THE ARCTIC IS SINKING SOUTH — At least five inches of snow blanketed the Tulsa area on Sunday, accumulations the National Weather Service (NWS) have confirmed as record-breaking.
Forecasters had initially predicted 1-3 inches of snow for the Tulsa area, but on Sunday evening NWS Tulsa tweeted that 5+ inches had settled near the Tulsa International Airport, writing that this was “the heaviest snowfall in the past the past 7 years” (however, they only refer to the 4.2 inches from Dec. 6, 2013–the last time 5 inches was surpassed would have been even longer ago).
The service also confirmed that Sunday’s totals broke the city’s all-time daily snowfall record for Dec. 13 –the 4.8 inches from 2000– in record books dating all the way back to 1900.
The record snowfall resulted in travel disruptions across the region, including Highway 75 just south of Tulsa:
Temperatures in Tulsa were predicted to tumble as low as 15F (-9.5C) overnight Sunday: “Snow melt could refreeze overnight creating slick roadways, especially untreated bridges and overpasses for the Monday morning commute,” NWS Tulsa said in an update.
Looking ahead, another system looks set to reach Tulsa by Tuesday.
The NWS points out that the now entrenched cold will make it easier for additional snow to accumulate. According to the latest forecasts, by Tuesday afternoon another 2 inches will have hit the area–but given the NWS’s track record, perhaps a doubling of that figure is in order.
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