Winter weather advisory effective through 6 p.m. today
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
133 PM CST FRI JAN 29 2010
OKZ006>008-011>013-017>020-023>032-038>048-050>052-TXZ090-300000-
/O.CON.KOUN.WW.Y.0003.000000T0000Z-100130T0000Z/
ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-
PAYNE-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-
PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-
MARSHALL-BRYAN-CLAY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…CHEROKEE…MEDFORD…PONCA CITY…
FAIRVIEW…ENID…PERRY…WATONGA…KINGFISHER…GUTHRIE…
STILLWATER…ANADARKO…YUKON…EL RENO…MUSTANG…
OKLAHOMA CITY…CHANDLER…CHICKASHA…PURCELL…NORMAN…MOORE…
SHAWNEE…SEMINOLE…HOLDENVILLE…LAWTON…DUNCAN…
PAULS VALLEY…SULPHUR…ADA…COALGATE…WALTERS…WAURIKA…
ARDMORE…TISHOMINGO…ATOKA…MARIETTA…MADILL…DURANT…
HENRIETTA
133 PM CST FRI JAN 29 2010
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING…
* MAIN IMPACTS: SNOWFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS UP TO 4 OR 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.
* TIMING: SNOW IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON.
* OTHER IMPACTS: GUSTY NORTH AND NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH
WILL ADD STRESS TO TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES THAT MAY HAVE
ICE ACCUMULATIONS.
* PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS SNOW WILL CAUSE
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED
VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Snow expected to decrease starting about 3 p.m.
At 1:20 p.m., the National Weather Service in Norman released a significant weather advisory for Canadian, Cleveland, Oklahoma and Pottawatomie counties at 1:20 p.m.:
A band of heavier snow will move through Canadian County, the Oklahoma City area and areas to the east, including Shawnee. Through 3 p.m., snow rates will be about an inch an hour before decreasing through late afternoon.
— Brian Sargent
Storm good for Guymon motel
The Associated Press reports that the winter storm has been good for business at the Days Inn and Suites in Guymon.
The motel’s 16 rooms are occupied, and on a typical day only about half that many are rented out, employee Rocky Bhagavan told the Associated Press.
Travelers are staying at the motel because of the closure of U.S. Highway 54 due to heavy snow, said Bhagavan. Most tried to leave this morning but were turned back at the Texas border, he said.
— Brian Sargent
Flood warning for in southern Cotton County
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WARNING FOR THE DEEP RED CREEK NEAR RANDLETT.
* UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING.
* AT 12:45 PM FRIDAY THE STAGE WAS 19.9 FEET.
* MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 20.0 FEET.
* FORECAST…THE DEEP RED CREEK WILL RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CREST NEAR 21.0 FEET FRIDAY EVENING. THE DEEP RED CREEK WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE LATE FRIDAY EVENING.
* IMPACT…AT 21 FEET…FLOOD DEPTHS UP TO 1 FOOT OCCUR OVER CROPLANDS…PASTURES…AND LOW-LYING LOCAL ROADS ALONG AND NEAR THE CREEK.
* FLOOD HISTORY…THIS CREST COMPARES TO THE PREVIOUS CREST STAGE OF 20.8 FEET ON AUGUST 20…2007.
PEOPLE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD ACT NOW TO EVACUATE AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT ENTER ALREADY FLOODED AREAS OR ATTEMPT TO CROSS ROADWAYS COVERED BY HIGH WATER. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION BY LISTENING TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES.
Northbound I-35 near Edmond moving good
About 1 p.m., Oklahoman columnist Bryan Painter was on northbound I-35 near Waterloo Road. He reports traffic moving “pretty good, about 50 mph.”
“The right looks good. The left lane is more packed (with snow),” he said.
He saw 2 wrecks, but thought they had happened awhile ago.
— Brian Sargent
continue to monitor this blog for latest information
The weather blog will continue to be updated through the afternoon. Stay here for the latest updates from The Oklahoman and the National Weather Service.
