3/27-3/29 Blizzard

[Tim Vasquez]

The 15Z to 18Z time frame (late morning) is when OKC will get into the deepest wraparound. I am not seeing anything yet that would prevent significant snowfalls from getting into the OKC metro area -- certainly not 10 or 20 inches, but enough for some excitement.

As for tonight I think it will be dead in central Oklahoma at least for the first half of the evening, however the IR loop and RUC does indicate a short wave trough rotating around the low into the CDS-FTW area. This is currently over dry low level air (50-60% RH at CDS-SPS) and just producing a sheet of Sc/Ac/As, but as it moves further north into central Oklahoma there is more potential for this to interact with the colder, more saturated area closer to I-40. So much to watch.

Tim

 

[Shane Adams]

With the H700 and H500 lows still in the southern Texas panhandles, there is no way you can call this a bust at this time. The "main" event is still getting underway.

Sure there is...wrap-around has disappointed me many times before, and other than that, I don't see where the precip is coming from. Again, I hope I'm wrong and end up looking like a fool..I'm daring the wx-gods to dump on central OK...I don't think they got it in 'em.

 

[Jeff Piotrowski]

Blizzard Coldwater Kansas

I'm currently in Coldwater Kansas snow now S++ with NNE wind 25-G40 zero visibility.

Snow Drifts now 3-5 foot on the South side of buildings with winds around 25-G40.

All roads are closed in the area. Local trucks are getting stuck in the snow drifts around town.

Snow is now rapidly accumulating est. 2-5 inches per hour.

 

[Jay McCoy]

I now have 10-11" of snow with drifts of 3-4 ft in my yard. The winds have calmed a bit down to under 30 sustained but the snow has really picked up in the wraparound. 1-2" an hr for the next few hrs at least. All roads north/west/east out of amarillo are closed and our EOC and TxDot are considering closing I-27 south. Only road open is hwy 60 to pampa. During the afternoon the streets slushed up a bit but now with the sun down they are freezing and its pure ice where there isnt snow covering it. Going to be a long night. Luckily most people have heeded our advice and the streets are pretty empty.

Here are some TxDot webcams along I-40 in amarillo. Juss click on each camera.

http://amaits.dot.state.tx.us/AMA-ITS/default.htm

 

[Michael O'Keeffe]

It is looking like a new threat is emerging from this system and that is ice. Arkansas City, KS is reporting .5" of ice accumulation on all surfaces including roads. There is also VERY heavy sleet falling in C Kansas with 1.5" of sleet falling in 30 minutes. Here on the SW side of KC we are getting some light freezing rain, but the temp is above 33F so it will be a little while for it to stick. Even if the changeover to snow is later that could mean some significant tree and powerline damage as ice and sleet accumulates. It isn't going to help that the trees are blooming allowing the wet snow to accumulate even easier on the trees. It's going to be a LONG 12-24 hours.

Edit: My mom and dad just got home and they are saying it is getting kind of slick on the roads around here.

 

[Chuck Robertson]

I now have 10-11" of snow with drifts of 3-4 ft in my yard. The winds have calmed a bit down to under 30 sustained but the snow has really picked up in the wraparound. 1-2" an hr for the next few hrs at least. All roads north/west/east out of amarillo are closed and our EOC and TxDot are considering closing I-27 south. Only road open is hwy 60 to pampa. During the afternoon the streets slushed up a bit but now with the sun down they are freezing and its pure ice where there isnt snow covering it. Going to be a long night. Luckily most people have heeded our advice and the streets are pretty empty.

Here are some TxDot webcams along I-40 in amarillo. Juss click on each camera.

http://amaits.dot.state.tx.us/AMA-ITS/default.htm

Amazing what a difference a few miles makes. Jay is reporting 11 inches in AMA, and here in Miami, TX, I am hard pressed to count 4! To this point, we just have not been able to sustain any heavy snow bands for long at all. Meanwhile, AMA has been in the middle of the heavy stuff seemingly all day! NOT FAIR! Anyways, with our measly 4 inches, and maybe about 1 ft drifts, this is certainly not turning out to be a blizzard, nor even a significant storm. The word "ordinary" actually comes to mind.

