Winter Storm Watch issued for most of Oklahoma

By John Dobberstein, Editor

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch today for the Tulsa area and most of Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas as rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow are likely this week.

The NWS described it as a potentially “dangerous storm.” Heavy mixed precipitation is possible Tuesday through Thursday night, starting off with freezing rain, transitioning to sleet and eventually snow.

Ice accumulations of 0.10 to 0.50 inches are possible, and total snow and sleet accumulations are 1-10 inches, depending on the location. The heaviest snow in the Tulsa metro area is likely to occur Wednesday night.

“Confidence is high in regards to snow, sleet, and ice impacting eastern Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas. Confidence, however, is low to medium in regards to snow, sleet, and ice amounts as uncertainties remain,” the NWS said Monday morning.

Power outages and tree damage is possible due to the ice, and travel “could be nearly impossible” at times.

An arctic air invasion with strong north winds will also yield dangerous wind chills Wednesday night into Thursday.