Oklahoma, 2006

Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, March 20, 2006

March 20, 2006 · NWS AMA · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A vigorous low pressure system in the upper atmosphere tracked southeast across the southern Rockies and pulled much colder air down into the Oklahoma panhandle. The colder air combined with abundant low level moisture to produce heavy snow across the Oklahoma panhandle during the day and into the evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 AMA wrote it up.

A vigorous low pressure system in the upper atmosphere tracked southeast across the southern Rockies and pulled much colder air down into the Oklahoma panhandle. The colder air combined with abundant low level moisture to produce heavy snow across the Oklahoma panhandle during the day and into the evening hours. Boise City reported four to five inches and Black Mesa State Park reported six inches. Guymon reported four inches and Tyrone reported six inches. Turpin reported four inches of snow.

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 20, 3:30 AM CST, 6 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 3:30 AM CST, 6 hours 34 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 20, 9:33 AM CST, 31 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Texas

When
March 20, 10:04 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Texas forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.748, -101.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cimarron

When
March 20, 10:05 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Cimarron forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.748, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Beaver

When
March 20, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where
Beaver forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.750, -100.477 (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 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, March 2006

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: 5496244, 5496243, 5496245.