Major winter storm headed toward Oklahoma

Most of western and northern Oklahoma is under a blizzard warning through 6 a.m. Tuesday, and central parts of the state, including the Oklahoma City metro area, are under a winter storm warning through the same time frame.

According to the National Weather Service, Oklahoma City could see one to five inches of snow and heavy winds which could cause drifting and reduced visibility. A northwestern swath of the state is expected to get eight to 10 inches of snow with accumulations of 10 to 12 inches in northwestern Oklahoma cities such as Alva and Woodward.

The storm is expected to start with rain, turning to snow overnight in Oklahoma City, forecasters said. The storm is expected to move southeasterly through the state Monday and persist through Tuesday morning, according to the weather service.

“Things could get bad on the morning commute. That's about the time of the changeover. And it could be worse for the drive home. We're recommending to avoid travel for tomorrow, if you can,” John Pike, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman, said Sunday.

“We don't really have any ice in the forecast, a quick change of rain into snow instead, so that's probably the best thing about it,” Pike said.