SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
248 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-231000-
BENTON-CARROLL-WASHINGTON AR-MADISON-CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-SEBASTIAN-
PUSHMATAHA-CHOCTAW-OSAGE-WASHINGTON OK-NOWATA-CRAIG-OTTAWA-PAWNEE-
TULSA-ROGERS-MAYES-DELAWARE-CREEK-OKFUSKEE-OKMULGEE-WAGONER-
CHEROKEE-ADAIR-MUSKOGEE-MCINTOSH-SEQUOYAH-PITTSBURG-HASKELL-
LATIMER-LE FLORE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ROGERS…BENTONVILLE…BERRYVILLE…
EUREKA SPRINGS…FAYETTEVILLE…SPRINGDALE…HUNTSVILLE…
VAN BUREN…OZARK…CHARLESTON…FORT SMITH…ANTLERS…CLAYTON…
HUGO…PAWHUSKA…BARTLESVILLE…NOWATA…VINITA…MIAMI…
PAWNEE…TULSA…CLAREMORE…PRYOR…JAY…BRISTOW…OKEMAH…
OKMULGEE…WAGONER…TAHLEQUAH…STILWELL…MUSKOGEE…EUFAULA…
SALLISAW…MCALESTER…STIGLER…WILBURTON…POTEAU
248 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
…MAJOR STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN
ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY…
A MAJOR STORM IS ORGANIZING OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS STORM WILL APPROACH THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS WEDNESDAY AND EXIT THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT. A VARIETY OF
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS DURING THIS PERIOD.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING TRANSPORTED NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THIS
STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND OZARKS. AS THIS SYSTEM
MOVES INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY…A COLD FRONT
CURRENTLY LOCATED ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND NORTHWESTERN
OKLAHOMA WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY MORNING AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. THE ATMOSPHERE IS EXPECTED TO
BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY AS LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE CONTINUES TO GET DRAWN NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO
AND AS THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES. THUNDERSTORMS WITH
THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL…DAMAGING DOWNBURST WIND…AND
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL APPEARS TO BE GREATEST SOUTH
OF I-40 AT THIS TIME. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH 1 TO 3
INCHES EXPECTED TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 69 WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 3
TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER WESTERN ARKANSAS. FLASH FLOODING IS
LIKELY IF THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE REALIZED.
COLD AIR WILL FILTER INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA EARLY THURSDAY AND THIS
WILL BEGIN TO TURN THE RAIN TO SNOW WEST OF HIGHWAY 75 AND NORTH
OF I-40. THE AIR WILL BE COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SNOW BY THURSDAY
EVENING ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. AT
THIS TIME AND BASED ON THE CURRENT EXPECTED TRACK OF THE
STORM…1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 412
BEFORE THE SNOW TAPERS OFF LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. HEAVIER SNOW IS
LIKELY TO THE NORTH ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS. THE STORM WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WIND AND THIS WIND COMBINED
WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS AND 20S WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILL
VALUES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT. WIND CHILL
VALUES WILL BE IN THE TEENS AND 20S DURING THE DAYTIME FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.
THIS WEATHER SYSTEM IS VERY COMPLICATED AND ONLY A SLIGHT
DIFFERENCE IN ITS TRACK ACROSS OUR AREA WILL RESULT IN
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN ITS IMPACTS. THUS…STAYING ABREAST OF
UPDATED FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS…WHICH WILL
LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE REGION AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY
MORNING…IS ADVISED FOR THOSE INTERESTED.