Forecast: worst conditions yet to come
Forecast: worst conditions yet to come
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By Brian Sargent
Published: February 15, 2008
Freezing drizzle made driving a dangerous venture this morning in the Oklahoma City area and threatened other parts of the state.
Police, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other law enforcement and emergency personnel were heading from one accident to another as the number of crashes continued to rise.
Officers were responding to several multiple-vehicle accidents, and some involving overturned automobiles.
The bad news from National Weather Service forecasters: there's more on its way, with snow and ice possible.
Scattered light rain or drizzle formed in a swath from southern Oklahoma through the center of the state.
Forecasters said southwestern Oklahoma appears to be the most likely area for ice accumulation, with lesser amounts in west-central, central and south-central sections of the state, according to the weather service.
Highs today will be in the 30s and 40s. The Panhandle tonight will have a chance of snow and freezing rain with lows dipping into the 20s and 30s.
The precipitation is forecast to fall as rain on Saturday, but a surge of cold air will trigger a decline in temperatures Saturday night and Sunday and possibly result in a mixture of rain and snow, forecasters said.
Still, no significant snow accumulation is forecast, as temperatures are expected to moderate on Sunday.
A winter weather advisory will be effective until 6 p.m. today for Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cotton, Clevleland, Comanche, Garvin, Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Murray, Oklahoma, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Stephens and Tillman counties.
A winter weather advisory means that areas for freezing drizzle may cause travel difficulties.
A winter storm watch is effective from late tonight to late Saturday night for Beaver, Cimarron and Texas counties.
A winter storm watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet or ice accumulations, causing travel problems.
A burn ban is effective for 25 of the state's 77 counties: Atoka, Beaver, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Cimarron, Comanche, Cotton, Garvin, Grady, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kiowa, Love, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Stephens, Texas, Tillman and Washita.
For more ban information, call the state Agriculture, Food and Forestry Department at 522-6158.
Highs on Thursday ranged from 46 degrees in Guymon to 78 degrees in Lawton. Highs reached 69 degrees in Bartlesville, Clinton and Tulsa and temperatures peaked at 71 degrees in Oklahoma City and Stillwater.
The temperature in Oklahoma City at 9 a.m. today was 26 degrees with a 14-degree wind chill factor.
In Tulsa, the temperature was 28 degrees with a 17-degree wind chill factor.
Elsewhere this morning ...
Gage in Ellis County: 22 degrees with a 9-degree wind chill factor.
• Clinton in Custer County: 26 degrees with a 12-degree wind chill factor.
• Lawton in Comanche County: 27 degrees with a 13-degree wind chill factor.
Stillwater in Payne County: 26 degrees with a 14-degree wind chill factor.
Ponca City in Kay County: 26 degrees with a 14-degree wind chill factor.
Hobart in Kiowa County: 27 degrees with a 14-degree wind chill factor.
Guymon in Texas County: 21 degrees with a 15-degree wind chill factor.
The Oklahoma forecast ...
• Today: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s in the north and west to the mid-50s in the southeast. Chance of light rain the in south.
• Tonight: Lows in the 20s in the Panhandle to the mid-40s in the southeast. Rain likely. Freezing rain, sleet or snow possible in the northwest.
• Saturday: Highs in the upper 30s to about 50. Rain and thunderstorms in the south and east. Snow or freezing rain likely in the far northwest.
The Oklahoma City area forecast ...
• Today: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s. Northerly winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Tonight: Cloudy. Lows about 30. Northeasterly winds about 10 mph. Fifty percent chance of rain or light freezing rain.
• Saturday: Highs in the mid-40s. Easterly winds to 15 mph. Occasional rain and chance of thunderstorms.
• Saturday night: Lows in the mid-30s. Northwesterly winds 10 to 15 mph. Occasional rain or snow.
Regional road condition hot lines ...
• Arkansas: (800) 245-1672
• Colorado: (303) 639-1111
• Missouri: (800) 222-6400
• New Mexico: (800) 432-4269
• Oklahoma: (888) 425-2385
• Texas: (800) 452-9292
Contributing: The Associated Press
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