WINTER STORM NOW 12/08-11/2007: KS, OK, NE, MO, IA, CO, among others

[Mike Hollingshead]

http://www.tornadovideos.net/

Since I don't see anyone posting pictures yet, and I just checked to see if any were on Reed's site.....for those not down there, check that out. Those last couple with the trees way down are sweet.

I'm currently in Mound City MO for the duration. RUC was already hinting at north with the precip track, so I just stopped here. That and if I remember right, the interstate becomes a lot hillier between here and St Joe anyway, and I'd rather have flat ground to tool around on. Looking at the radar loop now I feel a bit too far north, but I like the sfc temps here. They'd have to warm a ways to clear 32.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

New MD out, that area of precip is expanding and racing North much quicker than any of the Models had picked up on, per RUC analysis I'd think some offices would consider replacing the winter storm warnings currently North of the Ice Warnings with ice storm warnings.

 

[Chris C Sanner]

Over 500,000 customers without power as of this evening in Oklahoma...OG&E is calling this their worst disaster ever in terms of sheer numbers. So far here around campus I haven't even so much as have had a power bump, so I'm definitely one of the lucky ones. I got some video (posted earlier) but it really doesn't do how extensive the damage is in some of the streets in residential Norman. Some were simply impassible due to trees being down. This place will for sure not look the same after this is done. Reed's pictures really show how it looks everywhere in Norman. It sounded like a war zone at times because of the cracks and pops of the trees falling.

 

[Ben Prusia]

It is now starting to rain here in the SW side of the KC Metro Area in Gardner, excellent job EAX for pinpointing the start time of advisory at 6PM.

 

[Angie Norris]

I rather agree that it is not a wise decision to go ahead with finals in the morning...but then I would rather not be standing at the bus stop in subfreezing temps at 7 in the morning (yep, one of the lucky souls with an 8am final), and walking around on icy sidewalks at school.Just got phone and cable back on in south Norman, was one of the lucky few to not lose power...yet. One of my friends came over to get cleaned up before work. She lives on West Robinson where they have been without power since 4am, which was about the time a tree fell on their house. She was the one who told me how bad the damage is arond Norman. We've lost many trees around my neighborhood, and a few neighbors now have their cars under what's left of some of the downed trees. War zone pretty much sums it up. The tree damage is incredible and heart breaking. There are very few trees intact around my apartment complex, and I've heard rumors that the campus is trashed.

 

[BrianBaker]

Yes the OU campus does not look good at all. A friend and I walked around about 4:30 and she took pictures. We heard limbs continuing to fall on campus. Many of the buildings on main campus have doors that are blocked by fallen limbs or trees. It really is a sad scene. Can't believe they are having finals in the morning after seeing this.

 

[Andrew Ryan]

Campus is totally trashed right now. It's actually on the dangerous side to be walking around. I will post pictures soon...

 

[Jordan Hartley]

Precip began falling here in Wichita at 145pm this afternoon and hasnt stopped since. We already have about 1/4 of an inch of ice accum on tress and vegetation. We have had numerous lightning flashes since it got dark and 4 louds claps of thunder which is always spoky to me during ice storms Not looking forward to driving to work tommorow or listening to shotguns going off(Branches snapping) all night. This is the only type of weather that I dislike and infact h8. Hope everyone stays safe and off the roads.

 

[Jon Person]

I just saw the videos of the damage, all those trees and power lines down is so awful! I hope everyone gets their power back quickly, and that your cars and houses are okay!

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

I wonder if this band in central to ne KS will want to stall anywhere, or just keep on moving by. If it stalls like that, someone is toast. It's somewhere between 24 and 27 here. Will be interesting to see how much if any sleet is in this. That MD is scary. .75 to 1.00 inch by 11pm....

It's really not advancing north as quicky as I was thinking it was going to. But, perhaps the low level jet will give it a nudge as it ramps up yet. Amazing what the 18z gfs puts through here tomorrow during the day, over 1 inch then. I can only imagine what would happen if it came out less sheared out Wednesday morning, like was indicated on one run of the GFS, where it gave another heavy shot of precip through KS in the early hours of Wednesday. That jet streak on the satellite loop earlier down the back side of the thing looked intense.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

It's pouring here - and the pavement just looks wet, but it's deceiving. My brakes locked up coming down the hill by my house and I slid about ten feet ... and it just started falling. Car thermometer was reading 31 degrees. Have a feeling this is going to be a long night -

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

A fair amount of sleet is already being reported from this. Wonder why none of the sfc obs state sleet.

Nevermind, all the new ones are freezing rain.

http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KTOP/nwus53.chunk.html

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/mesoanalysis/s7/850mb.gif

That is some sick moisture for this time of year. Getting way above freezing at that level. Still only 40 knots.

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/model/ruc09hr_850_wnd.gif
21z ruc saying 50-60 by midnight. This area ought to be lit up like mad by then. I should stop jinxing things.

Edit: Oh and you were right about channel 4 Mike, lol. I got here, turned the tv on and was sort of listening. I was soon like, why am I even here, this dude is soooo down playing things. Then I remembered your post about that station.

 

[Mikel Shively]

Have a feeling this is going to be a long night -

Im currently at my home near Lancaster, near the IA/MO border. I start my 0100-0900 shift in the 911 Dispatch center in a few hours... When looking at the radar loop and combine that with our sfc temp of 22 degrees...It may be a long night for me as well

 

[Maggie Kahman]

The freezing rain has begun here, and ice is already beginning to accumulate (on our back porch, anyway). I just got an alert from my WeatherBug saying that we are in a winter storm warning:

Look For A Steady Freezing Rain Across The Area Through Midnight Tonight... Before Some Sleet And Snow Mixes In. Ice Accumulations Will Be Quick... And Substantial In Some Areas. Ice Accumulations From One Quarter To One Half Inch Are Likely By Dawn Tuesday. Such Ice Accumulations Will Cause Nearly Impossible Travel... And May Lead To Power Outages.

AND THEN, on top of that, when the rain finally changes over to snow, we could see about 3 inches.

 

[Rich Thompson]

Better late than never...

Here are a few images from around Norman. I didn't have any power until this evening, hence the delayed post:

http://www.chasetolive.com/gallery2/v/2007+Chases/10December2007/

Rich T.