Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, January 8 to 9, 1997

Name: Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, January 8 to 9, 1997
Start: 1997-01-08T23:50
End: 1997-01-09T21:00
Location: Oklahoma

January 8 to 9, 1997 · NWS OUN · 50 events in 50 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 50 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 50

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.

Snow began to fall across most of Oklahoma Tuesday night (January 8) and fell through Wednesday evening. Around 4 inches of snow blanketed western Oklahoma with about 2 inches across central and southeastern portions of the state. An isolated area of heavy snow fell across Beckham County, where 7 and 8 inches were reported in Elk City and Sayre, respectively. A second band of heavy snow extended across the southeastern half of Oklahoma County from Tinker AFB to Luther, with a bullseye of 9.5 inches of snow reported in Choctaw. Interstate 40 through Oklahoma City was closed for a time due to heavy snow, treacherous driving conditions, and reduced visibilities. One fatality and numerous injury accidents were attributed to the heavy snow and poor driving conditions. The fatality occurred in Stephens County when a 25-year-old woman lost control of her car on an icy patch of road.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

50 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Harper

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Harper forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.789, -99.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woods

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Woods forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.767, -98.865 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Alfalfa

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Alfalfa forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Grant

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.796, -97.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kay

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kay forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.818, -97.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ellis

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woodward

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Woodward forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.423, -99.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Major

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Major forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.312, -98.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Garfield

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.379, -97.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Noble

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Noble forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.389, -97.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Roger Mills

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Roger Mills forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.688, -99.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Dewey

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dewey forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.988, -99.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Custer

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Custer forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Blaine

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.875, -98.433 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kingfisher

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kingfisher forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.945, -97.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Logan

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.919, -97.443 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Payne

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Payne forecast zone
Coordinates: 36.077, -96.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Beckham

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Beckham forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.269, -99.682 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Washita

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Washita forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Caddo

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Caddo forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Canadian

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Canadian forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.542, -97.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Oklahoma

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Oklahoma forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.552, -97.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Grady

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Grady forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McClain

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: McClain forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.009, -97.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cleveland

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Cleveland forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.203, -97.326 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Pottawatomie

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pottawatomie forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.207, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Seminole

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Seminole forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.168, -96.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hughes

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hughes forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.048, -96.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Harmon

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Harmon forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.744, -99.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Greer

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Greer forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.936, -99.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kiowa

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kiowa forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.916, -98.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jackson

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.588, -99.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tillman

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Tillman forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.373, -98.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Comanche

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.662, -98.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stephens

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Garvin

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Garvin forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.705, -97.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Murray

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Murray forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Pontotoc

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pontotoc forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.728, -96.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Coal

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Coal forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.588, -96.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cotton

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Cotton forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.290, -98.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.111, -97.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Carter

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Carter forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Johnston

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Johnston forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.317, -96.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Atoka

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Atoka forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.374, -96.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Pushmataha

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pushmataha forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.416, -95.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Love

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Love forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.950, -97.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marshall

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.025, -96.769 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Bryan

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Bryan forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.962, -96.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Choctaw

When: January 8, 11:50 PM CST to January 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Choctaw forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.027, -95.552 (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, January 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: 5595628, 5595629, 5595630, 5595631, 5595632, 5595633, 5595634, 5595635, 5595636, 5595637, 5595638, 5595639, 5595640, 5595641, 5595642, 5595643, 5595644, 5595645, 5595646, 5595647, 5595648, 5595649, 5595650, 5595651, 5595652, 5595653, 5595654, 5595655, 5595656, 5595657, 5595658, 5595659, 5595660, 5595661, 5595662, 5595663, 5595664, 5595665, 5595666, 5595667, and more.