I imagine we'll see a blizzard warning upgrade tonight. Hopefully people learned from the xmas eve storm. Stay home!

Run down of advisories...
Winter Storm Warning: WA****A


Sounds about right.

So how many iches of snow is there probably going to be in okc at 6 a.m.. I wonder if the roads will be closed by then and the interstates?

So how many iches of snow is there probably going to be in okc at 6 a.m.. I wonder if the roads will be closed by then and the interstates?

By 6 AM the storm will be in full force. Might not be a lot on the ground yet but it'll be ugly.

Venture- how many more forecast model runs do they have time to do before tonight? I find all this so fascinating!

We have the 18Z and 00Z runs left to go today. So 2 more before midnight.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/rtimages/oun/fxc_Tuesday_Morning.jpg

We have the 18Z and 00Z runs left to go today. So 2 more before midnight.

Is there a website where I can read about these different models, who runs them, the computers, etc?

Is there a website where I can read about these different models, who runs them, the computers, etc?

http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/

Those are the folks that run them. :)

Just came over Twitter through the chat room...

cityofokc: City depts not involved in snow removal & emergency response will be closed tomorrow. #okwx [via Twitter]

Appears NCEP/HPC is favoring GFS for the short term in handling the storm over us.

BEFORE 00Z WED...2/3 GFS TO 1/3 GEFS MEAN OR SREF MEAN

THE NAM IS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN THE GFS/00Z ECMWF THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD WITH ITS SLOWER SPEED CONSIDERED DOUBTFUL DUE TO WORSE INITIALIZATION OF THE EVOLVING TROUGH OVER CALIFORNIA. OTHERWISE...THE ECMWF LIES TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE GFS TRACKING THE LOW FROM THE S. PLAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY...WHICH IS ALSO DISCOUNTED DUE TO ITS OWN TRENDS OVER THE LAST 24 HRS AND ITS POSITION WITHIN THE LATEST SPREAD OF 12Z GUIDANCE WHICH IS ALONG ITS NORTHWESTERN EDGE. THEN ONCE THE LOW REACHES THE NORTHEAST/NEW ENGLAND...THE GFS ACCELERATES AHEAD OF MOST GUIDANCE...WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIMINISHING CONFIDENCE DUE TO POSSIBLE INTERACTIONS WITH THE NORTHERN STREAM. THUS...THROUGH A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION AND CONSIDERING ITS POSITION WITHIN THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE AND LINGERING UNCERTAINTIES...THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR A SOLUTION WEIGHTED TOWARD THE DETERMINISTIC GFS EARLY THEN TRANSITIONING TOWARD ENSEMBLES LATE AS UNCERTAINTY INCREASES.

to many big confusing words for me to understand.. its all greek to me

so kfor is saying okc will have 8-12 in of snow but news nine is saying maybe 4-8 inches..hmmmmm who to believe

to many big confusing words for me to understand.. its all greek to me

Yeah. LOL Essentially they are favoring the GFS over NAM right now.

Also, Warnings are now extended for all of western and Central OK.

I suppose Gov. Mary Fallin will wait until 6am to decide if State offices are closed. Last time, they waited until 10am (after the employees were already at work) to close offices.

Mary Fallin declared State of the Emergency!

Are you being silly, Thunder?

Yeah. LOL Essentially they are favoring the GFS over NAM right now.

Also, Warnings are now extended for all of western and Central OK.

So does that mean 4-8 or 8-12? Thanks.

Are you being silly, Thunder?

No, this is serious event happening right now. Tomorrow will be a nightmare and '09 Blizzard will seem like a distant tiny blimp.

LIVE WIRE http://livewire.koco.com/Event/Oklahoma_Winter_Storm_2011 STATE OF THE EMERGENCY

MARY FALLIN, THE CITY, AND CREW SPEAKING LIVE

So does that mean 4-8 or 8-12? Thanks.

8-12 is the primary thinking right now.

