HomeLocalPonca PostWinter Storm Watch for the Ponca Post RegionWinter Storm Watch for the Ponca Post RegionTue, November 24, 2015 by Lyman JamesSHARE NOW From the National Weather Service…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.* TIMING: RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN CHANGING OVER TO FREEZING RAIN LATE THURSDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE OFF AND ON INTO SATURDAY MORNING.* MAIN IMPACT: ICE ACCUMULATIONS NEAR ONE-QUARTER INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA. SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS APPROACHING ONE-HALF INCH CURRENTLY APPEAR POSSIBLE OVER FAR WEST-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.* OTHER IMPACTS: ICE ACCUMULATIONS COMBINED WITH GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL INCREASE THE CHANCES FOR DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES WHICH COULD RESULT IN POWER INTERRUPTIONS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES MAY BECOME SLICK AND HAZARDOUS.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION…ESPECIALLY IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL. Also from The National Weather ServiceSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 222 PM CST TUE NOV 24 2015OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-252030- HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD- NOBLE-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE- BECKHAM-WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN- CLEVELAND-POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON- TILLMAN-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON- JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN- FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BUFFALO…ALVA…CHEROKEE…MEDFORD… PONCA CITY…ARNETT…WOODWARD…FAIRVIEW…ENID…PERRY… CHEYENNE…TALOGA…WEATHERFORD…CLINTON…WATONGA… KINGFISHER…GUTHRIE…STILLWATER…ELK CITY…SAYRE…CORDELL… ANADARKO…YUKON…EL RENO…MUSTANG…OKLAHOMA CITY…CHANDLER… CHICKASHA…PURCELL…NORMAN…MOORE…SHAWNEE…SEMINOLE… HOLDENVILLE…HOLLIS…MANGUM…HOBART…ALTUS…FREDERICK… LAWTON…DUNCAN…PAULS VALLEY…SULPHUR…ADA…COALGATE… WALTERS…WAURIKA…ARDMORE…TISHOMINGO…ATOKA…MARIETTA… MADILL…DURANT…QUANAH…CHILLICOTHE…CROWELL…VERNON… WICHITA FALLS…MUNDAY…KNOX CITY…SEYMOUR…ARCHER CITY… HOLLIDAY…LAKESIDE CITY…HENRIETTA 222 PM CST TUE NOV 24 2015…HEAVY RAINFALL…FREEZING RAIN…AND SLEET EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY…A STRONG STORM SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE REGION BEGINNING THANKSGIVING DAY. RAINFALL CHANCES WILL INCREASE BY MIDDAY THURSDAY ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA…AND THEN SPREAD OVER THE REST OF THE REGION BY THURSDAY EVENING. BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING…HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I44 CORRIDOR. SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA COULD RECEIVE OVER 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL BY SUNRISE FRIDAY MORNING. AT LEAST MODERATE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE SOUTH OF I40 FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND.IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL…FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA AS EARLY AS THURSDAY NIGHT. FREEZING RAIN CHANCES WILL THEN INCREASE LATE FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN…CENTRAL AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. IT UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME HOW MUCH ICE ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR. HOWEVER…SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTHWESTERN AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA COULD RECEIVE OVER ONE QUARTER INCH OF ICE TOTAL. HIGHER ICE AMOUNTS MAY ACCUMULATE ON TREES…POWERLINES…AND OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ANYWHERE ACROSS OKLAHOMA OR TEXAS THIS WEEKEND…BE SURE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS…WATCHES AND WARNINGS AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN.