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The first wave of precipitation is exiting the area early this morning, but a small, narrow region of wintry mix may develop across southern Kansas midmorning.
No significant travel issues are expected with the back edge of this wave as it exits the area.
A brief lull in activity is likely for the remainder of the afternoon before our next storm system begins later tonight and spreads from west to east across the area early Wednesday morning.
Some wintry weather impacts are mostly along and northwest of the I-44 corridor, from early Wednesday morning through midday. Some travel issues are possible.
Locations to the south, especially along both sides and south of the I-40 corridor, should be warm enough to keep precipitation liquid throughout the entire event.
There may be a few sleet pellets mixed across East Central Oklahoma but with no impact.
Winter weather advisories will be posted for parts of northcentral Oklahoma into far northeastern Oklahoma and into southern Kansas. Locations north, across most of central and northern Kansas, will be included in a winter storm warning.
The current configuration of advisories does not include Tulsa County. Tulsa may be added to the advisories later if surface temperatures are slightly cooler than forecast for early Wednesday morning.
Winter weather or travel advisories are currently posted for North Central Oklahoma. The advisory extends from Elk City to Clinton to Watonga to Stillwater, northward to Ponca City.
This advisory starts at 6 p.m. and continues until noon Wednesday. Additional winter weather advisories start at midnight and end Wednesday afternoon for Pawnee, Osage, Washington, Nowata, and Craig Counties.
Temps stay above freezing today and will drop below freezing by tomorrow afternoon. We’ll move into the mid-30s today and stay in the mid to upper 30s in northern Oklahoma and the lower 40s across the southern sections of the state this afternoon.
However, later tonight into early tomorrow morning, another surge of colder weather will slowly arrive. The exact location of temperatures near or below freezing at the surface, combined with the thermal profile slightly above the surface, will determine the zones of mixed precipitation possibilities.
Most guidance for early tomorrow morning suggests that locations near or northwest of I-44 will start with morning lows near freezing.
The temp profile northwest of the Tulsa metro, mostly across North Central Oklahoma into South Central Kansas, is expected to be near or slightly below freezing early Wednesday morning.
This location supports the possibility of some wintry mix that could begin with light freezing rain, changing to sleet, and then ending with light snow. This area includes locations from Stillwater to Pawhuska to Pawnee to Bartlesville to Coffeyville and Independence, KS.
These areas could experience anywhere from a glaze on the lower end to nearly .20 of some ice at the higher end.
Additionally, as colder air arrives by midday Wednesday, some precipitation may change to light snow by Wednesday late morning to midday. Total accumulations of one inch will be possible in the advisory locations of Oklahoma, with 2 to 3 inches across southern Kansas.
Yes. Some changes are still possible. The main uncertainty with the forecast remains the exact transition zones between rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow.
Very small temperature differences over small locations can result in precipitation-type changes.
While most guidance keeps most wintry precipitation northwest of the Tulsa Metro, it is possible that slight variations in temperature could bring some wintry impacts into the Tulsa Metro for the Wednesday morning commute. The Tulsa metro could see a dusting to nearly 1 inch if temperatures are slightly lower than anticipated.
Precipitation will exit our immediate area from west to east by midday to early afternoon Wednesday. As the waves exit the area, much colder weather will arrive with strong north winds at 15 to 25 mph. This will create falling temperatures and very low wind chill values.
Thursday morning lows will start in the middle teens, with daytime highs in the upper 20s near 30.
A weak upper-level wave moving from west to east will produce some snow flurries Thursday morning through midday with no impact. We should have a sun-cloud mix.
Friday morning temperatures will start in the lower 20s, with the return of gusty south winds and daytime highs reaching the lower to mid-40s.
Another storm system quickly develops and moves across eastern Oklahoma on Saturday. Daytime highs should reach the mid to upper 40s north and lower 50s south as the front passes our area. By midday in the afternoon, a few showers or even rumbles of thunder will be possible in eastern Oklahoma.
Severe weather threats will develop across the Ark-La-Tex into portions of Louisiana and Mississippi on Saturday. As this system exits our immediate area Saturday night, any leftover precipitation may quickly change to some snow across far northern OK and southeastern Kansas.
Colder weather returns in the wake of this exiting system, with Sunday morning temperatures starting in the 20s and daytime highs on Sunday only in the mid-30s. Another system is possible by the middle of next week, including the possibility of more wintry weather impacts.
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The city of Tulsa, local shelters, warming stations, and outreach teams are working to ensure access to safe, warm spaces during the cold temperatures.
>>> City of Tulsa prepares for extreme cold temperatures
>>> Warming Shelters Open Across Tulsa Amid Freezing Temperatures
Tulsa shelters and temporary warming locations are open to provide refuge. Major locations include:
Temporary overflow shelters will also be open for the cold weather:
For a full list of warming station locations and hours, visit Housing Solutions’ Winter Weather Information Page.
>>> Warming Shelters, Safety Tips For Cold Temperatures This Winter In Oklahoma
Winter temperatures can pose additional challenges for pets, particularly older animals or those with health conditions. Hartfield recommends:
>>> Cold Weather Pet Tips: How To Keep Animals Safe During Winter Months
The Tulsa Health Department is urging residents to receive flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to prevent respiratory illnesses as Oklahoma enters the coldest months of the year.
>>> How to Protect Yourself From Respiratory Illness This Winter
Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.
>>> Tulsa HVAC, Plumbing Companies Flooded With Calls During Cold Weather
The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0dCHRWMFjs4fEPKLqTLjvy
The Alan Crone morning weather podcast link from Apple:
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