Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, December 23 to 24, 1997

Name: Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, December 23 to 24, 1997
Start: 1997-12-23T23:00
End: 1997-12-24T06:00
Location: Oklahoma

December 23 to 24, 1997 · NWS OUN · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

Rain began changing from rain to snow over western Oklahoma during the evening of December 23rd. The wet, heavy snow continued through the night and ended before sunrise on Christmas Eve.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

Rain began changing from rain to snow over western Oklahoma during the evening of December 23rd. The wet, heavy snow continued through the night and ended before sunrise on Christmas Eve. Portions of western Oklahoma west of an Enid-Chickasha line were blanketed with 2 or more inches of snow. Lawton also reported an isolated snow accumulation of 2 inches. Within the heavy snow area, the heaviest snow fell in Harper County, where Laverne received 11 inches. A larger area of heavy snow (with amounts over 5 inches) extended from northern Roger Mills County to eastern Woodward County, with the following snow totals: Cedardale...8 inches, Arnett...7 inches, Mackie...7 inches, Reydon...6 inches, Mutual...6 inches, Freedom...5 inches, Fargo...5 inches.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Harper

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Harper forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.789, -99.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Alfalfa

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Alfalfa forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Beckham

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Beckham forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.269, -99.682 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Blaine

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.875, -98.433 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Caddo

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Caddo forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Comanche

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.662, -98.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Custer

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Custer forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Dewey

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Dewey forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.988, -99.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ellis

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Garfield

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.379, -97.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Grady

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Grady forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Grant

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Major

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Major forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.312, -98.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Roger Mills

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Roger Mills forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.688, -99.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Washita

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Washita forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woods

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Woods forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.767, -98.865 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woodward

When: December 23, 11:00 PM CST to December 24, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Woodward forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.423, -99.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, December 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5624060, 5624061, 5624062, 5624063, 5624064, 5624065, 5624066, 5624067, 5624068, 5624069, 5624070, 5624071, 5624072, 5624073, 5624074, 5624075, 5624076.