Heavy Snow, Harper
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Harper forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.789, -99.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, February 6 to 7, 1997
Heavy snow fell over much of Oklahoma overnight from late Thursday February 6th through the morning of February 7th. Temperatures hovered at or just above freezing, however, and limited the amount of snow accumulation on the ground.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 22 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 22
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.
Heavy snow fell over much of Oklahoma overnight from late Thursday February 6th through the morning of February 7th. Temperatures hovered at or just above freezing, however, and limited the amount of snow accumulation on the ground. Only over the northwestern quarter of Oklahoma was the temperature cold enough, long enough for significant snow accumulation to occur. Areas generally north of I-40 and west of I-35 saw accumulations at and above 2 inches, with local bands of heavy snow across Beckham and Washita Counties and from Ellis into Woodward Counties. In the northern band from Arnett to Woodward, the heaviest snow fell in Woodward where 6 to 8 inches of snow fell. In the southern band from Sayre to Clinton, the heaviest snow fell in Clinton where 4 inches was reported.Numerous traffic accidents occurred and were blamed, at least in part, on icy road conditions. One three-car accident with injuries was reported in Woodward in Woodward County, and a one-car accident with injury occurred in Elk City in Beckham County.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
22 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Woods
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Woods forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.767, -98.865 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Alfalfa
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Alfalfa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Grant
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Grant forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Kay
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.818, -97.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Ellis
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Ellis forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Woodward
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Woodward forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.423, -99.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Major
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Major forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.312, -98.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Garfield
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Garfield forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.379, -97.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Noble
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Noble forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.389, -97.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Roger Mills
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Roger Mills forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.688, -99.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Dewey
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dewey forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.988, -99.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Custer
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Custer forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Blaine
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Blaine forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.875, -98.433 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Kingfisher
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kingfisher forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.945, -97.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Logan
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Logan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.919, -97.443 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Beckham
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Beckham forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.269, -99.682 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Washita
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Washita forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Caddo
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Caddo forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Canadian
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Canadian forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.542, -97.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Oklahoma
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Oklahoma forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.552, -97.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Grady
- When
- February 6, 11:00 PM CST to February 7, 9:00 AM CST
- Where
- Grady forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 35.017, -97.884 (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
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, February 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: 5594298, 5594299, 5594484, 5594485, 5594486, 5594487, 5594488, 5594489, 5594490, 5594491, 5594492, 5594493, 5594494, 5594495, 5594496, 5594497, 5594498, 5594499, 5594500, 5594501, 5594502, 5594503.