03.19.10
A Blizzard in Oklahoma on the First Day of Spring?
So, tomorrow is the first day of spring. Hurray! No more snowstorms in the south! Warm weather can return!
Almost.
The temperature is forecast to reach 70 in Norman today, and will be in the 60s early next week. However, as to this weekend…see below (courtesy of the National Weather Service Norman Forecast Office).
Yuck.
I’m not quite sure about Norman, but according to the NWS, Oklahoma City is just 4.6 inches away from receiving the most snow in a year in recorded history…and we just might break that record.
A low is moving through northern Texas and a cold front through northwest Oklahoma today, bringing the chance of some thunderstorms to the area. Some of these thunderstorms may be severe, at least in terms of hail. Moisture is still a problem, though, so it looks like this event will be marginal at best.
Overnight into Saturday, the front will make its way across Oklahoma, causing temperatures to drop steeply. Moisture will also be sufficient for some precipitation in the form of snow. Most of the snow looks like it will fall on Saturday into Saturday night. North winds behind the cold front will be strong enough to blow the snow around and cause drifting.
Good news? We have the chance to break the annual snow record and then it should all melt in the next one to two days.
Bad news? This cold front, as well as a weaker cold front perhaps mid- to late next week, will scour the Gulf of moisture. This means we have to wait longer to get sufficient moisture return (i.e., southerly winds that bring moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico) before the next severe weather setup (sometime in April?).
Worst news? I’m planning on going to Tulsa tomorrow for a friend’s wedding, and then coming back to Norman for another friend’s birthday party…provided that road conditions are not too hazardous…