If there’s anything you’d like our reporters to check, feel free to e-mail me at bsargent@opubco.com or send me a message on twitter (@BSargentOKC).
— Brian Sargent
Thanks for following the blog and please continue to follow Newsok.com main page for weather information
Please Continue to Monitor the Newsok.com main page for updated winter weather information:
I want to say thanks to readers, coworkers and officials for providing information for this weather blog during the storm. I began the blog at 3:30 a.m. yesterday and went until 6:30 p.m., went to sleep last night in a conference room here at the office and started back at 6:30 a.m. So I’m going to leave you in the very trustworthy hands of everyone here at Newsok.com who has worked extremely hard to keep you updated. Be safe and my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Bryan
From National Weather Service, Norman: short-term forecast
REGIONAL WEATHER DISCUSSION…
AT JUST BEFORE NOON…A REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC SHOWED WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION OCCURRING FROM SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA…CURVING AROUND
THROUGH MOST OF THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE. PRECIPITATION
WAS ALSO FALLING IN WESTERN NORTH TEXAS…APPROXIMATELY FROM WICHITA
FALLS EASTWARD. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS FALLING AS SNOW…
ALTHOUGH WITH THE SURFACE FREEZING LINE LOCATED BETWEEN HOLDENVILLE
AND ARDMORE…A MIX OF RAIN…FREEZING DRIZZLE…AND SLEET WAS
FALLING IN PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON… MUCH OF THE CENTRAL THIRD OF OKLAHOMA IS
EXPECTED TO RECEIVE FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW. LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. NEAR
THE RED RIVER AND INTO SOUTHWESTERN AND FAR WESTERN OKLAHOMA…
SNOWFALL SHOULD TOTAL LESS THAN ONE INCH. HOWEVER…IN ALL AREAS
HAVING RECEIVED ICE…NORTH WINDS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MPH WILL
CONTINUE TO ADD STRESS TO TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. TEMPERATURES
WILL NOT RISE MUCH THIS AFTERNOON.
Hazardous Weather Outlook, National Weather Service, Norman
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
1129 AM CST FRI JAN 29 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN…WESTERN…
CENTRAL…AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE…THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED.
DISCUSSION…
A POTENT UPPER LEVEL STORM WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE RED RIVER
VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING…RESULTING IN AREAS OF SNOW…
SLEET AND SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE. INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE
INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THUNDER. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR DETAILS.
PROBABILITY TABLE…
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CST SATURDAY JAN 30.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA…5 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
ICE COATED TREES AND POWER LINES MAY CONTINUE TO FALL TO THE GROUND
AS THEY SWAY IN GUSTY NORTH WINDS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO PARTS OF THE
AREA ON WEDNESDAY. THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER REMAINS LOW.
Update: From State Emergency Management
WINTER STORM CONTINUES TO IMPACT STATE
The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is in contact with emergency managers across the state. Agencies and organizations represented at the State EOC include the: American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Oklahoma Military Department, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, 2-1-1 Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry.
Oklahoma remains under a State of Emergency, as declared by Gov. Brad Henry.
The State of Emergency marks a first step toward seeking federal assistance, should it be necessary. Additionally, the executive order allows state agencies to make emergency purchases and acquisitions needed to expedite the delivery of resources to local jurisdictions.
The declaration provides a formal mechanism for local governments to seek reimbursement for recovery costs through the state’s disaster public assistance program if conditions warrant.
All state offices in Canadian, Cleveland, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma and Pottawatomie counties along with numerous schools and businesses remain closed today.
INJURIES AND FATALITIES
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports troopers have worked 86 storm related crashes, including 27 involving injury. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports 188 injuries due to slips and falls and 28 injuries due to motor vehicle accidents.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
A Winter Storm Warning for the Oklahoma panhandle has expired and precipitation has cleared that area. A Winter Storm Warning continues for much of Oklahoma, except Marshall, Atoka, Bryan, Love, Choctaw, and McCurtain counties. The warning will expire for all of western and central Oklahoma at noon. The warning for east-central and northeast Oklahoma has been extended until midnight. Winter Weather Advisory has been posted for central and south-central Oklahoma and continues for Marshall, Atoka, Love, Marshall, and Bryant counties until 6 pm.
Wind speeds are in the 10 to 15 mph range across the state and are expected to remain in this area as the upper system passes through later today. Winds will become light and variable tonight into Saturday. While this will assist in recovery efforts, it will also allow temperatures to plunge Saturday night into the single digits and teens. Winter Storm Warnings are currently posted from western Oklahoma eastward to the east coast.
POWER OUTAGES
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission reports 179,134 homes and businesses are without electric service due to the storm, which includes the following.
PSO reports 69,716 customers are without power in:
Chickasha 11,782
Chouteau 378
Clinton 1,271
Duncan 5,182
Elk City 210
Grove 1,779
Hobart 6,046
Lawton 38,644
Okmulgee 623
Tipton 3,773
Tulsa 12
Vinita 10
Weatherford 5
The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority reports 26,606 customers without power in:
Altus 9,759
Duncan 8,942
Eldorado 283
Granite 613
Manitou 209
Olustee 316
Lexington 845
Purcell 2,774
The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives reports 62,341 customers without power in:
Caddo Electric, Binger: 9,528
Cotton Electric, Walters: 14,101
Harmon Electric, Hollis: 3,300
Southwest Rural Electric, Tipton: 1,500
Kiwash Electric, Cordell: 2,000
Rural Electric, Lindsay: 7,500
Oklahoma Electric, Norman: 3,292
People’s Electric, Ada: 6,505
Canadian Valley Electric, Seminole: 11,458
Ozarks Electric, Stilwell/Fayetteville: 163
Northfork Electric, Sayre: 200
Cimarron Electric, Kingfisher: 50
East Central OK Electric, Okmulgee: 1,000
Lake Region Electric, Hulbert: 469
Verdigris Valley Electric, Collinsville: 754
Northeast OK Electric, Vinita: 429
Central Rural Electric, Stillwater: 92
Cookson Hills Electric, Stigler/Sallisaw: 0
Kiamichi Electric, Wilburton: 0
OG&E reports 20,471 customers (including 1,987 in Holdenville, 1,915 in Norman and 1,881 in Ada) are without service.
Additionally, today, OG&E will open customer walk-up centers in Ada, Seminole and Pauls Valley, giving customers affected by the ice storm a place to report their power outage and learn about the power restoration process directly from employees of OG&E.
Once the walk-up centers are established, today around noon, they will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for as long as they needed.
Ada: Apple Market, 220 E. 13th Street
Seminole: Homeland Store, 1701 N. Milt Phillips Ave.
Pauls Valley: Homeland Store, 505 S. Chickasaw Avenue
OG&E communities south and east of the Oklahoma City metro area were hardest-hit by the ice storm, causing outages for as many as 25,000 customers overnight Thursday into Friday. Power lines and tree limbs are heavily laden with ice over a wide area, including metro OKC, and OG&E is operating under its emergency storm plan with all of its resources at work and assistance from out-of-state crews.
RESOURCE REQUESTS
The State EOC is working to provide generators due to power outages in Marlow and in Jefferson and Grady counties where water systems are down and in Hobart for a shelter. Already generators have been deployed through the EOC and delivered by the Oklahoma National Guard to Asher (Pottawatomie County) and Apache (Caddo County) for shelter operations, and Stephens and Greer counties for water systems that are down.
Industrial-size generators and truck loads of bottled water secured through the federal government will be deployed through the State EOC to cities, towns and counties as needed due to power outages. The federal generators augment the industrial size state generators already positioned around the state. The industrial size generators are for shelters, water treatment plants and hospitals.
