The Latest On Next Week's Winter Storm

The storm system that will move over Oklahoma is still 1000 miles off the Pacific, but moving this way!

Everything is still setting up for a classic winter storm for the state Tuesday including the whole gamut of winter weather conditions including rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. The latest indications are that this system will bring some heavy precipitation to the state. If you melted the icy and snowy stuff down to water, it would equal a half an inch to over an inch of water. That is exactly what the state needs to combat the drought conditions and I'm very excited about that!

Monday will be a lighter event than Tuesday. Light rain or freezing rain will be possible and it actually should start as patchy drizzle early Monday. We will analyze the temperature patterns for Monday, but as of today, it is too difficult to lock down the freezing line.

Tuesday, the storm will more than likely move across Oklahoma. It is looking like some areas will get hit pretty hard with snowfall or sleet. Freezing rain will also be possible and it is not out of the question that we start off the day, like the Christmas Eve Blizzard, in that fashion with falling temperatures through the day! Just want to point out that the big difference will be that our winds will not be gusting over 60 miles per hour; but over 30 mph will be possible, making this a storm that could shut things down for a period of time for the worst hit areas.

As classic Oklahoma winter storms go, I-44 appears to be the dividing line between the heaviest snow and the mixed bag, with the Metro getting a heaping of both. The heaviest snow bands will develop across the north and/or west parts of the state early on Tuesday. The early "pot-shot" modeling is indicating over 12 inches of snow for some localized areas. Don't get too caught off guard with this as these accumulations will more than likely change: In location and intensity! As it stands right now, a swath of over 6 inches is looking quite possible for the areas that receive the heaviest snowfall.

One of the killers of winter precipitation is the ol' dry slot. This is something that is yet to be determined and in most cases doesn't reveal itself until the night before the event. This can change snowfall forecasts dramatically. Make a mental note that this feature will also be possible.

Our forecast skills are sharpened and we are ready to go for whatever heads our way! As you have come to count on, stay with News 9, we will keep you advised!