EPIC BLIZZARD CRIPPLES OKLAHOMA (12/24/09)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Blizzard and near blizzard conditions pummeled parts of eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas Christmas Eve and into early Christmas morning, as an intense and deepening storm system moved through the Southern and Central Plains. Snowfall totals in excess of 6 inches were common across areas along and to the northwest of the Interstate 44 corridor, with lesser, but still significant amounts across much of the remainder of eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas. Wind gusts in excess of 40 mph combined with the moderate to heavy snowfall to create dangerous blizzard and near blizzard conditions across much of the area. The wind gusts also resulted in isolated downed tree limbs and sporadic power outages.

Eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas began to feel the effects of the storm system as early as the night of Tuesday the 22nd. After an unseasonably warm Tuesday afternoon, overnight and early morning thunderstorms developed across portions of the area as moisture poured into the region. Additional thunderstorms developed Wednesday afternoon ahead of the cold front that moved through most of the area, except northwest Arkansas, by late that evening. The afternoon thunderstorms produced hail to a half inch in diameter, including in the Tulsa metro area. More widespread rain showers spread into the region early morning on Christmas Eve, as the storm system moved across north Texas. As the cold air became deeper, the rain gradually transitioned to sleet, and then, snow in a west to east fashion. Blizzard conditions quickly developed once the transition to snow occurred, as the winds had already begun to gust above 35 mph. The snow and blizzard conditions slowly came to an end late on Christmas Eve and early Christmas Day from west to east as the storm system moved quickly into the Upper Midwest.

Music is Bing Cosby's cover of "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"


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To contact Bart Comstock for interviews or personal accounts of the storm please email him at Bart@severestudios.com

Honors:
#89 - Most Viewed (today) - Travel & Events - 12/27/09
#64 - Most Viewed (today) - Travel & Events - 12/28/09

Category:

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[abcdefghijklmnop1209]

Glad I wasn't stuck in that traffic Christmas Eve on I-44.Anyone remember how much snow we got in Tulsa that day?

[parsleysprigs]

@dragnridr05 My point was that we do get ice we just know how to drive in it, may I remind you we have the 1-70 interstate route that goes through the mountains drive that for a few hours and tell me about dangerous Ice conditions.

[dragnridr05]

@parsleysprigs We get layer after layer of ice before any snow hits. I won't matter if it's cold or not. Oklahoma has a more humid climate than Colorado. Colorado may get more snow and it may be colder, but the ICE on the road proves that it's more dangerous than 2-3 feet of snow.

[dragnridr05]

@parsleysprigs But do you got mostly ice? No? Just the powder snow crap? Drive on nothing but ice as hard as concrete, then you'll understand.

[gundrag000]

wtf

[MrSpeedking13]

Texas??

[lincolnweather]

That storm hit us hard in Lincoln Nebraska 24.3 inchis of snow fell from Noon 12/24-Noon 12/26. With wind gust near 65 mph in Grand Island 90 miles to the west it was a bad storm. My car was drifted over. Me and the famaly servived at least on christmas day we stayed put in the house. Christmas Eve we were at Church from 6-9 PM. and at my motherinlaw's from 9-10 thats win it got bad.

[poopsyproductions]

WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I survived that blizzard in dewey Oklahoma. Our door blew open overnight and let a foot of a snow drift in our house, and we were asleep while it happened little did we know it was so cold until we woke up.

[Jacksonsydney13]

lol i like the music

[secoxxx]

where is the crazy guy going 70 in that?