HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
Issue Date: 527 AM CST THU DEC 24 2009
Expiration: 500 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009

...DANGEROUS WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT...
THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
FLASH FLOOD.
RISK...LIMITED.
AREA...FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING.
THUNDERSTORMS WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
RISK...LIMITED.
AREA...FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
ONSET...ONGOING...ENDING BY MID AFTERNOON.
WINTER WEATHER.
SNOW ACCUMULATION.
RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
AREA...ALL EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...
               WITH HIGHEST ACCUMULATIONS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
               AND FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...LATE MORNING WEST...EARLY EVENING EAST.
SIGNIFICANT WINDS.
RISK...ELEVATED.
AREA...ALL EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING...INCREASING THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
DISCUSSION...
WIDESPREAD RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE MORNING HOURS...AS PRECIPITATION EXPANDS AHEAD OF AN INTENSE
STORM SYSTEM CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER WEST TEXAS.  TEMPERATURES
WILL STEADILY FALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH SUB-FREEZING
TEMPERATURES EXPANDING EASTWARD.  RAIN SHOWERS WILL CHANGE TO
SLEET...AND THEN TO SNOW BY LATE MORNING FOR AREAS WEST OF HIGHWAY
75.  THIS CHANGE TO FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL ALSO SPREAD
EASTWARD DURING THE DAY...WITH SLEET AND SNOW LIKELY ACROSS
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING.
ONE OR MORE BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW ARE EXPECTED TODAY INTO
TONIGHT.  THE CURRENT FORECAST PLACES THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ACROSS
FAR NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA INTO FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.   WHILE
THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE HEAVIEST SNOW BAND MAY CHANGE...THERE
IS HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL IMPACT A LARGE
PORTION OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY LATE
TONIGHT.  ADDITIONALLY...STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH
WILL PREVAIL FOR MUCH OF TODAY AND TONIGHT.  THE COMBINATION
OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE THROUGHOUT THE DAY...AND BECOME
DANGEROUS BY TONIGHT.  POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE AND VERY COLD
WIND CHILLS VALUES WILL MAKE ANY OUTDOOR EXPOSURE HAZARDOUS.
SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED ONCE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO
SLEET OR SNOW...ALONG WITH FREQUENT SNOW ACCUMULATION AMOUNTS.
PLEASE RELAY THESE REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
FRIDAY...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...NO HAZARDS.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ON FRIDAY ALONG WITH A
FEW FLURRIES POSSIBLE NEAR THE KANSAS OKLAHOMA BORDER.  WIND CHILL
VALUES WILL REMAIN VERY LOW AND OUTDOOR EXPOSURE SHOULD BE LIMITED
ON FRIDAY.  COLD AND DRY WEATHER WILL PREVAIL SATURDAY THROUGH
MONDAY...WITH THE NEXT CHANCE OF SNOW ARRIVING BY TUESDAY.
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
$$

WINTER STORM WARNING
Issue Date: 355 AM CST THU DEC 24 2009
Expiration: 600 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY...
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
* IN OKLAHOMA...CHEROKEE...ADAIR...WAGONER...ROGERS...MAYES...
DELAWARE...OTTAWA...PUSHMATAHA...CHOCTAW...CRAIG...NOWATA...
PITTSBURG...SEQUOYAH...MCINTOSH...MUSKOGEE...LE FLORE...LATIMER
AND HASKELL.
* IN ARKANSAS...WASHINGTON...MADISON...CRAWFORD...BENTON...
SEBASTIAN...CARROLL AND FRANKLIN.
* THIS REPLACES THE WINTER STORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
* RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE OVER TO SLEET AND THEN SNOW ACROSS
THE WARNED AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED
TO OCCUR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SNOW WILL END
ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. WIND WILL ALSO BE A MAJOR CONCERN
WITH NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH
POSSIBLE DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM. THIS WILL CAUSE NEAR
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.
* AROUND 4 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE WARNED
AREA. THERE WILL BE AN AREA OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS PORTIONS
OF EXTREME NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
IMPACTS...
* TRAVEL WILL BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. POWER OUTAGES
ARE LIKELY IN SOME AREAS
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
* DELAY TRAVEL AND STAY HOME IF POSSIBLE UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE.
* 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 WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER IS
EXPECTED OR IS OCCURRING. GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.
$$

WINTER STORM WATCH
Issue Date: 1041 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 HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
* IN OKLAHOMA...OKFUSKEE...OKMULGEE...PITTSBURG...SEQUOYAH...
MCINTOSH...MUSKOGEE...LATIMER AND HASKELL.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
* RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AS MUCH COLDER AIR IS USHERED IN BEHIND A
STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS LIKELY TO
OCCUR DURING THE MID AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING HOURS. STRONG
AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
* FROM 3 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED FROM
THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. NORTHWEST WINDS
WILL GUST NEAR 35 MPH...POTENTIALLY CAUSING NEAR BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS.
IMPACTS...
* ROADS...BRIDGES...AND OVERPASSES MAY BECOME SLICK AND HAZARDOUS
IN THE WATCH AREA...MAKING 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.
$$