Wildfire Potential thru the weekend

From the National Weather Sevice Forecast Office, Norman, OK.

CONCERN FOR WILDFIRES WILL PERSIST INTO THIS COMING WEEKEND. THE GREATEST WILDFIRE POTENTIAL WILL BE ON TUESDAY... THURSDAY.. AND SATURDAY AS WARM AND DRY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS BECOME GUSTY IN ADVANCEOF SEVERAL COLD FRONTS.

WEAK FRONT ACROSS NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA IS ALREADY WASHING OUT ASSOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW IS REDEVELOPING OVER THIS AREA. MORE SIGNIFICANT FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA TUESDAY MORNING AND MOVE THROUGH MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 00Z. TEMPERATURES WILL BE QUITE WARM IN MOST AREAS TUESDAY AND HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE QUITE LOW. WIND SPEEDS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR RED FLAG WARNING... BUT THE WARM AND DRY WEATHERWILL ELEVATE THE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. THE COLDER AIR BEHIND THEFRONT FILTERS IN TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES MODERATE SOMEWHAT FOR THURSDAY BEFORE THE NEXT FRONT MOVES THROUGHON THURSDAY/THURSDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE IS LACKING ON BOTH SYSTEMSAND FORECAST REMAINS DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT FRONT MOVESTHROUGH SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE FRONT GOES THROUGHDRY... THE FRONT HANGS UP JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST WHILE A UPPERTROUGH DEVELOPS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES AND MOVES TOWARD THEPLAINS EARLY NEXT WEEK. SO HAVE INCLUDED SOME POPS FOR THE NEW DAY7 PERIOD /SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY/. ALTHOUGH THE AIRMASS IS NOTEXTREMELY COLD... SHOULD BE COOL ENOUGH TO INCLUDE THE MENTION OFSNOW OR MIX IN THE NORTH SUNDAY NIGHT.

Board Meeting

This post is a reminder of the upcoming board meeting scheduled
for January 22, 2009.

All board members are encouraged to attend.

Steve

Wall Cloud near Mangum

Just clik on the article name to go to the video.

This is a link to a youtube video. The video was taken near Mangum
on May 26, 2008. The video is a timelapse video.

Please help us, help the citizens by informing them of their 72 hour kits.
During the last event, people were actually calling wanting to know where
they could pick theirs up.

Be informed. Be Prepared.

Steve

Extreme Fire Conditions

OKZ004-009-010-014-021-033>037-TXZ083>089-080000-/O.CON.KOUN.FW.W.0036.000000T0000Z-081208T0000Z/HARPER-ELLIS-WOODWARD-ROGER MILLS-BECKHAM-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-
1252 PM CST SUN DEC 7 2008...
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THISAFTERNOON...

TEMPERATURES HAVE CLIMBED INTO THE LOWER TO MID 60S EARLY SUNDAYAFTERNOON WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ALREADY BELOW 20 PERCENTIN MANY AREAS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA.HUMIDITY VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH THE MID AFTERNOONHOURS AND SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WILL CONTINUE.THESE CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNSACROSS THE AREA. CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED TO PREVENT THE STARTOR SPREAD OF WILD FIRES DUE TO THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS.A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONSARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OFSTRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILLCREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

Tulsa Chapter prepares for Winter Storms

The Tulsa Area Chapter American Red Cross unveiled its new EmergencyOperations Center on Tuesday at its headquarters near 11th Street andMingo Road.Unlike the old EOC, which had fewer resources for volunteers duringemergencies such as last December's ice storm, the new EOC has 19individual work stations equipped with computers and telephones to managevarious necessities for shelters and volunteers in the 18-county area theTulsa chapter serves, said Brian Jensen, director of emergency services.Jensen said it was especially important to the Red Cross to have the newEOC ready in time for the anniversary of last year's ice storm."It is going to help the Red Cross take care of people as we've never beenable to before," he said In addition to the new EOC, Jensen also announcedthe future goals of the Tulsa Red Cross, including more shelters, more"ready when the time comes" trained volunteer teams and more local trainedvolunteer supervisors.

Christmas Parade

The SWOARC will have a float in the Christmas Parade this year. The Parade is scheduled for Sunday December 7th and starts at 3 PM. Line up will start at 1 PM. Anyone wishing to help or volunteer with the float is asked to contact the Chapter Office at 482-5303. My understanding is that Lyn has written a story, and Shirley M is going to read it to the kids on the float.

Please help us make this a safe and joyful holiday season. Merry Christmas.

What do you think ???

Please let me know what you think of this blog. Should we keep it or what.

Most articles update automatically, the blog space will only update as new blogs or comments are made.

If you are interested in keeping this blog spot, and posting info to the blog for eveyone to read
you will need a gmail account. sign up for your free gmail account at http://www.mail.google.com/ then
send me and email with your gmail address and I will set you up to be able to post.

My email address is s.grayson@sbcglobal.net so please let me know what you think.

Thanks
Steve

Board Meeting

The Board of Directors of the Southwest Oklahoma Chapter ARC will meet at noon Thursday, November 20, 2008 at the Chapter Office located at 905 N. Willard, Altus, OK

Welcome Rosalyn Hall

We would like to welcome Mrs Rosalyn Hall as the new Chapter Executive Director.

Mrs Hall began her duties as the Executive Director on Monday, November 3, 2008.

Please come by the Chapter Office or call and offer your support and assistance !!!

Thank You !!!

Thanks to John, Shirley, and Beverly for all your work while the Chapter was without an Executive Director following the retirement of Shirley Corrigan.

Your dedication to the Red Cross and this Chapter are very much appreciated.

Thank you for going above and beyond to keep this Chapter running, and to help the
Board with the selection and training of a new Executive Director.