Ticker for February 7, 2003

                
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February 7, 2003   February 7, 2003   February 7, 2003   February 7, 2003


Snow Breeze Cools I-44 Corridor

Don't break out the swimsuit and sunscreen, but Oklahoma is experiencing
a meteorological cousin of the coastal "sea breeze" today.

A look at satellite imagery shows a large patch of snow still covers
much of the region, including north and northwest Oklahoma (snow cover
looks kinda like cloud cover, but with river valleys etched in it):



Notice that the boundary runs (roughly) just to the north of I-40 and
I-44 from west-central Oklahoma to north of Tulsa.

An afternoon weather map from the Oklahoma Mesonet shows the effect
of differential heating along this boundary:



Notice the cooler air over the snowpack?  Now, take a look at the
wind field along the snowpack's boundary.  Light winds are blowing off
the pack, just like a sea breeze, except not quite as comfortable.