Updated 3:17 p.m.
Saturday afternoon the Norman forecast office of the National Weather Service extended the Winter Weather Advisory until 6 a.m. Sunday.
Sleet will likely continue Saturday afternoon, eventually changing over to freezing rain between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. as lows fall to the upper 20s. Little to no sleet accumulation is expected.
Sunday morning there's a possibility of freezing rain before 7 a.m., but that should change over to just rain as much warmer temperatures arrive. Highs will be around 43 degrees.
Updated 10:52 a.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a new Winter Weather Advisory until 6 p.m. Saturday for most of the state as more heavy snow fell across the region Saturday morning.
Road conditions remain slick and hazardous, and many streets contain a layer of ice under a dense snow pack.
Sometimes it seems the plows can make the road worse when they remove the snow and get down to more ice closer to pavement. Less traction.
— Rick Smith (@ounwcm) February 28, 2015
Updated Feb,. 27, 2015 3:06 p.m.
Another round of wintry weather has arrived in Oklahoma, but forecasters expect the snowfall to be over by the Friday afternoon commute.
The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a Winter Weather Advisory until 6 p.m. Friday for northwestern and southern Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma announced it would close at 3:30 p.m. Oklahoma City, Moore, Putnam City, and Norman Public Schools canceled all evening activities Friday and Saturday.
As activities and events are rescheduled due to today's winter storm, they will be listed on this web page. You... http://t.co/OGoGa3Qfze
— Norman Schools (@NormanSchools) February 27, 2015
State agencies in central Oklahoma reduced non-essential services at 2 p.m., and many other area businesses started to close Friday afternoon as road conditions deteriorated. The City of Oklahoma City has 29 trucks treating central Oklahoma's regional snow routes.
Salt is in good supply with approximately 69,000 tons in storage. Regional snow route maps are available at http://t.co/t96566CGyY. #okwx
— City of OKC (@cityofokc) February 27, 2015
Several travelers on Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Dallas reported significant delays, especially in Southern Oklahoma near the Red River.
H.E. Bailey/Chickasaw/Cimarron Tpks reported snow covered roadway. Slick and hazardous. Drive with caution.
— Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (@OKTurnpike) February 27, 2015
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is treating roads with salt and sand throughout the region. To check the current road conditions in Oklahoma, the Department of Public Safety has set up a hotline at (888) 425-2385.
Out-of-state road conditions:
- Arkansas: (800) 245-1672
- Colorado: (303) 639-1111
- Kansas: (866) 511-5368
- Missouri: (888) 275-6636
- New Mexico: (800) 432-4269
- Texas: (800) 452-9292
NWS Norman Forecast Office meteorologist Ryan Barnes say anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow are possible.
“Most locations should remain below two inches, although locally higher amounts will be possible, specifically along and south of the Red River,” Barnes says. “By Saturday morning, precipitation types will slowly start to change as the atmosphere begins to warm a bit.”
That will lead to freezing rain, snow and sleet across the southern half of the state.
“Those travelling during the day Saturday, especially along and north of [Interstate] 40, should be prepared to encounter slick roadways and reduced visibility due to falling snow.”
The rain and freezing rain will slowly shift northward Saturday night into early Sunday morning.
Forecasters continue to say predicting exactly what type of precipitation will fall late this weekend and early next week is challenging, because it all depends on just how warm the atmosphere is.
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