 

[Andrew Francis]

The wrap around has just been idle over the top of amarillo for like the past 4 hours easily.


Now switching between 30 and 31 here in Edmond. Still no precip falling besides the fog/freezing drizzle

 

[Jeff Piotrowski]

New 0Z WRF Snow Totals

The 0Z WRF cranks out additional 18+ of snow from Coldwater-Salina Kansas by 12Z.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

http://wxcaster4.com/nam/CONUS1_ETA212_SFC_ACCUM-SNOWFALL_12HR.gif

That's 2-3"+ totals for a solid 12 hours, models tend to way overestimate that but hell, half of that and things could be pretty fun by morning, if they are not exciting enough already. Not sure how well that region drains itself from snow melt, but that much snow this time of year may mean trouble on local rivers and creeks down the road.

 

[Rocky Rascovich]

Cold in Coldwater!

As of 2220cdt I estimate close to 8" overall here in Coldwater but drifts are now at least 3 feet in the parking lot of the motel I'm at (especially what's surrounding my truck). Latest NEXRAD out of DDC has what may be a convective band rotating east to west coming in from Medicine lodge. this could get real fun within the hour. Their may be some sleet with that with the near 45 dbz I'm seeing. I was all around Coldwater getting video late thisafternoon.. snow was coming in sideways at 2"+ per hour for awhile. Visibility was less than two blocks most of the time (1/4 mile at most) snowdrifts were enough that even my Excursion in 4X4 had a hard time navigating. Still there were plows coming through and an occassional truck roaring by on the main highway. How they managed to drive out in the open country outside of town is beyond me..

I still expect only another 3-6" betwen now and dawn. I hope I can get out of here tomorrow. I hear that roads are now closed outside of town.
No doubt, this is an historical storm.. and as much as the residents of Coldwater don't like it. This is a REAL BLESSING for the wheat crop. Hopefully this may lay the ground work to get more moisture in the air through ET and start reversing this drought.

 

[Jeff Piotrowski]

Comanache County Kansas Update

I just talked to a guy was stuck for the past six hours west of Coldwater on a county road a farmer brought him into town.

He was driving a big four wheel drive truck when he hit a snow drift 4-6’ high on an east west county road.

The deputy sheriff had to go rescue people trapped in vehicle’s in the area.

The radar now has 55 DBZ headed my way snowing 2â€￾-3â€￾ per hour now.

 

[John Farley]

Evening model runs looking a little less robust for the St. Louis area tomorrow night. Probably still some snow, but more in the 1-3 inch range if these evening model runs verify. NAM still has a secondary deformation zone, but now puts it just east of the metro area. It seems to have disappeared for the most part on the GFS. NWS STL still hanging on to the winter storm watch and around 4 inches in the metro area. Minor shifts in storm track and/or intensity can still make a big difference in what happens, so it is still a very uncertain forecast no matter which way you go.

 

[Steve Miller TX]

I now have 10-11" of snow with drifts of 3-4 ft in my yard.

As it was getting dark, my car was dragging bottom with the snow accumulating on the roads. The melting on roadway surfaces all day long quickly came to a halt. It's hard to estimate the non-drifting snowfall amounts, but I certainly saw plenty of 3-4 foot drifts around homes and even a couple of 5-6 foot drifts nearly covering the windows. I'll be out again in the morning (hopefully) and do more streaming video and grab pics. I'll post on here tomorrow afternoon some images. It's been an incredible event so far! It is still snowing and radar promises more to come.

 

[Andrew Francis]

When is the low going to shoot off to the northeast? Last couple scans have shown maybe a slight jot to the north east and stopped moving southeast.

That would leave us here in Central OK completely in the dryslot for this entire system, its like dancing around C. OK... This is SO NOT COOL! lol


What are the chances of the low to keep sinking south, then start moving on northeast... It looks like the wrap around is filling in nicely, but if the low does not sink any further south I think most of central OK will get absolutely nothing.

 

[Matthew Harding]

I am beginning to think that the changeover to snow will not happen until a couple of hours before daybreak. Currently, we have about 2 1/2" sleet and now freezing rain falling on top. Combined with a howling N wind of 35-50 mph and it is an incredibly raw night. Hopefully that changeover will occur soon, so that I can see some nighttime thundersnow.