012 WWUS84 KOUN 191330 SPSOKC OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-192230- WINTER STORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 730 AM CST THU DEC 19 2002 ...WINTER STORM WITH HEAVY SNOW MAY BE HEADED FOR SOUTHERN PLAINS MONDAY INTO CHRISTMAS EVE... A STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO INTENSIFY OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN STATES OVER THE WEEKEND...AND COULD RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM OVER PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AS IT MOVES EASTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK. AT THIS TIME...COMPUTER FORECAST MODELS ARE INDICATING THE POSSIBILITY OF SNOW SPREADING EASTWARD FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS OF WESTERN TEXAS ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN...CENTRAL...AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA DURING THE DAY MONDAY. SNOW COULD CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY... CHRISTMAS EVE...AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. THE FORECAST WEATHER PATTERN IS ONE THAT POTENTIALLY COULD PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW OVER PARTS OF OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS. THE STORM SYSTEM THAT IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE NEXT MONDAY IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER THE CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN AND IS AT LEAST FOUR DAYS AWAY FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SO...THERE ARE STILL MANY UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING THE PRECISE SPEED AND TRACK OF THE SYSTEM...AND WHETHER OR NOT CONDITIONS WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW. THEREFORE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT THE PRESENT TIME TO PREDICT SPECIFIC SNOWFALL AMOUNTS...OR THE PRECISE LOCATIONS THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO RECEIVE HEAVY SNOW. IN FACT...IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COLD AIR...THE STORM WOULD PRODUCE ONLY RAIN AND NO SNOW. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS WEATHER SYSTEM...IF IT IS GOING TO PRODUCE ANY SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER IN OKLAHOMA OR NORTH TEXAS...WOULD MOST LIKELY PRODUCE SNOW RATHER THAN ICE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE CURRENTLY MANY UNKNOWNS...IT APPEARS AT THIS TIME THAT THERE IS A REASONABLY GOOD CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER SOMEWHERE IN THE OKLAHOMA AND OR NORTH TEXAS AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK. IF YOU HAVE PLANS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY TRAVEL PLANS... YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND FORECASTS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AS ADDITIONAL FORECAST INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE...THE EFFECTS OF THIS STORM SYSTEM ON THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL BECOME MORE CLEAR IN THE COMING DAYS. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEW INFORMATION COMES IN AND AS THE SITUATION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES. $$ 24