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Severe Weather Disrupts Oklahoma Schools and Spurs Tornado Warnings
Amid potential severe weather conditions, multiple school districts in Oklahoma have announced delayed starts or cancelled classes for Monday, as reported by News 9. The measure has been taken in anticipation of dangerous weather, including the possibility of tornadoes on November 18, 2024.
School districts such as Bethany Public Schools, Moore Public Schools, Mid-Del Public Schools, Yukon Public Schools, Norman Public Schools, and Millwood Public Schools have decided to cancel classes. Meanwhile, Piedmont Public Schools and Newcastle Public Schools have delayed their start times, with the latter starting at 11 a.m. for most students.
Other districts including Oklahoma City Public Schools and Edmond Public Schools have opted for a virtual learning day. Western Heights Public Schools has also delayed class start times by two hours.
In a communication to families, Newcastle Public Schools emphasized the decision was made due to «severe weather with the possibilities of tornadoes anticipated for tomorrow morning.» Union City Schools echoed similar safety concerns, planning a late start, with buses scheduled to run at 9:30 a.m.
The National Weather Service (NWS) had already issued tornado warnings across Western Oklahoma, which were effective until early Monday morning. Observations of thunderstorms capable of causing tornadoes have been reported. The NWS has advised residents in the affected areas to «take cover now» and to move to safe shelters.
Severe weather advisories were in place for counties including Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, McClain, and Oklahoma, among others. Potential threats included «golf ball» sized hail and localized flash flooding, adding further concern for residents and officials.
Dan Kottlowski, a Senior Meteorologist at AccuWeather, explained the risky conditions are due to dry air from the Mexican Plateau mixing with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, fostering the development of thunderstorms, a precursor to tornadoes.
This weather pattern is typical of ‘Tornado Alley‘, where the unique mix of air masses contributes to regular severe weather events in Oklahoma. Earlier this month, Oklahoma City experienced significant damage due to similar storms, which left thousands of residents without power and required Red Cross assistance for displaced individuals.