Winter Weather Discussion - Jan/Feb 2011

[PennyQuilts]

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.

[sacolton]

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

[venture]

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.

[OKCisOK4me]

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!

[adaniel]

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

[venture]

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...

[OKCMallen]

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.

[adaniel]

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

[venture]

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.

[Bunty]

OSU and Stillwater public schools closed tomorrow.

http://stillwaterweather.com

[FritterGirl]

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.

# # #

[jn1780]

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.

[PennyQuilts]

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.

[OKCisOK4me]

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.

[venture]

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.

[Uncle Slayton]

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.

[Uncle Slayton]

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.

[venture]

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

[PennyQuilts]

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.

[Uncle Slayton]

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.

[venture]

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

[Thunder]

http://www.chatokc.com/

[kevinpate]

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

[LetsTalkTransit]

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.

[SSEiYah]

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

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4441850...50730858/show/