By KWGS News/National Weather Service
Tulsa, OK – THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT CST
TUESDAY NIGHT...
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
* IN OKLAHOMA...CREEK...TULSA...ROGERS...MAYES...DELAWARE...
PAWNEE...OTTAWA...WASHINGTON...OSAGE...CRAIG AND NOWATA.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
* A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
LATE THIS EVENING...AND INCREASE IN INTENSITY IN THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS. HEAVY SNOW AND SLEET...ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS OF
35 TO 40 MPH WILL OCCUR AFTER SUNRISE AND CONTINUE INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. SNOWFALL WILL LESSEN BY LATE AFTERNOON...AND
DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT.
* 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS NEAR 18
INCHES...ARE EXPECTED ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF
INTERSTATE 44. ADDITIONALLY...UP TO ONE INCH OF SLEET IS ALSO
POSSIBLE. THE STRONG WINDS WILL PRODUCE SNOW DRIFTS OF 2 TO 4
FEET.
* WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL BE COMMON DURING THE DAY
TUESDAY...WITH AREAS OF HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW REDUCING
VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES PRODUCING WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE DAY
TUESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
IMPACTS...
* TRAVEL WILL BECOME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE EVEN ON TREATED SURFACES.
THIS INCLUDES THE INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR THROUGH NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES WILL ALSO REMAIN POSSIBLE.
* ANY LOSS OF POWER WILL RESULT IN A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS...AS
TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND RESCUE EFFORTS ARE
HAMPERED BY THE ROAD CONDITIONS.
DEFINITION...
* A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS HEAVY SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND
EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
* EXPECT HOME-BOUND CONDITIONS. TRAVEL TO BECOME NEAR IMPOSSIBLE...WITH
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS EXPECTED.
* ANY PRE-STORM PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED...INCLUDING ENSURING ADEQUATE FOOD AND MEDICAL
SUPPLIES.
* 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.