Please note these generators are not for residential use.
ROAD CONDITIONS
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) reports the HE Bailey Turnpike remains closed from mile markers 83 to 63 (Highway 62 to Elgin exits) due to downed power lines. Additionally, Highway 54 is closed southbound out of Guymon and I-40 is closed at the Texas state line. Roads remain slick and hazardous in western, southwestern, central and northeastern regions of the state. OHP continues to discourage travel.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews continue to work around the clock to clear roadways and drivers are urged to stay at least 200 feet behind road-clearing equipment. Additionally, motorists are asked to:
-- Be aware that conditions are continually changing; drive cautiously and for the conditions on the roadway.
-- Check road conditions before getting out on the roads.
-- Allow extra space between vehicles, so there is adequate distance for braking in icy conditions.
-- Be aware of "black ice," which looks wet on the roadway, but is actually a thin layer of ice.
SHELTERS AND MASS FEEDING
Thursday night 377 people stayed at the shelters and 2,000 made use of the feeding and warming centers opened due to the winter storm. The following shelters and warming centers remain open:
Shelters
Chickasha-Grady County Fairgrounds, 500 East Choctaw
Altus – Altus Community Center, 401 Falcon Rd
Anadarko — First Baptist Church 700 Petree
Asher — First Baptist Church, 109 E. Main St
Canton — Canton Town Hall
Carnegie — Carnegie Elementary School, 202 West 4th St.
Concho — Concho Community Hall, 200 Wolf Robe Circle
Duncan – Stephens County Fairgrounds, 2002 S 13th Street
Elmore City – First Baptist Church, 107 S Texas Ave.
Hobart – First Methodist Church, 201 S. Washington
Holdenville – Senior Center, 124 N. Creek
Hollis — Hollis Civic Center, 208 W. Jones
Lawton — Cameron Baptist Church, 2621 SW C Ave.
Lindsay — Calvary Baptist Church, 5th and Chickasaw
Mangum – Church of New Beginnings, 408 North Tittle Avenue
Newcastle — Newcastle Storm Shelter, 851 N Carr
Paoli – Paoli Senior Citizens Center
Pauls Valley – Garvin County Fair Barn, 1401 N Willow
Purcell — Multi-Purpose Center, 1400 Chandler Rd
Seiling — Community Building
Watonga – Watonga Cheyenne-Arapaho Community Center
Warming Centers
El Dorado — El Dorado Community Center, 514 W. Main
El Dorado — El Dorado School, 116 N. 7th
Hobart — First United Methodist, 201 S. Washington
McAlester – Salvation Army Office, 400 N. A Street
Woodward — Woodward American Red Cross Chapter, 1209 Ninth Street
Wynnewood – First Baptist Church
An open warming center is capable of turning into a shelter at any time if officials determine a need for overnight sheltering.
The Salvation Army reports their Oklahoma City shelter location is at near capacity. All additional guests will be placed on cots and mats.
The American Red Cross remains ready to open more shelters as needed and currently has additional capacity in the shelters that are open. Additional shelters will be opened as necessary.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services is supplying some shelters with USDA food commodities.
Additionally, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is supporting the shelters with 20 feeding sites. Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief also has chainsaw teams on standby to assist with removing downed tree branches in the affected areas.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is monitoring 10 hospitals in the southwest part of the state that are on back-up generator. Several nursing homes are without power and the welfare of the residents is being monitored by county health department officials. Public health nurses are monitoring shelter operations for health and welfare checks. Public health sanitarians are monitoring all shelter and feeding operations ensuring public health guidelines are in compliance. OSDH staff continue to monitor the at-risk population and are working at the county and state level to ensure the health and safety of all Oklahomans.
DIAL 211
For Oklahoma residents seeking non-emergency disaster or health and human service information, please contact your local 2-1-1. Services are available 24 hours a day by dialing 2-1-1 from your home or cellular telephone. Please only call 911 for emergencies.
