Winter Weather To Impact Oklahoma This Week

This is a round-up of Oklahoma news stories for February 10, 2025

Author

Ryan Welton
February 10, 2025

E-A-G-L-E-S! Congrats to former Oklahoma Sooners QB Jalen Hurts for winning MVP of Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.

If you went to bed early, you didn’t miss much. It was all Philly, up 40-6 in the fourth quarter en route to a 40-22 Super Bowl championship over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are the big stories happening in Oklahoma:

• Winter precipitation could be a headache for Oklahoma through Wednesday.

• OSU names its interim university president.

• Oklahoma eyes a FEMA reform proposal.

• Oklahoma aims to privatize prison food service.

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Winter Weather Briefing 🥶

Wintry precipitation is going to impact Oklahoma this week.

What is this impact? We’re talking freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Mostly the first two.

The National Weather Service Area Forecast Discussion is a terrific weather resource. Yes, there will be terms in there that you and I won’t understand. But most of it is digestible, and it’s coming from the source.

Winter Weather Resources:

• Tulsa snow routes

Let’s talk about Monday. Here’s what the National Weather Service says as of Sunday evening:

As early as Monday morning, weak isentropic rain showers along the stationary boundary in north Texas will develop and move southwest to northeast across much of western north Texas and into south central and central Oklahoma. Throughout the morning hours, these rain chances may fill in northward as temperatures subsequently rise. There is a slight chance for snow flurries transitioning to rain Monday morning as temperatures warm, mainly across areas north of the I-40 corridor. However, no impacts are expected. Soundings indicate a weak presence of instability throughout the day Monday and into the Monday night with elevated CAPE values in excess of 300 J/kg. Therefore weak convective rain showers cannot be ruled out. The forcing for ascent aloft remains weak with a shallow moisture column up to ~850mb, thus weak accumulations of rainfall up to a quarter inch are expected with the highest amounts kept along and south of the I-40 corridor and east of the I-35 corridor across central and south central Oklahoma.

Monday evening winds will turn back out of the north and cold air will advect below freezing temperatures southward across Oklahoma. Overall, the best chances for precipitation will be Monday night into Tuesday morning. There has been a southward shift of chances for precipitation with the highest chances across western north Texas and into south-central and central Oklahoma. Thanks to warm air advection, a bulk of this event will remain in the form of light to moderate rain with totals generally around half an inch to upwards of one inch, especially across south central Oklahoma. Total rainfall amounts will taper as you go west and north. The biggest uncertainty Tuesday morning will be how quickly the cold air advection moves in from the north, which will play a key role in precipitation types across northwestern Oklahoma. However, anything that does transition to wintry precipitation will likely remain light with at best a dusting of snow and/or a glaze of ice leading to minor roadway impacts.

Interpretation: Rain on Monday, although there could be some snow flurries that turn into rain. “However, no impacts are expected.”

🌡️ Monday high in OKC 42°
🌡️ Monday high in Tulsa 45°

News 9 Chief Meteorologist David Payne seems to be saying Wednesday is the day to watch:

🗞️ Big Story: Oklahoma State University Names Jim Hess Interim President

Jim Hess was selected by the OSU A&M Board of Regents at a special board meeting Friday in Stillwater. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

By Emma Murphy - Oklahoma Voice
Even as they tapped a veteran educator to temporarily lead the state’s second largest university, officials remained tight-lipped Friday about what led to the abrupt departure of the school’s first female president and how they’ll select her replacement.

While the Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents unanimously voted to appoint Jim Hess as OSU’s interim president, they refused to publicly discuss next steps for selecting the permanent successor for Dr. Kayse Shrum, who resigned Monday.

More Coverage from The O’Colly:

Oklahoma Eyes FEMA Reform Proposal

Power crews work on a building that was destroyed by a weekend tornado near downtown Sulphur on April 29, 2024. A swath of downtown was damaged by a tornado. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)

By Barbara Hoberock - Oklahoma Voice
Reforming federal disaster response operations could benefit Oklahoma and ensure more money goes directly to those who need it, a state official said.  

President Donald Trump has called for eliminating or reforming the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is  in charge of administering federal disaster aid and giving the funds directly to states.

Oklahoma, which is in Tornado Alley, ranks high among the states with the most disasters, according to several reports.

Since 2020, FEMA has paid Oklahoma victims about $447 million, said Keli Cain, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

The state has had eight federally declared disasters since 2020, she said.

Oklahoma Looks To Privatize Prison Food Service

Prisoners work in the kitchen of the Joseph Harp Correctional Facility on Oct. 10, 2024. (Brent Fuchs/Oklahoma Watch)

By Keaton Ross - Oklahoma Watch
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is planning a similar transition from in-house to privatized food service. A pending request for proposal, set to close on Feb. 21, seeks a food service provider capable of feeding nearly 20,000 state prisoners daily. The agency plans to have the outside food vendor assume food service operations by late summer. 

Corrections officials have pitched food service privatization as a solution to reduce waste and increase food quality, arguing that larger companies have proven their ability to serve better meals at a lower price. Critics question companies’ profit motive and point to examples of states where privatization went poorly, including West Virginia, Michigan and Missouri. 

Rising food costs and inefficiencies across facilities have plagued the agency for years. A 2022 report from the Office of Fiscal Transparency found that food costs varied by more than 40% across prisons despite all facilities utilizing a master menu. Ashlee Clemons, the agency’s chief financial officer, told lawmakers its food costs have increased 30% since 2020. 

Oklahoma Headlines

• Oklahoma eyes FEMA reform proposal (Oklahoma Voice)

• Mustang argument turned into deadly shooting (KOCO)

• 3rd death confirmed in Oklahoma City house fire (KOCO)

• State lawmaker wants new requirements to run for state superintendent (KFOR)

• DA to charge Okla. County Jail detainees with murder (Okla. City Free Press)

• 2 killed in ambush shooting at Tulsa apartment complex (News On 6)

• Police look for suspect in road rage shooting in Mannford (News On 6)

• Tulsa program teaching Black history gets big boost from National Geographic (2 News Oklahoma)

• Bill limiting repeated temporary cabinet nominations vetoed by Chief Hill (Mvskoke Media)

• 33 file for nine open spots on Tribal Council (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Brent Douglas, voice of prank call comedy star Roy D. Mercer, died (Tulsa World, paywall)

• Why Oklahoma family helped finance Super Bowl ‘He Gets Us’ commercials (The Oklahoman, paywall)

• State’s film industry sees big growth since 2021 incentive (KTUL)

• Crash near Claremore kills man, 37 (KTUL)

• Listen to KGOU’s ‘Future of Education’ event (KGOU)

• OU Students for Justice in Palestine registers as student organization (OU Daily)

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