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Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

The arctic front is currently moving across Kansas and Missouri with colder air oozing south for the remainder of the week. The pressure gradient along the fron...
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Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

The arctic front is currently moving across Kansas and Missouri with colder air oozing south for the remainder of the week.

The pressure gradient along the front has caused extremely windy conditions across our area this afternoon with numerous brush fires for the second day in a row.

Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

Winds have been frequently gusting over 30mph with occasional gusts over 45mph in NW Arkansas. Winds are expected to weaken some after sunset but remain in the 20-30mph range as the cold front nears.

And now for the ice…

Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect to our north and west. If you’re travelling in this area from Friday to Sunday be prepared for delays and slick and hazardous conditions on road surfaces.

Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

Power outages will be most common in Oklahoma. This is the location with the best chance of more than .25″ of ice accumulation which is usually the threshold (also dependent on winds) that bring down power lines.

Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

This is the highest chance for icing of .10″ of an inch and it does include some parts of Arkansas and SW Missouri. This is a very low chance for light icing potential which could create some slick spots on roads on Friday morning before everything changes over to all rain. The chance of widespread travel impacts in our area is low.

Garrett’s Blog: Who Gets The Ice Storm? Here’s Where Power Outages Are Most Likely

Latest model data this afternoon shows the highest ice accumulation chance in Oklahoma with additional chances for freezing rain in Missouri.

This blog post is intended for NW Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. If you’re reading this from out of state and this is where you call home; follow two of my colleagues:  James Aydelott in Tulsa or Kevin Lighty in Springfield for the latest weather forecasts more specific to that region.

-Garrett

 

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