Active Winter Weather Pattern Developing This Weekend

An active winter weather pattern is developing through this weekend into the beginning of next work week and possibly extending into the weekend of February 8-9.

Before we delve into the highly desired "snowfall amounts", let me say this. The synoptic (large-scale) weather pattern over the next eight or nine days favors a more typical pattern for this time of year - having several storm systems sweep by in a week's time isn't out of the ordinary. Understand that most storms that produce winter precipitation have some level of negative impact on traveling conditions and business and school operations. I do see POTENTIAL for one or two of these forecast storms to cause hazardous traveling conditions and school closures, but I can't definitively say at this time that these impacts are guaranteed. Onwards we go...

1st Round: Tonight through tomorrow morning. Low impact.

2nd Round: Saturday night through Sunday. Moderate-high impact.

3rd Round: Monday night through Tuesday. Moderate-high impact.

1st Round will mainly be a mixture of light snow/sleet/freezing rain for northern OK with rain mixing in across central and southeastern OK. Slick spots will likely develop on bridges, overpasses and even some highways - this will be most likely across northern Oklahoma.

2nd Round will be primarily snow spreading into western and northwestern OK Saturday night with the heaviest snow developing across south-central and eastern OK Sunday morning through the evening. This has the potential to disrupt traveling and result in school delays and cancellations the following Monday. The heaviest snow will be situated in a southwest to northeast orientated band with totals dropping off sharply on the north and south sides of the band. OKC-Norman, you're on the north side of that band, meaning a shift northward would result in higher snowfall amounts.

3rd Round may start off as a wintry mix Monday night, but will transition to all snow by the end of the event Tuesday evening. Like the 2nd Round, this 3rd Round will have the potential to produce disruptive amounts of snow across western, northern and central OK including the OKC metro area. Given that this storm is still parked way out over the Pacific, and the amount of fluctuation within the Models, I'm not confident in posting forecast snowfall amounts at this time. That being said, I will say that there's potential for hazardous road conditions and school closures.

It's a lot of information; try not to get bogged down so much in the details just yet!

Additional updates and supplementary information will be posted on my Twitter page.