General Weather Discussion - December 2017

[SoonerDave]

There was one Christmas where we had a terrible ice / sleet storm a few days after and I could not get out of OKC to fly back to L.A.

After a couple of days, I ended up driving to Tulsa and taking a direct flight from there.

That was in the late 90's or early 00's I believe. It was a pretty big nightmare.

Multiply that by a few hundred (or more) who are planning to get out of OKC late next week for LA to see OU in the Rose Bowl. An ice storm late next week here or in the Dallas area could be a nightmare. I, for one, am flying out of DFW next Friday and booked a room just off the airport the day before just in case, but I sure don't have a contingency for an ice storm. Geez. Let's hope that just doesn't happen.

[SoonerDave]

Multiply that by a few hundred (or more) who are planning to get out of OKC late next week for LA to see OU in the Rose Bowl. An ice storm late next week here or in the Dallas area could be a nightmare. I, for one, am flying out of DFW next Friday and booked a room just off the airport the day before just in case, but I sure don't have a contingency for an ice storm. Geez. Let's hope that just doesn't happen.

Although forecasts a week out are obviously problematic, I'm heartened to see the most recent update for the DFW area next week now shows temperatures warming up - they were talking lows in the low 30's with risks of sleet as recently as yesterday, but now that's been bumped up to the mid 30's and no more mention of sleet. And precip on Friday has been taken out completely.

[Anonymous.]

Temperatures around OKC currently about 28-30F. Some light patchy drizzle should develop as we head through the morning. Then an extremely local band of light freezing rain may mix in somewhere near C OK, most likely impacted area would be just south and east of the metro.

Temperatures might break 32F, it will be close. After nightfall a chance of wrap-around snow is possible and a quick dusting would be the result if it comes to fruition.

Here is a snapshot of potential band that develops this morning:

[Anonymous.]

The low is ejecting now. This additional lift will develop additional snow/sleet showers across W OK into C OK as we head into the evening. Short-range models show potential for about a quick inch as this wrap around slides through.

Depending on banding of moderate snow showers, localized areas could get 1-3 inches.

[Pete]

Was just out with my dog in the Penn Square area and got hit with some freezing rain and sleet.

[pw405]

Looks like Mesonet isn't predicting any winter precip for the Metro in the coming week. Any possibility that we will still have a snow/sleet/freezing rain event soon?

[jonny d]

Looks like Mesonet isn't predicting any winter precip for the Metro in the coming week. Any possibility that we will still have a snow/sleet/freezing rain event soon?

Hopefully rain, but no freezing precip.

[Easy180]

Only hype I’m seeing is crazy cold wind chills on New Years Day. Fine with me as it will be 72 inside watching OU beat down Georgia.

[Anonymous.]

This coming weekend still needs watching. A storm system will be sinking down across the plains. Models cannot determine if there will be enough moisture to actually do something, or if it will just be more cold, dry air.

[bchris02]

KFOR is hyping a major ice storm while Aaron Tuttle is more focused on temps in the -10s (none of the TV mets are forecasting that). News9 currently has a winter mix for Saturday morning and cold but not unheard of temps going into New Years Day. Hoping that is what pans out.

[JMoses3318]

KFOR is hyping a major ice storm while Aaron Tuttle is more focused on temps in the -10s (none of the TV mets are forecasting that). News9 currently has a winter mix for Saturday morning and cold but not unheard of temps going into New Years Day. Hoping that is what pans out.

I watched KOCO this morning and I saw them forecast a light mix on Saturday, changing to snow north of I-40 for Sunday, with lows as low as 10º Monday. Ouch, if that pans out.

[camrun91]

It is actually snowing lightly right now in Mustang...

[BBatesokc]

Tomorrow's 46 degree high will probably be a good time to prep for the first real stretch of freezing winter weather....

Going to cover all the exterior faucets, place warming coils in the outdoor waterers for the animals and going to cut the water to the sprinkler system and relieve any pressure on the lines. Good day to throw some bags of salt in the back of the truck too. Oh yeah, and move the firewood closer to the house.

