Oklahoma, 2001

Winter Weather in Oklahoma, February 14 to 16, 2001

February 14 to 16, 2001 · NWS OUN · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

Periods of freezing rain fell across much of southern and southwest Oklahoma from late evening of the 14th through mid morning of the 16th, with many areas receiving one to two tenths of an inch of ice. Numerous accidents resulted, especially on bridges and overpasses, including a 30-car pileup near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Interstate 44 in Oklahoma County during the late evening of…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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
21

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.

Periods of freezing rain fell across much of southern and southwest Oklahoma from late evening of the 14th through mid morning of the 16th, with many areas receiving one to two tenths of an inch of ice. Numerous accidents resulted, especially on bridges and overpasses, including a 30-car pileup near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Interstate 44 in Oklahoma County during the late evening of the 14th, resulting in 2 fatalities. Numerous other accidents resulted in 3 additional fatalities across the area before the freezing rain ended.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 14, 3:00 PM CST, 6 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 14, 3:00 PM CST, 6 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
300 CST WED FEB 14 2001

VERY STRONG COLD FRONT CONT TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS AREA THIS AFTN.
MUCH OF THE PRECIP CONT TO BE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND THINK THIS
WILL CONT TO BE THE CASE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...HOWEVER THERE WILL
BE SOME PATCHY LIGHT DRIZZLE AND FREEZING DRIZZLE ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH TOMORROW. COULD MIX AT TIMES WITH SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW
ACROSS THE NORTH. THINK CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT ICE IS SLIM...BUT
CHANCE OF LIGHT ACTIVITY IS THERE SO WILL ISSUE SPS TO HIGHLIGHT
THIS FOR MAINLY TONIGHT. IF ETA IS RIGHT BRINGING NW OK UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OF RR QUAD OF EXITING JET STREAK LATE TONIGHT ALONG WITH
SOME LOW LEVEL WAA COULD BE SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT FZDZ ACROSS THAT
AREA FOR A TIME TONIGHT...BUT FOR NOW WILL LEAVE A LOWER POP GOING
AND LET THE SPS HANDLE IT FOR NOW. OTHERWISE...WILL GO WELL BELOW
GUIDANCE FOR SFC TEMPS AS ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT EVEN THE ETA SFC
PROG IS TOO WARM. HAVE UNDERCUT GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST
WITH RESPECT TO TEMPS AND POPS. BY TOMORROW MUCH OF THE PRECIP
SHOULD BE CONFINED TO EXTREME S/SE OK. WILL CLEAR THINGS OUT FOR
FRIDAY THRU MUCH OF THE WEEKEND BEFORE ANOTHER WEAK WAVE STREAKS OUT
OF THE NW LATE SUNDAY OR MONDAY.

IN EXTENDED...BECAUSE OF AFORE MENTIONED WAVE WILL INTRO A CHANCE
FOR RAIN OR SNOW ACROSS C/N FOR MONDAY WITH RAIN SOUTH...WITH OTHER
PERIODS REMAINING DRY. WILL HOPEFULLY SEE A BETTER WARMING TREND
BEGIN TO OCCUR BY TUE OF NEXT WEEK.

THANKS COORD...FTW AMA DDC ICT

FCSTID = 30
OKC   24  36  24  40 /  30  10  10   0
HBR   24  35  25  41 /  10  10   0   0
SPS   29  40  28  45 /  40  20  10   0
GAG   16  32  17  35 /  10  10   0   0
PNC   19  34  22  36 /  10  10   0   0
DUA   33  41  30  44 /  60  40  20   0

.OUN...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 14, 4:04 PM CST, 4 hours 56 minutes before
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
404 PM CST WED FEB 14 2001

...LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...

A COLD FRONT WHICH PUSHED SOUTH OUT OF KANSAS THIS MORNING WILL
MOVE RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST AND WILL CLEAR THE STATE BY LATE THIS
EVENING. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL CONTINUE TO SURGE INTO THE AREA
OVERNIGHT...AND BY MORNING...TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE
TEENS IN THE NORTH TO NEAR FREEZING IN THE SOUTH.

THE FORECAST FOR TONIGHT CALLS FOR CLOUDY SKIES...LIGHT
PRECIPITATION AND GRADUALLY DIMINISHING NORTH WINDS. PRECIPITATION
OVERNIGHT WILL FALL AS INTERMITTENT SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...
WHILE PATCHY AREAS OF DRIZZLE WILL OCCUR ELSEWHERE ACROSS OKLAHOMA
AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. THE COMBINATION OF BELOW FREEZING
TEMPERATURES AND LIGHT PRECIPITATION MEANS THAT SOME ROADWAYS COULD
BECOME SLICK OVERNIGHT. ALTHOUGH RECENT MILD WEATHER HAS ALLOWED
GROUND TEMPERATURES TO WARM...WHICH MAY REDUCE THE IMPACT OF FREEZING
DRIZZLE IN SOME AREAS...ELEVATED ROADWAYS SUCH AS BRIDGES AND
OVERPASSES WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICING OVERNIGHT.

AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE
WILL BE OVER THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF OKLAHOMA WHERE A WEAK UPPER
DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE
IS POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
AS EARLY AS THIS EVENING AND CONTINUING OVERNIGHT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE 30S ALONG THE RED RIVER AND NORTH
TEXAS...REACHING 30 DEGREES BY MORNING. THEREFORE...EVEN AREAS AS FAR
SOUTH AS THE RED RIVER AND NORTH TEXAS COULD EXPERIENCE PATCHY
FREEZING DRIZZLE BY MORNING. AT THIS TIME...A SIGNIFICANT ICING
EVENT IS NOT ANTICIPATED DUE TO THE LIGHT NATURE OF THE PRECIPITATION
AND FAIRLY MILD GROUND TEMPERATURES.

PERSONS TRAVELING ACROSS OPKLAHOMA TONIGHT...AND ACROSS NORTH TEXAS
AND EXTREME SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA LATE TONIGHT...SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SLIPPERY ROADS...ESPECIALLY BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...
AND LISTEN TO LATER WEATHER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Canadian

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Canadian forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.542, -97.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Caddo

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Caddo forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Carter

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Carter forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cleveland

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Cleveland forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.203, -97.326 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Coal

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Coal forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.588, -96.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Comanche

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Comanche forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.662, -98.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cotton

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Cotton forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.290, -98.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Garvin

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Garvin forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.705, -97.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Grady

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Grady forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Hughes

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Hughes forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.048, -96.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.111, -97.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Johnston

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Johnston forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.317, -96.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lincoln

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, McClain

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
McClain forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.009, -97.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Murray

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Murray forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Oklahoma

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Oklahoma forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.552, -97.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pontotoc

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Pontotoc forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.728, -96.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pottawatomie

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Pottawatomie forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.207, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Seminole

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Seminole forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.168, -96.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Stephens

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Stephens forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Tillman

When
February 14, 9:00 PM CST to February 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Tillman forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.373, -98.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, February 2001

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: 5231505, 5231506, 5231507, 5231508, 5231509, 5231510, 5231511, 5231512, 5231513, 5231514, 5231515, 5231516, 5231517, 5231518, 5231519, 5231520, 5231648, 5231649, 5231650, 5231651, 5231652.