General Weather Discussion - February 2019

[stile99]

You were saying.......

IKR? Of course, if you look at this post history there is literally one reason he's here. He's why there is an ignore function.

[Anonymous.]

The cold air behind the storm has frozen all of the standing rainwater droplets. Roads are extremely slick where water is usually prone to drying last. Also cars are completely sealed in ice as well.

Air temperatures are in the teens.

[tyeomans]

It took me a good 40 minutes to get to work this morning when it normally only takes me about 15 minutes.

[BBatesokc]

It took me a good 40 minutes to get to work this morning when it normally only takes me about 15 minutes.

I was like some high school kid at 4am repeatedly hitting refresh to see if school was gonna be cancelled. About 6am I hit pay dirt and UCO posted they would be closed! Decided to drive into my downtown OKC office since no test at UCO today. Drive wasn't bad - except I-44 near Remington was a complete parking lot. Exited and took an alternative route. Other than that, had to keep at about 40 MPH, though plenty of jack-a$$es were doing 70.

[Ian Drake]

IKR? Of course, if you look at this post history there is literally one reason he's here. He's why there is an ignore function.

I was reiterating what the post before me said, but for different reasons

[Bunty]

The morning after the freezing rain, everybody's roof is white and my wind gauge is frozen stuck. Fortunately, not much ice accumulation on the trees. Unlike with the intense cold air mass that affected the upper midwest, Oklahoma got the brunt of this one.

Roads were like a skating rink around Stillwater this morning. KOCO-5 of OKC said Stillwater got it worse with the ice than anywhere else. Travel took 2 or 3 hours to get to Stillwater from OKC. It's normally 1 hour. At least one accident on I-35 caused one lane travel. A Stillwater friend said her office in Stillwater called her and said do not come in. OSU and Stillwater public schools closed.

[jonny d]

The sun being out is causing mass melting, even ponding on some streets.

[SEMIweather]

Tonight will likely be the coldest night of winter thus far in OKC.

[bchris02]

Is it just me or has this been the most consistently cold winter for OKC in a long time? The last time I remember a winter like this was 2000-01. Typically there are plenty of above normal days between cold snaps and this year, those have been very rare.

[Timshel]

Is it just me or has this been the most consistently cold winter for OKC in a long time? The last time I remember a winter like this was 2000-01. Typically there are plenty of above normal days between cold snaps and this year, those have been very rare.

I tend to agree with this, though no idea what the actual numbers would say. There was a 4-6 week stretch where it seemed like it was nice during the week and then the weekends were frigid which has exacerbated this perception for me.

[Anonymous.]

Several storm systems will be moving across the country over the next 10 days.

Cold weekend on tap. Temperatures won't get above 50F until Monday and Tuesday with a slight chance of rain on those days - but best bet is far eastern OK for the rain.

After that, Wednesday turns cold and windy with a shot at some wrap-around snow from the north, likely will be a non-issue. Storm track is currently north of OK.

Next storm appearing around Thursday into Friday - but looks like it won't affect OK other than cold air reinforcement head into the weekend.

Then a slight warm up heading into the following week, with (at this time) a large storm system affecting the plains around Tuesday.

[stile99]

Is it just me or has this been the most consistently cold winter for OKC in a long time?

Consistent isn't a word I would use, it's very much been a roller coaster the last couple months.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/ok...nyr=12/01/2018 shows a couple cold snaps for December, but overall above average.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/ok...onyr=1/01/2019 shows about above average for the first half of the month, below the second half (with exceptions, like the first few days of the month).

[SEMIweather]

We are at seven months and counting of below-normal temperature departures. Last month with an above-normal temperature departure was June. On the other hand, we haven't yet had any extreme cold snaps like we did the last two winters.

[Bunty]

Last summer, storm spotter Val Castor for KWTV-9, Oklahoma City provided amazing live video coverage of flash flooding in Stillwater before the long downpour had even let up. Now it's the middle of winter, and Rob Hill, Stillwater Emergency Management Director went on a Stillwater street tour on the aftermath of the freezing rain that fell early Thursday morning. It's viewable here: https://stillwaterweather.com/afterfreezingraintour.php

Some interesting points along the way:
5:47 - First red light
7:00 - 2nd red light
14.10 - Crossing Boomer Lake bridge
21:50 - One of the riskiest areas done okay.
23:30 - Rob explains why he sometimes shifts to neutral.
29:00 - Turning to the side streets

"You gotta be a little bit weather nutty to work in emergency management", Rob Hill, Stillwater Emergency Management Director. Hill has watched weather for Stillwater for a long time, since at least the Friday the 13th 1975 tornado.

[Anonymous.]

Wrap-around showers and storms are developing in the TX PH right now. These may temporarily be severe, but best chance for that is Western OK where they have been in sunshine. By the time these get into C OK, it will likely just be a cold rain.

[Bunty]

Yuck. Feb. 18 to 24th looks to be on the cold side. But a good time to be in Florida:

[Bunty]

Tonight's rain shifted to the Guthrie and Stillwater areas.

[5alive]

Let's see who has the most accurate Valentine's Day forecast high temp:
KFOR 75
KOCO 70
KWTV 68

[OKC Guy]

Let's see who has the most accurate Valentine's Day forecast high temp:
KFOR 75
KOCO 70
KWTV 68

And William Cole has it at 67

http://okwxtv.oklahomaweathertracker...20Weather.html

[Anonymous.]

The cold air is delayed to tonight. So yes, we will likely see temperatures in the low 70s. Then the cold air blasts through at nightfall and OKC will barely get over freezing for Friday and Saturday. Sunday we will recover slightly before getting another reinforcement heading into next week. Chance of some precipitation still showing up Tuesday into Wednesday, right now it does not look significant.

[OKCRT]

Anyone have any opinions on upcoming winter storm for Tuesday?

[stile99]

Anyone have any opinions on upcoming winter storm for Tuesday?

Drive carefully, no reason to cancel any plans you may have.

[OKC Guy]

From NOAA:

Tuesday
A chance of snow before noon, then snow and freezing rain. High near 32. East wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tuesday Night
A chance of snow and freezing rain before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 27. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 40.

[SoonerDave]

So is there anything like a consensus on conditions in OKC for tomorrow morning, around 8-11am? I'm seeing snow from one place, freezing rain from another, nothing until 11 from still another....?

[sooner333]

It seems like the NWS is being unusually vague with totals and timing this time around.