This is serious weather, everyone! No joke! This will rival the Great Blizzard of '09 with real likelihood of being the worst of all time! OKC is starting to close down. Only public offices to open is the crews to work on the roads. They will only begin to plow the roads after the storm is done. DRIVING IS NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS IN EXTREME CASE OF EMERGENCY! That means, don't go to work. Okay. Stay home, tend to your family and pets.

"If oklahomans don't have to get out tomorrow, tonight, please stay home." - Gov. Mary Fallin

This is serious weather, everyone! No joke! This will rival the Great Blizzard of '09 with real likelihood of being the worst of all time! OKC is starting to close down. Only public offices to open is the crews to work on the roads. They will only begin to plow the roads after the storm is done. DRIVING IS NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS IN EXTREME CASE OF EMERGENCY! That means, don't go to work. Okay. Stay home, tend to your family and pets.

"If oklahomans don't have to get out tomorrow, tonight, please stay home." - Gov. Mary Fallin

Don't let your fish freeze, Thunder!

don't let your fish freeze, thunder!

OMG I'm gonna panic!!! These are rare, Malawi's finest fish!!!

Don't let your fish freeze, Thunder!

http://www.ifood.tv/files/images/Frozen_Fish.jpg

what lake where those fish pulled out of? lol

Got the fixings for chili and the propane tank filled up just in case.

Got the fixings for chili and the propane tank filled up just in case.

Beef stew in the crock pot and I moved extra rolls of toilet paper from the guest bathroom to the main bathroom. Can't be too prepared, right? <vbg> We have gasoline and the generator at the ready, if needed, with firewood stacked on the patio, several armloads in the indoor firebox and a place set up and ready in the fireplace, proper. Propane tank is lower than I like but we sill have nearly 300 gallons so we should be fine.

State (non-essential employees) and City (non-emergency crew) offices closed for Tuesday.

Blizzard Warning is being issued at this time.

BLIZZARD WARNING -- A Blizzard Warning will be issued when the following conditions are forecast to last at least 3 hours. Falling and/or blowing snow frequently reducing visibility to < 1/4 mile AND sustained winds or frequent gusts > 35 mph.

8-12 is the primary thinking right now.

That's fantastic. I'm going with an even 10 as I've discussed it with fellow workers here today cause that seems to be a consensus amount to me!

I see a blizzard warning has been issued for Tulsa and directly N, E, and W. Is OKC going to be included in this?

I see a blizzard warning has been issued for Tulsa and directly N, E, and W. Is OKC going to be included in this?

Counties included: Kay, Garfield, Noble, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne, Canadian, Oklahoma, Lincoln, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Osage, Ottawa, Tulsa, Rogers, Pawnee, Washington, Osage...

I see a blizzard warning has been issued for Tulsa and directly N, E, and W. Is OKC going to be included in this?

I think we're included at the SW tip of the warning area.

Oh okay thanks! The NWS has been slow to update.

Urgent - winter weather message
national weather service norman ok
345 pm cst mon jan 31 2011

okz008-012-013-018>020-024>026-029-030-011000-
/o.can.koun.ws.w.0001.110201t0000z-110202t0000z/
/o.new.koun.bz.w.0001.110201t0400z-110202t0000z/
kay-garfield-noble-kingfisher-logan-payne-canadian-oklahoma-
lincoln-cleveland-pottawatomie-
including the cities of...ponca city...enid...perry...
Kingfisher...guthrie...stillwater...yukon...el reno...mustang...
Oklahoma city...chandler...norman...moore...shawnee
345 pm cst mon jan 31 2011

...blizzard warning in effect from 10 pm this evening to 6 pm cst
tuesday...
...winter storm warning is cancelled...

The national weather service in norman has issued a blizzard
warning...which is in effect from 10 pm this evening to 6 pm cst
tuesday. The winter storm warning has been cancelled.

* timing: Light wintry mix by midnight...quickly turning to heavy
snow and blowing snow by sunrise...persisting through tuesday.

* main impact: Moderate to heavy snowfall from around 3 am to 3
pm. Winds gusting over 45 mph on tuesday...creating blowing
snow...near whiteout conditions...and extreme cold.