[5alive]

^^^This!!!

[Pete]

This has already been one of the biggest cold snaps in a while and looks to be getting worse.

Seems like last winter we had few days even below freezing, let alone down in the teens.

[midtownokcer]

This has already been one of the biggest cold snaps in a while and looks to be getting worse.

Seems like last winter we had few days even below freezing, let alone down in the teens.

There was only one real crazy cold snap where it actually got below freezing last winter. I think it was sometime in Mid-December 2016 where we had highs in the teens and lows in close to -10.

[SOONER8693]

Snowing nice, big, heavy flakes in SW OKC now.

[JMoses3318]

Snowing nice, big, heavy flakes in SW OKC now.

Yep, I can verify that!

[Anonymous.]

We will climb above freezing this afternoon and tomorrow. Then get hit with another surge of cold and dry air. A weak system will sink down with the wave of cold air and will likely induce random pockets of freezing rain and snow throughout anytime from Friday evening through Sunday. Temperatures for NYE festivities will be dangerously low and Monday morning will be pipe-bursting temperatures near zero.

[Bunty]

There was only one real crazy cold snap where it actually got below freezing last winter. I think it was sometime in Mid-December 2016 where we had highs in the teens and lows in close to -10.

No, lows in the OKC area were more like between 1 and 5 back then.

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

I'm in Philly this week, frigid cold here. Rumors saying they may postpone the Mummers Parade on Monday, due to it being the coldest NY in decades. There's also an Eagles game Sunday for those die hard fans.

[Bunty]

WIND CHILL ADVISORY - Includes OKC metro area
Areas Affected:
Alfalfa - Beckham - Blaine - Caddo - Canadian - Cleveland - Coal - Comanche - Custer - Dewey - Ellis - Garfield - Garvin - Grady - Grant - Greer - Harmon - Harper - Hughes - Jackson - Kay - Kingfisher - Kiowa - Lincoln - Logan - Major - McClain - Murray - Noble - Oklahoma - Payne - Pontotoc - Pottawatomie - Roger Mills - Seminole - Stephens - Wash ita - Woods - Woodward
Effective: Sat, 12/31 6:00pm Updated: Sat, 12/30 3:43pm Urgency: Expected
Expires: Mon, 1/1 6:00pm Severity: Minor Certainty: Likely

Details:

...Freezing drizzle this evening and overnight...
.Bouts of freezing drizzle will be possible this evening and
overnight across far southern Oklahoma and western north Texas.
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM SUNDAY TO 6 PM CST
MONDAY...
* WHAT...Very cold wind chill values. Expect wind chills to range
from 10 below zero to 15 below zero.
* WHERE...Most of Oklahoma.
* WHEN...From 6 PM Sunday to 6 PM CST Monday.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...If you plan on heading outdoors for the
holiday, make sure to wear extra layers.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and the wind will
combine to create low wind chills. Frost bite and hypothermia can
occur if precautions are not taken. Make sure you wear a hat and
gloves.

AREA AFFECTED IN LIGHT GREEN:

[bucktalk]

I could almost swear that David Payne mentioned about a month ago during his, "Winter Prediction" segment that we'd have a warmer winter due to El something or another. This current duration of below freezing temps is sort of rare in comparison to the past couple of years. Maybe we won't have a warmer than average winter. Time will tell I suppose.

[Bunty]

I could almost swear that David Payne mentioned about a month ago during his, "Winter Prediction" segment that we'd have a warmer winter due to El something or another. This current duration of below freezing temps is sort of rare in comparison to the past couple of years. Maybe we won't have a warmer than average winter. Time will tell I suppose.

Hopefully, this winter will be like the last one. The coldest temperatures were in December and early January and then a warmer than usual winter set in.

[bchris02]

What's crazy about this deep freeze is the duration. Every winter, Oklahoma has a few days where highs are in the teens/twenties and lows are down in the single digits but usually it warms up pretty fast within a few days. Not so with this pattern.