Tulsa Winter Weather Measures Up

With three wintry blasts just this month, it may seem like eastern Oklahoma is getting more than its fair share of ice and snow. But is this year truly much worse than years past? <br/><br/>News on 6

Wednesday, January 31st 2007, 5:07 pm

By: News On 6

With three wintry blasts just this month, it may seem like eastern Oklahoma is getting more than its fair share of ice and snow. But is this year truly much worse than years past?

News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims consulted an expert to find out.

It may be hard to believe with all of this snow on the ground, but experts say this winter is actually warmer than normal. Jack Frost made an early appearance in eastern Oklahoma and left a lasting impression.

The November storm was one for the record books, blanketing most of northeastern Oklahoma in winter white. About six weeks later winter weather struck again, this time in the form of ice. In Tulsa, the ice and sleet meant dangerous roads that kept students out of school for a week. In other area towns, freezing rain weighed down trees, snapped power lines, and left thousands in the dark; some without water. And now, the snow is falling, again.

This winter is definitely taking its toll. But by the numbers, it's closer to normal than extraordinary. "Reflect for a moment, what was December like? Do you remember? It was a very warm December. Temperatures average three degrees above normal," said News on 6 Meteorologist Dick Faurot.

He says it's not just warmer than usual, it really hasn't snowed that much. Eastern Oklahoma averages about 8 1/2 inches of snow; we've only had a little over 13, if you don't include Wednesday's snow. The record is 25 Â½ inches in the winter of 1923-1924. And the winter of 2002-2003 runs a close second, 20 inches of snow.

Dick Faurot says that year was marked by bitterly cold temperatures and it was another time when eastern Oklahoma seemed to get blasted with round after round of ice and snow. "Are we getting more snows? Are we getting less snows? Are we getting colder? Are we getting warmer? If you put everything in a really long range historical perspective, it's pretty flat."

But it's only January and winter is far from over. "So it could be interesting. We're within a foot or so of approaching a record snowfall total. We get one more really heavy snowfall, we'll see. I'm not going out on that limb."

Dick Faurot did mention that historically we get our heaviest snowfall in March. So bundle up, it could get worse.