Oklahoma City Ice Storm 2010 – Turning Treacherous
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by M.L. Zupan in Feature, Local Weather
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA — CIDANews.com – The storm continues to ravage Oklahoma as the freezing rain turned to pelting ice in the early afternoon. Already more than 110,000 people are without power and the numbers are expected to get worse.
Sand and salt trucks have been out all day and are expected to work continuously throughout the night to keep up with the hazardous conditions. People are being cautioned to stay indoors unless they absolutely have to go out.
The worst is yet to come.
Due to warm temperatures yesterday (above 60°F) the ground retained much of its heat. Because of that, the cold air and the freezing rain that fell this morning did not accumulated as fast as expected in some areas of Oklahoma. However, by mid-afternoon the freezing rain turned to pelting ice and heavy sleet causing a thin layer of white to cover the wet roadways.
“It didn’t look that bad!”
Famous last words. Throughout the night icy rain and snow are expected to continue, causing even more treacherous driving conditions on top of already bad conditions. As the sleet and snow cover the water layer underneath – you can expect that moisture to be solid ice by morning. And tomorrow – the sleet will be turning to snow with up to 12″ of accumulation.
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma – just south of Oklahoma City – has issued a Severe Winter Storm Warning.
Accuweather.com has headlines that read: Wicked Storm in Progress; Dangerous Winter Storm Impacts South; and Major Winter Storm Hits Southern Plains.
NewsOK.com has information about major and minor accidents in the Oklahoma City area, power outages and airport updates.
We will be keeping you up-to-date on what is happening regarding this winter ice storm. If you have news, or a story to tell about how it has effected you – write us at: articles@cidanews.com – If you have a some unique video footage or some original photos throughout the storm – send us your photos and we will publish them in an “Oklahoma City Winter Ice Storm 2010″ photo gallery. Be sure to email us your name, where the photo was taken and approximate time of day so we can give you credit for the photography.
