Cold Start To New Year's Eve

Brutal cold has settled over Green Country for the final day of 2017, and believe it or not, it still gets colder from here!

Some very light, spotty wintry precipitation will remain possible through the mid-morning hours; however, the frigid Arctic air remains the much bigger story with wind chill values below zero this morning!

We should see some sunshine return this afternoon, but it won’t help temperatures much at all. Expect New Year’s Eve afternoon highs to remain in the teens in most locations, with wind chills still in the low single digits or below zero even into the afternoon!

If you’re making plans to ring in 2018 tonight, I’d plan to do so inside! A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect tonight into New Year’s Day morning, meaning wind chill values of -10 to -15 or even colder are likely! Wind chills could go as -20 along the Oklahoma-Kansas state line. That is dangerous cold that can lead to frostbite if your skin is exposed to it for too long. Take this kind of cold seriously and just stay inside tonight!

Our actual temperature by New Year’s morning will drop to near zero, making for one of our coldest New Year’s on record! Once again we’ll struggle to warm up at all on New Year’s Day with afternoon highs again in the teens and afternoon wind chills still near zero into the single digits.

This is some bone-chilling, pipe-bursting type cold for the holiday weekend, so please be properly prepared! Make sure your loved ones that don’t have access to warm places are taken care of, and make sure to keep those furry friends inside as well!

The deep freeze continues into Tuesday as lows dip back into the single digits. Increasing clouds on Tuesday could spit out a few light snow flurries, with afternoon highs only in the 20s.

Our streak of days below freezing should come to a brief end on Wednesday, as the Arctic airmass recedes just a bit allowing our highs to climb into the mid 30s. Another brief cold front will sweep in late Wednesday, pushing our highs back below freezing on Thursday. We should see a more significant thawing out by next weekend.

Stay warm, Green Country! I hope you have a happy, safe, (and warm) New Year!