Special Statement From National Weather Service

Inaugural Day at the Capitol could be a challenge: ...BITTERLY COLD IN OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS MUCH OF NEXT WEEK... A LARGE ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL BUILD OVER CANADA... AND THEN MOVE INTO OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THERE WILL BE A GRADUAL PROGRESSION FROM MILD AIR LATE THIS WEEK... TO COLD AIR THIS WEEKEND... TO FRIGID AIR EARLY NEXT WEEK. BITTER COLD WILL BE THE MOST WIDESPREAD AND LONGEST LASTING IMPACT OF THIS WEATHER EVENT... BUT THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF ICE AND SNOW.

ONE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL ARRIVE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT... AND MOVE OFF TO THE EAST ON SUNDAY... PRODUCING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW FROM OKLAHOMA CITY NORTHWARD AND WESTWARD...AND A CHANCE OF RAIN FARTHER SOUTH.

A COLDER AND MORE SIGNIFICANT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL FOLLOW CLOSELY BEHIND THE FIRST... ARRIVING SUNDAY NIGHT... AND DEPARTING TO THE EAST MONDAY EVENING. THIS TROUGH IS LIKELY TO PRODUCE ACCUMULATING SNOW OVER NEARLY ALL OF OKLAHOMA... AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. THE GREATEST SNOWFALL IS CURRENTLY FORECAST FOR ABOUT THE NORTHERN HALF OF OKLAHOMA. AT THE SAME TIME ON MONDAY... WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BECOME BRISK AND GUSTY... AS A LARGE AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE CENTER PUSHES THE COLDEST ARCTIC AIR TOWARD THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING OR DRIFTING SNOW... ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-40.

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