* other impacts: Wind chill temperatures 5 to 15 degrees below
zero.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

* do not travel! Stay inside! Strong winds and blinding snow will
make travel nearly impossible. This is a life threatening storm.
Even pedestrians in familiar areas may become disoriented.

* if you have to be outside dress in layers and leave no skin
exposed to the wind. Frostbite and life threatening hypothermia
can happen quickly.

OSU and Stillwater public schools closed tomorrow.

http://stillwaterweather.com

From the City's PIM Office:

City offices will close tomorrow
Most City offices will close tomorrow in anticipation of blizzard-like conditions.

Public meetings, including the City Council meeting, have been canceled.

The closing also affects Recreation and Senior Centers, Municipal Court and Utilities. Citizens whose normal trash collection day is tomorrow should set their Big Blue carts and recycling bins on the curb by 6 a.m. Saturday, February 5.

Will Rogers World Airport will be open, but most of the morning flights are canceled. Travelers should not come to the airport until they have confirmed that their flight is scheduled. Airlines are encouraging travelers to rebook their flight until later in the week, even into next week, as this storm will continue to work its way to the east and other airports will be impacted.

Animal Welfare reminds pet owners to bring their outdoor pets inside during cold weather. At the very least, pet owners should have an insulated dog house with dry bedding that is out of the wind. Dog houses without insulation are not enough to protect dogs from hypothermia. Freezing drinking water also poses a risk to pets.

People are encouraged to avoid driving during hazardous conditions. Those who have to drive should have someone to call in case they are stranded. Drivers who are stranded on City streets should try to move their vehicles off the road so other vehicles and emergency vehicles can safely pass.

Log on to www.okc.gov/snow to see the snow route map, watch weather-related tips and videos on generator safety, driving on ice and protecting your pipes.

# # #

OSU and Stillwater public schools closed tomorrow.

At this point, I think its safe to assume that almost every school in the metro area and all points east will be closed tommorow. The only question is how many days afterwards they be closed.

Thanks for the post, Frittergirl. I hope everyone pays attention to the part that noninsulated dog houses aren't going to cut it and that the animals need water. My girls, of course, will be in the house, probably under the covers while we are out knocking ice off the new trees.

Nothing but ground clutter on the radar around here so far. There are some thunderstorms firing up down around Abilene and some hefty showers developing between Albuquerque and Clovis, New Mexico.

Just a reminder, I will be keeping the chat room open at www.chatokc.com through the night and tomorrow. Weather services updates via Twitter are being posted automatically, so no worries about missing anything. :)

18Z models pose an interesting issue with GFS drying OKC out a ton, but NAM keeping us with a lot of snow.

I'm already a "casualty" and not a damn snow flake anywhere. Chaos at the grocery store, after surviving that, I was headed west on Lindsey and stopped at a traffic signal when a lady pulled out from a business and slammed into the rear of my truck. She said "the guy behind you motioned me to come on out into traffic so I didn't even look..." Bright red truck, right in front of her...stopped.

No one hurt.

18Z models pose an interesting issue with GFS drying OKC out a ton, but NAM keeping us with a lot of snow.

Oh no...don't tell me this thing might fizzle before it gets started. If so, the entire state got "pantsed", I guess.

Oh no...don't tell me this thing might fizzle before it gets started. If so, the entire state got "pantsed", I guess.

Just putting it all out there. :-) Hopefully it is just rubbish and won't bust every single forecast. LOL

I'm already a "casualty" and not a damn snow flake anywhere. Chaos at the grocery store, after surviving that, I was headed west on Lindsey and stopped at a traffic signal when a lady pulled out from a business and slammed into the rear of my truck. She said "the guy behind you motioned me to come on out into traffic so I didn't even look..." Bright red truck, right in front of her...stopped.

No one hurt.

She didn't look. And she admitted she didn't look. Double down dumb. How does she rear end someone (even if someone else told her to pull out into traffic) and not even look? Where was she looking? Don't answer, doesn't matter. I am glad you are okay.

