Thought I had seen it all - Lake Effect Snow in Oklahoma

[arizonasooner]

From tonight's NWS Tulsa forecast discussion:

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
934 PM CST THU FEB 15 2007

.UPDATE...

.DISCUSSION...
A VERY INTERESTING PHENOMENON HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. AS SKIES HAVE CLEARED... SNOW FLURRIES HAVE CONTINUED AT MANY LOCATIONS. A CLOSE INSPECTION OF RADAR... IR SATELLITE... AND 3.9U SATELLITE LOOPS... REVEAL NUMEROUS SMALL AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT CLOUDS AND SNOW STREAMING DOWNWIND FROM MANY BODIES OF WATER.

WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES OVERALL... TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO FALL RAPIDLY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS... INCREASING THE AIR-WATER DIFFERENTIAL. AS LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS... LOCALIZED AREAS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL LIKELY CONTINUE. THERE COULD ACTUALLY BE SNOW ACCUMULATION IN VERY NARROW AREAS SOUTHEAST OF LAKES AND EVEN SOME NW-SE STRETCHES OF RIVERS. THIS CONDITION WILL END TOWARD MORNING AS WINDS BEGIN TO SHIFT TO THE WEST AND THEN SOUTHWEST.

[senorpepr]

LOL... that's micrometeorology at its best!

[jasons2k]

Thanks for the post - THAT is something that's very interesting.

Another phenomenon I have seen before is upsloping snow on the Texas Caprock. Sometimes (rarely) with a moist flow from the E or NE, upsloping snow will form in a narrow band paralleling the escarpment. We had a couple of events like this when I lived in Lubbock.

[southerngale]

*looks for some GOM Effect Snow*

[Category 5]

Thats some strange stuff.

[Aslkahuna]

When I was at Dugway, we would get steam plume effect snow from the heating plant. Once it was strong enough to give us an inch of new snow-had a hard time explaining that to NWS when I called in our daily report but it did make the TV news that night.

Steve

[vbhoutex]

When I was at Dugway, we would get steam plume effect snow from the heating plant. Once it was strong enough to give us an inch of new snow-had a hard time explaining that to NWS when I called in our daily report but it did make the TV news that night.

Steve

[Category 5]

Every once in a while a wondering band will come in from Erie, but it usually gets killed off by downsloping as it passes through central PA.

[Janie2006]

When I was at Dugway, we would get steam plume effect snow from the heating plant. Once it was strong enough to give us an inch of new snow-had a hard time explaining that to NWS when I called in our daily report but it did make the TV news that night.

Steve

Ahahahahahahahaha!!

I can see those guys right now:

"Yeah sure, Steve. Did you happen to see any UFOs while you were filing your report??"

[Category 5]

When I was at Dugway, we would get steam plume effect snow from the heating plant. Once it was strong enough to give us an inch of new snow-had a hard time explaining that to NWS when I called in our daily report but it did make the TV news that night.

Steve

Ahahahahahahahaha!!

I can see those guys right now:

"Yeah sure, Steve. Did you happen to see any UFOs while you were filing your report??"

LMAO!

I lost my gatorade

[tropicana]

i woulda liked to have seen that!

[Aslkahuna]

They were definitely skeptical which is why a 5 minute phone call took 20 minutes.

Steve

[wall_cloud]

When I was at Dugway, we would get steam plume effect snow from the heating plant. Once it was strong enough to give us an inch of new snow-had a hard time explaining that to NWS when I called in our daily report but it did make the TV news that night.

Steve

I've seen some light snow downwind of our local plant...but I've never seen it accumulate more than a dusting. Its quite possible though. Forecasting that is impossible...but the mets would probably be quite happy if you reported less than 1". In some locations (including here)...1" requires an advisory. Calls like yours really suck to a forecaster LOL

[tropicana]

LOL... that's micrometeorology at its best!

i love that word... MICROMETEOROLOGY.