Looking ahead, from the National Weather Service, Albuquerque, N.M., Amarillo, Texas, Norman, Tulsa

Following is a look ahead to a system expected to approach later this weekend. I’ve included reports from the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, Amarillo, Norman and  Tulsa in that order to give you a perspective of what  they’re looking at: 

From National Weather Service, Albuquerque:

…UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS FOR THIS WEEKEND…

UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN
TO NEW MEXICO SATURDAY NIGHT…AND MAY PERSIST INTO MONDAY.

A LARGE UPPER LOW PRESSURE CIRCULATION LOCATED OFF THE WEST COAST
EARLY THIS MORNING…WAS SPREADING EXTENSIVE CLOUDINESS OVER
CALIFORNIA AND INTO THE GREAT BASIN AND WESTERN ARIZONA.  FORECAST
MODELS INDICATE THIS SYSTEM WILL ADVANCE INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST
SATURDAY…AND BEGIN TO SPREAD PRECIPITATION INTO WESTERN NEW
MEXICO SATURDAY NIGHT.

LOWLAND RAIN AND SNOW…AND MOUNTAIN SNOW…WILL OVERSPREAD
THE STATE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS FROM WEST
TO EAST ACROSS NEW MEXICO. MODERATE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION…
HEAVIER PRECIPITATION MAY BE FOCUSED ALONG A SURFACE BOUNDARY
WHICH MAY EXTEND ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO LATE
SUNDAY.

PRECIPITATION SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE
STATE ON MONDAY.

THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND ACROSS
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE LATEST
FORECASTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO…THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WEBSITE…OR YOUR PREFERRED MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST
DETAILS REGARDING THIS UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN.

From National Weather Service, Amarillo

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
From National Weather Service, Amarillo

 FRI FEB 26 2010

…MORE SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THE PANHANDLES SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO IS MONITORING A WINTER
STORM SYSTEM THAT COULD AFFECT THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES
SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
COAST EARLY THIS MORNING…AND WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS IT TRACKS
ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.

WHILE THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY CONCERNING THE TRACK AND
TIMING…FORECAST CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO IMPROVE REGARDING THE
LIKELIHOOD OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. EARLY PROJECTIONS SUPPORT SNOWFALL
TOTALS OF THREE TO SIX INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF THE PANHANDLES.

THE BIG QUESTION IS WHEN WILL THE TEMPERATURE PROFILES BE CONDUCIVE
FOR PRODUCING SNOW. GIVEN THE SLOWER SPEED OF THIS WINTER STORM…
COLD RAIN MAY PERSIST LONGER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. THIS SLOWER
TIMING COULD DECREASE THE POTENTIAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. IF THE
TRANSITION FROM RAIN TO SNOW OCCURS EARLIER…ACCUMULATIONS WILL
LIKELY INCREASE.

AGAIN…THE CHANCE OF SNOW HAS IMPROVED FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
WITH SNOW DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLY LINGERING INTO MONDAY…HAZARDOUS
TRAVEL CONDITIONS COULD PERSIST INTO MONDAY…AFFECTING THE
MORNING DRIVE.

From National Weather Service, Norman:

LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY.
MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING TOWARD A MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK AND WILL
KEEP HIGHEST POPS IN THE SOUTH. TEMPS WILL AGAIN BE MARGINAL WITH
THIS STORM SYSTEM AND WILL KEEP RAIN/SNOW AS PRECIP TYPE FOR
NORTHERN SECTIONS. DRY WEATHER THEN EXPECTED THROUGH MID WEEK BEFORE
NEXT PRECIP CHANCE DEVELOPS LATE IN THE WEEK AS ANOTHER UPPER SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S.
From National Weather Service, Tulsa:

AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BRING WARMER WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND.
THE NEXT UPPER SYSTEM MOVING FROM THE SOUTHWEST SUNDAY
WILL BRING INCREASING CHANCES FOR RAIN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

Thank you for joining our conversation on Oklahoma Weather Blog. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.