WINTER STORM WATCH
Issue Date: 404 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009
Expiration: 600 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE
THURSDAY NIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
* IN OKLAHOMA...OTTAWA...PAWNEE...DELAWARE...CHEROKEE...ADAIR...
CRAIG...NOWATA...CREEK...WASHINGTON...WAGONER...TULSA...ROGERS...
MAYES AND OSAGE.
* IN ARKANSAS...BENTON...WASHINGTON...CARROLL AND MADISON.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
* RAIN IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION TO SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BEGINNING THURSDAY
MORNING AS COLD AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION IN THE WAKE OF A
DEPARTING COLD FRONT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
OCCUR FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY EVENING BEFORE
ENDING LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
* 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED FROM THURSDAY
MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
IMPACTS...
* WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY DETERIORATE IN THE WATCH AREA.
ROADS...BRIDGES...AND OVERPASSES WILL LIKELY BECOME SLICK AND
HAZARDOUS. ACCUMULATION OF SNOW ON ROADWAYS WILL MAKE
TRAVEL TREACHEROUS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
* CONSIDER CHANGING TRAVEL PLANS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ADEQUATE
SUPPLY OF FOOD...WATER AND THE NECESSARY MEDICATION TO LAST
THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE WINTER STORM.
* STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS WEATHER EVENT. ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION
CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT: WEATHER.GOV/TULSA.
DEFINITION...
* A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS HEAVY SNOW OR A SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATION OF ICE OR SLEET IS EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA
DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.
$$

FLASH FLOOD WATCH
Issue Date: 356 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009
Expiration: 600 AM CST THU DEC 24 2009

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR
* PORTIONS OF ARKANSAS AND OKLAHOMA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
AREAS...IN ARKANSAS...BENTON...CARROLL...CRAWFORD...FRANKLIN...
MADISON...SEBASTIAN AND WASHINGTON. IN OKLAHOMA...ADAIR...
CHOCTAW...HASKELL...LATIMER...LE FLORE...PUSHMATAHA AND
SEQUOYAH.
* FROM 3 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
* WIDESPREAD 1 TO 2 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS...WITH ISOLATED AREAS
OF 3 TO 5 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR EASTERN
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS LATE
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT AS A STRONG LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM AFFECTS THE REGION. AN ABNORMALLY MOIST
ATMOSPHERE FOR THE END OF DECEMBER WILL BE IN PLACE AS A COLD
FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT
DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE EFFICIENT RAIN
PRODUCERS AND INTENSE RAINFALL RATES...WHICH CAN LEAD TO FLASH
FLOODING...WILL BE POSSIBLE.
* THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS LIKELY TO OCCUR DURING THE NIGHT. IT
IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW MUCH WATER IS ON THE
ROADS. IT ONLY TAKES TWO FEET OF RUSHING WATER TO CARRY AWAY
MOST SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND PICKUPS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS RAPIDLY RISING WATER OR FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...
KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF FLASH FLOODING
IS OBSERVED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
$$

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
Issue Date: 502 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
Expiration: 500 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009

...STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH
CHRISTMAS...
THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.
.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
RISK...LIMITED.
AREA...SOUTHEAST OF I-44.
ONSET...AFTER 10 PM.
DISCUSSION...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS EVENING AND
INCREASE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE
ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WILL BE
POSSIBLE AS THE LOW LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS AND MOISTURE CONTINUES
TO INCREASE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
LOCAL SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
WEDNESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL.
THURSDAY...WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
CHRISTMAS DAY...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...NO HAZARDS.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THE FORECAST FOR A STRONG STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE AREA
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY CONTINUES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONGOING
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...BEFORE SHIFTING FURTHER EAST BY
EARLY AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO FORM BY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ALONG AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT...WITH THESE
STORMS IMPACTING ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. INCREASING SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY
ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA INDICATES THE THREAT OF ALL MODES OF
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF I-40...INCLUDING THE CHANCE
FOR A TORNADO. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS REMAIN THE
PRIMARY IMPACT TO THE NORTH WHERE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN MORE
ELEVATED. HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO APPEARS LIKELY ESPECIALLY OVER FAR
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BEFORE THIS ROUND OF
STORMS MOVES EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
THE ATTENTION WILL THEN FOCUS ON THE MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES
FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW DEVELOPING
OVER PARTS OF THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AT THIS TIME...
FORECAST MODELS INDICATE A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL LIFT
NORTH ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THURSDAY
AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING PRECIPITATION. BY THIS TIME THE AIRMASS
WILL LIKELY BE COLD ENOUGH FOR A TRANSITION TO SNOW. THE BEST
CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL APPEARS TO BE FOCUSED ON NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND MUCH OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...THOUGH THERE IS A CHANCE
FOR SNOW ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. WHILE ACCUMULATIONS AS THIS TIME
APPEAR TO LIGHT...NARROW BANDS OF HEAVIER SNOWFALL COULD BE
POSSIBLE. THE TRACK OF THE STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE AREA WILL HAVE
A LARGE IMPACT ON THE SNOWFALL POTENTIAL...AND LATER FORECASTS
WILL CONTINUALLY UPDATE SNOW AMOUNTS AND PLACEMENT.
STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP ON THURSDAY AND PERSIST
INTO SATURDAY AS THE STRONG STORM MOVES SLOWLY NORTHWARD INTO THE
UPPER MIDWEST.  THIS COULD RESULT IN DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS EARLY
CHRISTMAS MORNING.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING STATEMENT...
SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED WEDNESDAY...
AND CONSIDER POSSIBLE TRAVEL IMPACTS FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
$$