News DetailIce Storm Update!
Posted At: December 8, 2007 @ 9:16 PM
Posted By: Reed Timmer
Related Categories: Snow
Temperatures are falling rapidly across the Southern Plains, with a 50 degree F temperature change across the state of Oklahoma! Temperatures are still around 70 in extreme southeast OK, and have fallen to around 20 in the extreme western OK Panhandle, as seen above in the loop from the Oklahoma Mesonet. Temperatures are forecast to fall past the freezing mark by around midnight in the Oklahoma City area, with convective freezing rain developing by around the same time! Accordingly, the National Weather Service in Norman has issued a freezing rain advisory for tonight across Central and Western OK, and have expanded the winter storm watch (for Sunday-Tuesday) southward a few counties because the Arctic airmass has surged further south than forecast by the models. Total ice accumulations of an inch or more can be expected across Central and Western OK, which will cause widespread power outages, impassable roads, and downed trees. Below is the text for the freezing rain advisory and winter storm watch from NWS Norman:
Winter Storm watches, freezing rain advisories, winter weather advisories, and winter storm warnings stretch from New Mexico northeast to Massachusetts, with freezing drizzle and light freezing rain falling all day long in the Kansas City area on Saturday. However, the worst is not expected to arrive across the Central and Southern Plains until Sunday night, as the main upper system drifts slowly eastward across the Rockies. Ice accumulations of an inch or more can be expected from Northwest Texas northeastward to the Great Lakes from Saturday night through Tuesday, with snow and sleet to the northwest. Many similarities can be noted between this winter storm and the devastating ice storm of January 2007. Stay tuned for updates on this dangerous weather situation...We'll be documenting the event as it unfolds here in Norman, OK, and will reposition if necessary to experience the most significant ice accumulations.
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well with between 1/2- 3/4 inch of ice expected- why issue a freezing rain advisory instead of an ice storm warning?
Good Evening Gents - This question is directed at Reed.
The coldfront came through here (very slowly) about 3 hours ago. Temps have fell from 74.3 to 54.7 now. I have a weatherbug station about a forth of a mile around the cornor. Dewpoints fell from the about 67 to 51 now.
Obviosly the Freezing line is expected to move farther south then was forcasted.
DO you see even a remote change that it could reach the metroplex? Temps are apperently going to continue to fall from now stright through tommorow into tommorow night.
I should also mention that Fort Worth's NWS is saying that they will most likley issue a FRA for the counties NW of DFW for later tonight and tommorow.
Also, The freezing line is right over OKC Right now. May the fun begin.
Donny, That is only for overnight tonight. The main event is Sunday Night. You can expect a Ice Storm Warning in effect for tommorow night.
ohh ok david thanks for the clearup- i just jumped to conclusions i think- and jsut a little to hyper tonight went partying clebrating my 23rd b-day tonight isntead of tommorow a li cause we wont be able to here in arkansas with all the rain
hey everyone on noaa there are alot of green dots..is that the storm developing in the plains or what?
Yea it looks like the OKC metro area could get hit pretty hard...
I expect to hear thunder very soon here in Norman. Gotta love convective winter storms. Radar is covered with little storms now. I may go move my Jeep out from under a tree if it picks up tonight.
I have seen a lot of ice storms in OKC over the past few years and drove around during all of them, but this storms looks to blow them outta of the water. I dont even want to imagine how many wrecks there are gonna be with this, especially since it the first real winter storm of the year here. Stupidity will be at high levels out there I am sure. I will likely head out late sunday and maybe again late monday night as well to see the storm, if its not the worst in Norman.
Jeez - Im getting Hail on GR2 Analist - Tops on a storm heading into Norman at 34,400 FEET!
Reed - What are you seeing? (or hearing :P)
I dont believe im saying this, but there may be a VERY WEAK Rotation in the storm Blanchard. I cant believe im seeing what may be a very small hook. Well, I guess anything is good for 34 F lol
Actually Coachwhip strikes again, you have said that under completely false pretences. I visit this website every day, but only post if the weather affects me (i.e. mostly in summer or during t-storm season). But you are wrong of accusing me of only "dropping in". I think I have been posting here longer than you???
