…MAJOR WINTER STORM BEGINNING TO INTENSIFY…

.PRECIPITATION WAS BEGINNING TO INCREASE IN NORTH TEXAS AND
FAR SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AS THE WINTER STORM INTENSIFIES.  THIS
HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL EXPAND ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
INTO PORTIONS OF WESTERN ARKANSAS TODAY.  THERE WILL BE A MIX
OF FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW AT LOCATIONS WHEN THE RAIN
CHANGES OVER TO WINTRY PRECIPITATION. DURING THE AFTERNOON… THE
WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME ALL SNOW. SOME OF THE
PRECIPITATION IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS WILL
BE ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.

WHILE ALL THE PRECIPITATION TRANSITIONS TO SNOW… THERE WILL
BE A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN AT MOST LOCATIONS AND IT WILL LAST
LONG ENOUGH FOR AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH OF GLAZE TO OCCUR AS
SOME LOCATIONS.  THIS COMBINED WITH INCREASING WINDS WILL RESULT
IN A FEW POWER OUTAGES IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND IN WESTERN
ARKANSAS.

ONCE THE SNOW BECOMES THE DOMINATE PRECIPITATION…IT WILL BE
HEAVY AT TIMES…WITH 4 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH
OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS.  THE INCREASING
WINDS WILL RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE
SNOW WHICH WILL RESULT IN NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES.

THE GREATEST IMPACTS FROM THIS STORM IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
WESTERN ARKANSAS ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
BERRYVILLE TO FAYETTEVILLE TO EUFAULA.  NORTH OF THIS LINE THE
PRECIPITATION WILL TEND TO BE MORE SPOTTY…BUT ICY AND SNOW SPOTS
WILL OCCUR IN THESE AREAS.

THE PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TO END FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE
AREA THIS EVENING.

.ARZ002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053-065-066-069>076-260000-
/O.CON.KTSA.WS.W.0002.000000T0000Z-121226T0600Z/
CARROLL-WASHINGTON AR-MADISON-CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-SEBASTIAN-PUSHMATAHA-
CHOCTAW-OKFUSKEE-OKMULGEE-ADAIR-MUSKOGEE-MCINTOSH-SEQUOYAH-PITTSBURG-
HASKELL-LATIMER-LE FLORE-
1025 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST
TONIGHT…

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT…

FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES…
* IN OKLAHOMA…ADAIR…OKFUSKEE…OKMULGEE…PUSHMATAHA…
   CHOCTAW…PITTSBURG…SEQUOYAH…MCINTOSH…MUSKOGEE… LE FLORE…
   LATIMER AND HASKELL… IN ARKANSAS…WASHINGTON…
   MADISON…CRAWFORD…SEBASTIAN… CARROLL AND FRANKLIN.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
* PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE ACROSS THESE AREAS TODAY AND BECOME
   HEAVY AT TIMES. INITIALLY THERE WILL BE A WINTRY MIX OF
   FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW THAT WILL BECOME ALL SNOW DURING
   THE AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN MUCH OF THE
   WARNING AREA…WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS FROM AROUND THE
   MCALESTER AREA TOWARD FORT SMITH AND OZARK. ICE ACCUMULATIONS
   AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE LIKELY AT MANY AREAS…WITH LOCAL
   AMOUNTS APPROACHING TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH.

IMPACTS…
* TRAVEL WILL BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE IN THE AREAS OF
   THE HEAVIEST SNOW WHERE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OCCURS. A FEW
   POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN ARKANSAS.

* COUNTIES WHERE IT WAS REPORTED THAT ROADS WERE SLICK IN SPOTS
   INCLUDE…OSAGE…PAWNEE…WAGONER…CHEROKEE…ADAIR…MUSKOGEE…
   MCINTOSH…SEQUOYAH…HASKELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
* DELAY TRAVEL IN THE WARNING AREA AND STAY HOME IF POSSIBLE
   UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL BE SURE TO PACK A
   WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT THAT INCLUDES HIGH-ENERGY
   SNACKS… WATER AND A SHOVEL.

* 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.

&&

$$

ARZ001-OKZ054-059>064-067-068-260030-
/O.CON.KTSA.WW.Y.0003.000000T0000Z-121226T0600Z/
BENTON-OSAGE-PAWNEE-TULSA-ROGERS-MAYES-DELAWARE-CREEK-WAGONER-
CHEROKEE-
1025 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST
TONIGHT…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT…

FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES…
* IN OKLAHOMA…CHEROKEE…CREEK…WAGONER…TULSA…ROGERS…
   MAYES…DELAWARE…PAWNEE AND OSAGE…AND IN ARKANSAS…BENTON.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
* PATCHY AREAS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW THIS
   MORNING WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON AND BECOME AREAS OF
   LIGHT SNOW BEFORE ENDING THIS EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION ACROSS
   THESE AREAS WILL BE INTERMITTENT AT BEST.

* SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL RANGE FROM
   A TRACE TO MAYBE NEAR AN INCH AT A FEW SPOTS IN THE SOUTHERN
   PART OF THE ADVISORY AREA.

IMPACTS…
* THE PRECIPITATION IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL BE INTERMITTENT AT
   BEST…BUT ANY AMOUNTS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE A FEW SLICK
   SPOTS… ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.

* COUNTIES WHERE IT WAS REPORTED THAT ROADS WERE SLICK IN SPOTS
   INCLUDE… OSAGE…PAWNEE…WAGONER…CHEROKEE…ADAIR…MUSKOGEE…
   MCINTOSH…SEQUOYAH…HASKELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
* USE EXTRA CAUTION IF DRIVING AND BE ALERT FOR SLICK SPOTS ON
   THE ROAD.