Ice Storm in Arkansas, February 4 to 5, 2004

Name: Ice Storm in Arkansas, February 4 to 5, 2004
Start: 2004-02-04T19:00
End: 2004-02-05T02:00
Location: Arkansas

February 4 to 5, 2004 · NWS TSA · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 2

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 TSA wrote it up.

Strong warm advection in advance of a power upper level system caused wintry precipitation to start to fall across northwest Arkansas during the afternoon of the 4th. The precipitation began as snow but changed over to a mixture of sleet, snow and freezing rain during the early evening hours. The precipitation changed to rain during the early morning hours of the 5th before ending. Although there was some snow, sleet and ice accumulation in Washington and Benton counties, the brunt of the wintry weather hit Madison and Carroll counties. As much as two inches of sleet and a quarter of an inch of ice accumulated. Much of the ice accumulated on trees and power lines, but some secondary roads became slick and hazardous.

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 4, 6:55 PM CST, 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 4, 6:55 PM CST, 5 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
655 PM CST WED FEB 4 2004

UPDATED FORECAST TO BETTER REFLECT CURRENT WEATHER AND TO ACCOUNT
FOR WHAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN NEXT.

LOW LEVEL JET HAS USHERED IN SOME WARMER AIR ALOFT CAUSING SOME OF
THE SNOW WHICH OCCURRERED EARLIER TO CHANGE TO RAIN OR FREEZING
RAIN.  AT THIS TIME EXPECT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT ICING TO
BE IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS AND THE BEST CHANCE OF HEAVY
SNOW TO BE TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF TULSA.  THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY MAY BE CANCELLED LATER AS IT MAY JUST BE A COLD RAIN THERE.
TULSA IS IN THE MIDDLE AND MAY OR MAY NOT SEE MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOW.
KEPT STATUS QUO FOR NOW.  WILL CONTINUE THE WINTER STORM WARNING AS
IS FOR NOW BUT MAY RE-VISIT IT LATER.

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES ARZ001>002...
ARZ010>011.

OK...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES OKZ054>064...
OKZ067>069.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES
OKZ065>066...OKZ070>071.

ABBAS

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 4, 12:30 PM CST, 6 hours 30 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1230 PM CST WED FEB 4 2004

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-051200-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

...MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM CENTERED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL
COLORADO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL CONTINUE MOVING SLOWLY EAST
NORTHEAST INTO WESTERN KANSAS BY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. ABUNDANT
MOISTURE IS FLOWING NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM AND
WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

AT THIS TIME AREAS NORTHWEST OF INTERSTATE 44 WILL SEE MOSTLY
SNOW...WITH A MIXTURE OF RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW BETWEEN INTERSTATES
44 AND 40. SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40...MAINLY RAIN IS EXPECTED.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM LESS THAN AN INCH NEAR INTERSTATE
40 TO AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. WINTER STORM
WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT. SEE
/OKCWSWTUL/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THE WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES.

THE PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF BY AROUND MIDNIGHT WITH MOSTLY
DRIZZLE EXPECTED AFTER THAT TIME.

SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT AND MAY FALL IN THE FORM OF EITHER RAIN OR SNOW.
LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED HOWEVER. ANOTHER
STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA AROUND MONDAY BRINGING ANOTHER
CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 4, 1:17 PM CST, 5 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
117 PM CST WED FEB 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0116 PM     SNOW             BRISTOW                 35.83N 96.39W
02/04/2004  0.50 INCH        CREEK              OK   PUBLIC

&&

JMF

Local storm report, Feb 4, 2:55 PM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
255 PM CST WED FEB 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 PM     SNOW             TULSA                   36.13N 95.92W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        TULSA              OK   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

&&

XXX

Local storm report, Feb 4, 3:02 PM CST, 3 hours 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
302 PM CST WED FEB 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0300 PM     SNOW             7 E TULSA               36.13N 95.79W
02/04/2004  1.60 INCH        TULSA              OK   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

&&

XXX

Local storm report, Feb 4, 4:13 PM CST, 2 hours 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
413 PM CST WED FEB 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0357 PM     SNOW             PAWHUSKA                36.67N 96.33W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        OSAGE              OK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

0357 PM     SNOW             HOMINY                  36.42N 96.39W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        OSAGE              OK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

0357 PM     SNOW             PAWNEE                  36.34N 96.80W
02/04/2004  4.00 INCH        PAWNEE             OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             BRISTOW                 35.83N 96.39W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        CREEK              OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             BARTLESVILLE            36.74N 95.95W
02/04/2004  3.00 INCH        WASHINGTON         OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

0357 PM     SNOW             VERA                    36.45N 95.88W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        WASHINGTON         OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             TULSA                   36.13N 95.92W
02/04/2004  1.50 INCH        TULSA              OK   NWS EMPLOYEE

0357 PM     SNOW             BIXBY                   35.94N 95.88W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        TULSA              OK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

0357 PM     SNOW             BURBANK                 36.70N 96.73W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        OSAGE              OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             COWETA                  35.96N 95.66W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        WAGONER            OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             SILOAM SPRINGS          36.18N 94.54W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        BENTON             AR   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             NOWATA                  36.70N 95.64W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        NOWATA             OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             CHELSEA                 36.53N 95.43W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        ROGERS             OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             CLAREMORE               36.31N 95.62W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        ROGERS             OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             MUSKOGEE                35.75N 95.35W
02/04/2004  2.00 INCH        MUSKOGEE           OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             TAHLEQUAH               35.91N 94.97W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        CHEROKEE           OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             PRYOR                   36.30N 95.32W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        MAYES              OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             LOCUST GROVE            36.20N 95.17W
02/04/2004  1.50 INCH        MAYES              OK   PUBLIC

0357 PM     SNOW             JAY                     36.42N 94.80W
02/04/2004  1.00 INCH        DELAWARE           OK   PUBLIC

&&
THESE REPORTS WERE COLLECTED AROUND 330 PM CST.

SAA

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Carroll

When: February 4, 7:00 PM CST to February 5, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.341, -93.538 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Madison

When: February 4, 7:00 PM CST to February 5, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.011, -93.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, February 2004

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: 5385918, 5385919.