So I still encourage people to give feedback, as those members that were on this blog this spring, summer and fall will likely recall seeing the name sk!
I just walked outside here in Norman and measured a temperature of 34.2 degrees and it looks like kinda frequent lightning but i dont hear thunder. It has begun!
Things are really messed up here, forecast wise. We're socked in with fog & it looks like that will continue for a while. Maybe maybe maybe we'll get in on this wintery stuff now?? (MAYBE!?!) Oh, and I am officially dropping the Moderate Risk on my gust front intercept potential for tomorrow. :( No, really, you don't have to cry. ...
@Wes - I just finished watching SO 2007. Nice work on that.
http://www.thestormsof2007.org/
I realized as soon as the movie started that I could have contributed a still for the March 1st storm that produced a tornado just north of the AR border. I have a pretty dramatic sunrise-mammatus photo of that storm as it was tornado-warned in Fulton Co. AR & Howell Co, MO. I knew they were asking for material, but I didn't realize that storm would be covered so I never thought to send it.
Manitoba & Ellis Co. were awesome in that format ... not that we didn't already know that, but it is much different when you see it on a TV screen than watching on YouTube. I kept saying WHOA that's close and then realizing, "Oh, that's Reed!" :D I think we all need to apply serious pressure to him to get out his 2007 highlight film. You know, when he's not busy or anything.
Keep the winter storm reports coming, guys!
sk ... you went to all that trouble to post that in this thread too? And you're still not commenting on the current topic? ;-) ... I'm totally not trying to be a jerk, and I am allowing for the possibility that you didn't realize this, but ... there has been an issue with spamming on this site in the past, and what you've been doing over the past couple of days really does appear to fall into that category, whether or not you've posted here legitimately in the past. I mean, you're as welcome here as the next person, and judging by the content on your page it looks like you'd make a great regular contributor here. Lots of people who post here also make their name click-able and include their website, and I think that most everyone would agree that "Please visit my website ..." is cool the first or second time, but after that it looks like, well, spam.
I did visit your website and it looks good. I would have commented and told you that but you have it set so only people with Google/Blogger accounts can say so.
Now can we please get back to the ice storm? :)
yeah i see what your talkin about David- im checking the 0.5 tilt thers a few nice couplets
david- i forgot to mention- on my radar- i don't see now meso signatures- but then again- were lucky just see t-storms with hail cores on them at this temp.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/Tornadomaster22/ktlx_compref124part1.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc106/Tornadomaster22/ktlx_compref124part2.jpg
heres 2 images part 1 is the main radar- part 2 is kinda zoomed in- these are current hope y'all enjoy
Both the WRF and GFS have the freezing line pulling way back into KS during the day Monday. Unless this cold this cold air is just really shallow, the ice storm in OK may only be tonight. That probably the best case senario right now even though I would love to see a little ice right now. Maybe I will get my paper done now.
Tornadovideos.net currently heading after the very intense freezing thunderstorms. Heading north on I-35 and are currently under heaviy rain!
I find it interesting that the NW of OKC at Wiley Post Airport is 28, Will Rogers on the SW is 32 and yet Norman is 34. That is a fairly large change over a small area for not having a front pushing through right now. I may have to venture to the north side of the city just to see some ice.
Just stopped in moore and we wittnessed about an 8th of an inch of ice already accumulating on the trees and power lines. Wouldn't be surprised to hear about power outages later this evening. Still under moderate to heavy freezing rain.
Pretty impressive training action could occur tonight, norman could see a lot of precip. the models are agreeing more and more than we won't get about freezing until monday morning at the earliest, maybe the accumulated ice will help keep the temps from warming up too much.
I didnt think i would say this tonight, but I saw a Powerflash! I drove up to downtown OKC with the most severe icing in Moore. Roads are generally still fine because the ground is war, but I went across a pretty tricky bridge. Upon coming back into Norman I enter some intense lightning and heavy rain. Then a close lightning strike about a mile (5 seconds before the thunder) and about a 2 second power flash followed it. This was about a mile north of Robinson and 12th St. It definitely turned out to be worth the drive.