MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 2077
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   0436 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015

   AREAS AFFECTED...PORTIONS OF THE TX AND OK PANHANDLES AND
   VICINITY...FAR WRN OK...NERN/E-CNTRL NM

   CONCERNING...BLIZZARD 

   VALID 271036Z - 271630Z

   SUMMARY...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME ESTABLISHED ACROSS PARTS
   OF THE SRN HIGH PLAINS AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING. THIS
   INCLUDES THE COMBINATION OF LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS COMBINING
   WITH HEAVY SNOW TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.

   DISCUSSION...RADAR MOSAIC AND WATER VAPOR LOOPS IMPLY CONVECTIVELY
   ENHANCED PRECIPITATION COILING AROUND THE NRN SEMICIRCLE OF A DEEP
   CYCLONE. THIS IS EFFECTIVELY FORMING A COMMA-HEAD STRUCTURE
   ATTENDANT TO THE CYCLONE WHOSE CENTER IS APPROACHING THE TX
   TRANS-PECOS REGION. DEEP SUBFREEZING AIR IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE
   DISCUSSION AREA. THUS...GIVEN THE EWD TRAJECTORY OF THE CYCLONE THIS
   MORNING...PERSISTENT HEAVY SNOW WILL EXTEND FROM PARTS OF
   E-CNTRL/NERN NM EWD ACROSS THE TX/OK PANHANDLES INTO FAR WRN OK THIS
   MORNING -- WITHIN THE DEFORMATION ZONE OF THE CYCLONE. SNOWFALL
   RATES OF 1.0 TO LOCALLY 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE LIKELY AS
   ASCENDING BRANCHES OF FRONTOGENETIC CIRCULATIONS INTERSECT
   NEAR-SATURATED DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONES...WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR
   CONVECTIVELY ENHANCED SNOWFALL RATES.

   FURTHERMORE...SFC ANALYSES REVEAL A TIGHT SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER
   THE AREA...WHICH IS FORECAST TO PERSIST IN COMBINATION WITH THE
   HEAVY SNOW THROUGH THE MORNING TO SUPPORT VERY STRONG WINDS. SFC
   OBSERVATIONS INDICATE NLY TO NNELY SFC WINDS AROUND 25-30 KT WITH
   WIND GUSTS OF 45-50 KT COMMON -- LOCALLY STRONGER. ZERO
   VISIBILITY/WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND DAMAGE MAY RESULT FROM THESE
   WINDS. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE
   MORNING HOURS.

   IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A MID-LEVEL DRY SLOT MAY BEGIN IMPINGING ON THE
   PRECIPITATION SHIELD ACROSS PARTS OF W TX IN THE DISCUSSION AREA
   THROUGH THE MORNING -- LESSENING SNOWFALL RATES ACROSS THE TX
   PANHANDLE DURING THE MORNING HOURS. HOWEVER...MOISTURE WRAPPING
   AROUND THE NWRN SEMICIRCLE OF THE MIGRATORY DEEP CYCLONE WILL LIKELY
   SUPPORT AREAS OF AT LEAST LIGHT SNOW THROUGH THE MORNING AS STRONG
   WINDS CONTINUE.

   ..COHEN.. 12/27/2015


   ATTN...WFO...OUN...LUB...AMA...ABQ...

   LAT...LON   35789966 35560018 35070154 34110305 33940412 34270471
               34980498 35740467 36560321 36850128 36769974 36549943
               36099944 35789966