She didn't look. And she admitted she didn't look. Double down dumb. How does she rear end someone (even if someone else told her to pull out into traffic) and not even look? Where was she looking? Don't answer, doesn't matter. I am glad you are okay.

I was furious...but nice, she was really distraught. She's 24. I had to actually ask for an accident report to be filed.

She said "I wish I hadn't listened to that guy, but I thought when they waved you into traffic, it had to be safe..."

There really aren't polite words for that kind of stupid.

I do appreciate your concern.

Going to end up doing most of the updates through the chat room. Since things are developing rapidly, will be posting updates there.

http://www.chatokc.com/

Uncle S, glad you weren't hurt.
Everyone else, keep you and your pets safe, warm and dry.

METRO Transit Readies for Chilling Winter Weather

Inclement Weather Could Impair Public Transit Travel


With immediate forecasts calling for harsh winter weather, METRO Transit is ready to implement a winter storm operation plan for its Central Oklahoma services. The plan starts with preparation, advances into rerouting buses, and finally – under the worst conditions – will significantly reduce service.


As necessary, METRO Transit buses will begin rerouting based on the road conditions on each individual route. The plan has identified areas that make bus travel unsafe when severe winter weather conditions exist. Operators are already on standby with detours for those areas should it become necessary. A detail of those detours can be found at www.gometro.org.


METRO Transit is asking bus riders to make their own preparations for winter travel and to heed warnings for safe travel. Passengers should be at their bus stops on time, but there may be unavoidable delays depending on variable weather and traffic conditions. Riders should expect harsh winter conditions and should dress accordingly.


The best place to get information on transit disruptions is online at www.gometro.org, or you can call Customer Service at 235-7433 (RIDE) during business hours (8 am - 5 pm). And, when inclement weather is on the way or on the ground, METRO Transit will use Twitter (@METROTransit) to point followers to the changing information available via the website and phone lines.


If possible, always check the web first for the most current information. If you don’t have access to the web, call Customer Service at 235-7433 (RIDE). Be prepared for possible long waits on the phone lines because call volumes increase significantly during bad weather.

some shots from the local walmart, sold out of everything I was looking for:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44418500@N02/sets/72157625950730858/show/

some shots from the local walmart, sold out of everything I was looking for:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44418500@N02/sets/72157625950730858/show/

That was NOT nice of those Oklahomans to become so greedy, selfish, and self-centered. They do not think, do not care, and do not respect for others. PIGS! Is what they are. There are so many people out there, now some of those people will go home empty.

Maybe I can understand the school, and business, and government closings today, but why were some of them closed yesterday? Our tax dollars at work?

some shots from the local walmart, sold out of everything I was looking for:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44418500@N02/sets/72157625950730858/show/

It's not like you didn't have a 5 day warning.

Maybe I can understand the school, and business, and government closings today, but why were some of them closed yesterday? Our tax dollars at work?

What entities shut down on Monday? I was curled up on thehome couch doing a bunch of reading and dinna get out and about after 1.

If you've got an idevice (iPod, iPad, iPhone) it's kind of interesting to listen to one of the many scanner apps. You can follow weather related dispatches for fire, EMSA, sheriff, OHP, etc. Plus short wave transmissions.

It's not like you didn't have a 5 day warning.

I went to Buy for Less yesterday during lunch and their shelves were fully stocked and they had several registers open to handle everybody.

I went to Buy for Less yesterday during lunch and their shelves were fully stocked and they had several registers open to handle everybody.

Same here, went shopping around 3 and they had everything I needed. Sounds like whoever couldn't find anything in stock must have waited till midnight last night.

Last band of snow moving through Kingfisher/Canadian/Grady and Garvin counties. Moving due east mostly with the lightest area in Canadian county. After this, falling snow should mostly end but ground blizzard conditions will continue until the winds come down.

You know, we constantly make fun of our weathermen on tv for being overzealous, but man they hit the nail on the head with this one!

some shots from the local walmart, sold out of everything I was looking for:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44418500@N02/sets/72157625950730858/show/

It looks like you will be having peanut butter on hamburger buns with a side of marshmallows (photo #3). You can then wash it down with prune juice (photo #4).