Significant Winter Storm Possible!

[peterjmag]

Looks like the Winter Storm just got turned up a few notches here in Oklahoma! NWS Tulsa is now saying 4-8 inches possible in NE Oklahoma and mabye more. Please to all be careful out there in our soon to be white Christmas...

National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary

 

[n5usr]

Appears to have taken longer to get into the OKC metro than they were predicting, but it started raining - at 34 degrees! - this morning as I got up. About an hour ago it turned over to sleet, the temp had dipped below 32, and my patio is already white! Sure not taking long at all, now that it's started.

And the wind... Wow, haven't seen winds like this in a while! Getting a bunch of long gusts up to 40MPH. Glad I don't have to get out in this stuff today. Hope everyone who does keeps warm and safe!

Edit: Now starting to see some big fat snowflakes!

 

[peterjmag]

Wow the OKC metro is now under a Blizzard Warning! Never seen this before. Wonder how it will pan out?

 

[boney87]

waitingto see what happens in eastern iowa,clinton

 

[rdale]

I'm doubting it. Precip is too light to hit the vis criteria so far. Nice winds though!

 

[n5usr]

Yeah, that's pretty unique! Wonder when the last time was that we had a blizzard warning?!?

I still don't have any snow, only had a few flakes early this morning. But briefly went out back to save something that was getting blown away and good grief does that sleet hurt! I keep hearing some odd noises... Haven't seen anything damaged yet, but the way these gusting winds keep slamming against the house I'm worried...!

An aside, anyone know what the NWS' policy is on issuing winter weather alerts? Do they set off the SAME alerts for them? I'm just realizing that my weather radio hasn't indicated *anything* through all of these warnings and watches. Wondering if they didn't set off any alerts, or maybe if my radio has a problem...

 

[mancow]

What do you think we will get here in the KC area?

I'm doubting it. Precip is too light to hit the vis criteria so far. Nice winds though!

 

[okccsi]

I have been stuck 100 feet from the 10 car and 2 semi-truck wreck out by Manning Rd on 40 E. Couple miles east of US81. In the almost 1.5 hours I have been sitting here watching the attempts to fight weather conditions and accidents, I have watched snow pile up 4 feet against the barrier wall. I would say the blizzard is in full swing.

 

[n5usr]

Oh yeah... I was stupid. Kept seeing the number of cars moving around the metro on the news, so decided to attempt a couple of errands. I got the first one done, and came straight home.

The snow is drifting badly on the city streets, there were a LOT of people getting stuck in the right hand lanes. Worst though is visibility, I could see *headlights* maybe 1/8 to 1/4 mile. The idiots who didn't have their lights on were basically invisible until they hit the intersections - really safe when you try to cross, especially when you can't get moving with any speed, and they obviously can't stop quickly.

Then I got home and it was all I could do to get in my driveway... Snow is deep enough to touch the underside of my truck. Couldn't get it in the garage, but at least it isn't in the street...

The snow is a fascinating texture, I'm sure others in normally-colder areas are used to it but this stuff is nothing like what we normally see. A nice fine powder that doesn't seem to pack at all. No traction whatsoever if you get snow under your tires...

 

[pasadenamd]

What would be a good feed to listen to online?

 

[rdale]

I'd suggest the Oklahoma City stuff.

n5usr - as far as I know, only blizzard warnings get the full tone-out. Rest of them are SAMEd but not necessarily toned.

 

[plugside]

It's a mad house down around Lawton, listening to the 800 system, it's been pretty much non-stop since 0900

 

[SABRE46]

Its a mad house everywhere...

 

[plaws]

Wow the OKC metro is now under a Blizzard Warning! Never seen this before. Wonder how it will pan out?

Pretty well if you're 7 and have never seen snow ...

 

[n5usr]

Yeah, bet my nephews are having a blast right now - they were hoping for snow, they got it in spades! Ought to make up for not getting to open presents, which are all at grandma's house...

I've been out shoveling the drive. This snow may be lightweight and powdery, but good grief there's a lot of it! An even foot deep across the entire drive, with three foot drifts around the cars. That's gonna take a while!

Knowing my luck, about the time I finish my parents will call asking for help digging their cars out too!

 

[n5usr]

n5usr - as far as I know, only blizzard warnings get the full tone-out. Rest of them are SAMEd but not necessarily toned.

This is what I expected would happen, but I didn't get any indication whatsoever. I figured I should have at least seen the orange or red "watch / warning" LEDs come on. I'll have to try to remember the Wednesday test and see if the radio is decoding anything at all... I still have a good signal when I listen to it, so it ought to be hearing okay...

 

[plaws]

I've been out shoveling the drive. This snow may be lightweight and powdery, but good grief there's a lot of it! An even foot deep across the entire drive, with three foot drifts around the cars. That's gonna take a while!

Took a spin around the block to check a neighbor's house. Outback meant no shoveling.

We didn't get as much out by Lake Thunderbird (6-8") but the drift in front of the garage was tall enough that the skid plates dragged through it.

 

[plaws]

Blizzard defined

BTW, the NWS defines a blizzard as

• wind or frequent gusts over 35 mph - check!
• falling or blowing snow reducing visibility to a 1/4 mile or less - check!
• and that these last for 3 hours or more - check!

So when you see a headline that says "blizzard-like conditions in Oklahoma" you can say "no, that was a blizzard!"

 

[k5phw]

Snow

Hi Joe! Merry Christmas to all!
The most accurate measurement I could get here in Warr Acres is nine inches. With .94 total precip in the gauge.

 

[woodyrr]

This is what I expected would happen, but I didn't get any indication whatsoever. I figured I should have at least seen the orange or red "watch / warning" LEDs come on. I'll have to try to remember the Wednesday test and see if the radio is decoding anything at all... I still have a good signal when I listen to it, so it ought to be hearing okay...

My radio keeps a record of the last several alerts for review and the last eleven received were "required weekly tests". I just double checked: Mine also has a "defeat siren" feature and I have mine nailed down to the point that if it actually makes a noise, I might be about to die: "Blizzard Warning" is audio enabled. The receiver is set to respond to alerts for Oklahoma County only and there was apparently not an alert for the "Blizzard Warning".

One time that I recall - it was back in the late 1980s or early 1990s - the NWS set off the tone for a Winter Storm Warning here in Oklahoma County. I don't remember whether there was something particularly unusual about the warning or if it was an accident.

I just saw a cut in on KOCO from Sky5. The picture was from somewhere west of Mustang and the lineup of literally buried pickup trucks along the roadside looked like something from the North Pole. I shoveled my driveway and I thought that it was bad enough.