Ticker for December 30, 2021

                
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December 30, 2021  December 30, 2021  December 30, 2021  December 30, 2021


UnWishful Thinking




We barely have time to Tick, but certainly just enough time to Tock about this
cold blast coming up. It WILL be a shock to our system (my system is shocked
most of the time, especially when we eat Taco Bell, but that's a different story)
as we close out what will easily be the warmest December in Oklahoma history.
Pre-Statehood Oklahoma, even. Wind chills will be almost February 2021-ish for
a bit...not Feb. 14-16 cold, but Feb. 17 cold.





And by the time we get to Sunday morning, we'll see the coldest weather since
that February Deep Freeze event with lows close to Zero in the north and teens to
the south.



Now the concern as the front goes through is that precip that should be occurring
(YAY!) will switch over to freezing rain for just a bit. There will be a chance
of a few icy bridges and whatnot, and some light blowing snow, too, mostly in
the north. This ain't nothing big, but hey, let's pretend it is because with
how winter has gone so far, it might be our last chance to panic-buy bread and
milk!





HOWEVER (and that's a big however...12pt font I believe), there is still just
enough uncertainty that we could end up with a bit more than we're bargaining
for, know what I mean? And folks are gonna tell you that the ground temps are
too warm for any danger, but in my experience, once that precip starts falling
in the cold air, you can find ice on roadways which will then find you in the
ditch...or worse.

Oh by the way, in front of that frozen precip we'll have a chance for severe
weather (BOO!!). Southeast OK needs to be on the lookout for ALL MODES of
severe weather Friday night into Saturday morning.









This will definitely NOT be out last chance for this type of weather.

Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
gmcmanus@mesonet.org