Today is forecast to be Much Cooler than yesterday.
Nowcast as of 11:01 am CST on December 24, 2009
Now
At 10:45 am...National Weather Service Doppler radars indicated widespread rain showers effecting most locations across eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas. The heavier rains were located along and near the Interstate 40 corridor. A mix of light rain...freezing rain...sleet and snow was occurring across portions of Osage and Pawnee counties as the temperatures were at or slightly below freezing. All of this activity was moving to the north northeast at 30 mph. Through noon...occasional showers will continue for the majority of eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas...with the heavier showers near Interstate 40. A mix of light rain...light freezing...light sleet and light snow will continue to be possible across Osage...Pawnee and getting into northwestern creek and western Washington counties as temperatures begin to drop to and below freezing. As of 11 am...the freezing line was located from northeastern Osage County to near Shawnee to east of Duncan in south central Oklahoma. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 6 am CST Friday morning for all of eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas... with a Blizzard Warning in effect for Osage...Pawnee and creek counties.
Forecast for Okfuskee
Updated: 7:14 am CST on December 24, 2009
Winter Storm Warning in effect until 6 am CST Friday...
Rest of Today
Windy. Rain until late afternoon. Sleet early in the afternoon. Snow in the afternoon. Snow and sleet accumulation around 2 inches. Highs in the mid 30s. North winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 45 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
Occasional snow in the evening...then snow likely after midnight. Windy. Snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches. Total snow accumulation 3 to 4 inches. Lows around 18. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Chance of snow 80 percent.
Christmas Day
Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Wind chill readings 4 to 9 in the morning.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy. Lows around 20. West winds around 10 mph with gusts to around 20 mph.
Saturday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
... Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 6 am CST Friday...
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect...
For the following counties...
* in Oklahoma... Cherokee... Adair... Okfuskee... Okmulgee... Wagoner... Tulsa... Rogers... Mayes... Delaware... Ottawa... Pushmataha... Choctaw... Washington... Craig... Nowata... Pittsburg... Sequoyah... McIntosh... Muskogee... Le Flore... Latimer and Haskell.
* In Arkansas... Washington... Madison... Crawford... Benton... Sebastian... Carroll and Franklin.
Hazardous weather... * rain will to change over to sleet and then snow across the warned area this afternoon. The heaviest snow is expected to occur late this afternoon and evening. The snow will end across the area late tonight. Wind will also be a major concern with northwesterly winds of 15 to 25 with gusts around 40 mph possible during the height of the storm. This will cause near blizzard conditions.
* A period of light freezing rain is possible in area north of a Tulsa to Fort Smith line this afternoon.
* Light ice accumulation will be possible later this afternoon and early this evening to the north of a Tulsa to Fort Smith line.
* Total snow accumulation of 4 to 7 inches is expected over much of the warning area by tonight. A heavier band of snowfall with 8 to 10 inch accumulation is likely from just south of the Tulsa metropolitan area through far northwest Arkansas. Accumulations will be somewhat lighter to the south of a McAlester to Fort Smith line.
Impacts... * travel will become very hazardous or impossible. Power outages are likely in some areas.
Precautionary/preparedness actions... * delay travel and stay home if possible until conditions improve.
* Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio... commercial radio or television for the latest information concerning this weather event. Additional weather information can also be found at: weather.Gov/Tulsa.