures rise above freezing.  The high will make it all the way to the mid-40s.  For the rest of the region, a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will occur in the morning, with a slight chance for rain in the afternoon.  Highs will rise to the mid-30s, also above freezing.  Little to no ice accumulation is expected, with any snow and sleet totals being less than a half an inch.  An east wind will blow between 5 and 10 mph.
ALERTS IN EFFECT: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

More details on bitter cold after tomorrow and a third round of wintry weather will be provided in tomorrow's blog post.  Stay warm and safe!

AC

Forecasts based on the National Weather Service.  Please visit NWS Amarillo (OK panhandle), NWS Norman (central/western OK), and NWS Tulsa (eastern OK) for additional up-to-date details.

Additional Sources: OK Mesonet (alert graphic), Andy Chilian (photo)