Aftermath of An Oklahoma Cold Snap

Travelers are stuck up and down the west coast after a barrage of winter weather shut down trains, planes, and even buses.

Tuesday, December 23rd 2008, 8:10 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Partly cloudy, cold conditions will linger on Wednesday, but Christmas Day will usher in some sunny, warmer weather.

Temperatures that are expected to climb into the 50s and 60s later this week will be a welcome change from the cloudy, subfreezing air that's hung over the state for days.

On Wednesday, freezing drizzle and freezing rain glazed roads and highways, froze and caused problems for those who work outdoors.

Numerous accidents were reported, particularly across southern Oklahoma, where travel was treacherous and deadly. A fatal accident in Jefferson County has been attributed to icy roads.

Problems arose when southerly winds brought moisture northward into cold air that's been parked over the state for days. Such a setup can result in ice storms, but there hasn't been enough moisture to produce heavy precipitation events.

Temperatures slowly climbed above freezing, but a reinforcing shot of cold air will keep them below average in many areas.