URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
446 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009
OKZ054>068-070-071-250700-
/O.CON.KTSA.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-091225T1200Z/
OSAGE-WASHINGTON OK-NOWATA-CRAIG-OTTAWA-PAWNEE-TULSA-ROGERS-MAYES-
DELAWARE-CREEK-OKFUSKEE-OKMULGEE-WAGONER-CHEROKEE-MUSKOGEE-MCINTOSH-
446 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009
…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY…
A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT…
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES…
* IN OKLAHOMA…CHEROKEE…CREEK…OKFUSKEE…OKMULGEE…
WAGONER…TULSA…ROGERS…MAYES…DELAWARE…PAWNEE…OTTAWA…
WASHINGTON…OSAGE…CRAIG…NOWATA…MCINTOSH AND MUSKOGEE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
* A BAND OF VERY HEAVY SNOW HAS DEVELOPED IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
ACROSS OSAGE…PAWNEE AND CREEK COUNTIES. EITHER SLEET OR SNOW
IS OCCURRING IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM
GROVE TO TAHLEQUAH TO NEAR WILBURTON. THUNDERSTORMS HAD RECENTLY
DEVELOPED IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA WITHIN THE HEAVY SLEET IN TULSA
AND WAGONER COUNTIES. SOME DATA SUGGESTS THAT SNOWFALL RATES
HAVE REACHED NEAR 2 INCHES PER HOUR IN THE VERY SNOW FROM
JUST WEST OF BARTLESVILLE TO BRISTOW TO AROUND OKEMAH. DURING
THE EVENT THE PRECIPITATION WILL TREND TO ALL SNOW IN EASTERN
OKLAHOMA BY LATE EVENING.
THE SNOW WILL END FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST LATER TONIGHT.
* SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS….
A BROAD ZONE OF 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED
IN THE BLIZZARD WARNING WITH A SWATH OF 7 TO 10 INCHES EXPECTED
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA…MOSTLY LIKELY NEAR A LINE FROM AROUND OKEMAH
TO THE NORTHEAST TIP OF OKLAHOMA.
* WIND GUSTS…
GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT. SOME
MINOR WIND DAMAGE WILL OCCUR WITH THE GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH. THIS
WILL RESULT IN THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW DOWNED POWER LINES.
* VISIBILITY…
THE VISIBILITY WILL DROP TO BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE DURING THE HEAVIEST
SNOW AND PERIODS OF STRONG WINDS.
* BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW…
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. IN THE
HEAVIEST SNOW AREA SOME RURAL EAST-WEST ROADS COULD DRIFT SHUT.
IMPACTS…
* TRAVEL WILL BECOME TREACHEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE EVEN ON TREATED
SURFACES. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES CAN BE EXPECTED. POWER
INTERRUPTIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN PARTS OF COWETA AND
BROKEN ARROW.
* COUNTIES WHERE SLICK BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WERE REPORTED…
WAGONER…
COUNTIES WHERE SLICK AND HAZARDOUS ROADS WERE
REPORTED…OSAGE…PAWNEE…TULSA…ROGERS…CREEK…OKMULGEE…
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
* TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING IN THE WARNING AREA.
TRAVEL OVERNIGHT IN THE WARNING AREA IS DISCOURAGED. IF MUST SET OUT…
BE PREPARED IF YOU BECOME STRANDED AND TAKE ALONG A WINTER STORM
SURVIVAL KIT.
* STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO…COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER EVENT.
ADDITIONAL WEATHER AND SAFETY INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND
AT: WEATHER.GOV/TULSA.