Potential Winter Storm Late Next Week????

Oklahoma could be impacted by a potential winter storm late next week, according to multiple long-range forecast models. Guidance from both global models and ensemble data continues to signal a developing system that may move through the Southern Plains during the January 24th–26th timeframe.

At this time, model consensus suggests a broad swath of wintry precipitation across parts of Oklahoma, with the exact impacts still highly uncertain. Current guidance shows the potential for a mix of precipitation types, including rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow, depending on how the system evolves and how surface temperatures set up.

As we all know here in Oklahoma, winter weather forecasts can change quickly. A small shift in the track of the low-pressure system or just a few degrees difference in temperatures could significantly change impacts, including whether we see mostly rain, an ice setup, accumulating snow, or little impact at all.

It’s important to emphasize that this is still several days out, and while confidence is increasing that a system will be present, confidence in exact impacts is not. This setup is being driven by a combination of upper-level energy, surface low development, and cold air placement, all of which will need to come together just right.

At this point, models are trending toward a more active scenario, but Oklahoma’s reputation for “weather mood swings” holds true — this system may still weaken, shift east or west, or arrive warmer or colder than currently projected.

ONWN will continue to monitor:

• Model consistency

• Temperature trends

• Storm track changes

• Potential impacts by region

⚠️ Bottom line:
This is not a lock, but it is worth watching closely. If current model trends continue, portions of Oklahoma could see winter weather impacts late next week. Now is the time to stay weather-aware, not alarmed.

We’ll bring you updates as confidence increases.