A strong surface high pressure developed south out of Canada into Kansas early on the 8th behind a cold front, that finally moved into northern Texas during the late afternoon hours. Behind the arctic front were very cold temperatures, with temperatures falling into the single digits, and even sub-zero readings across many areas of the northern and central Plains.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.
A strong surface high pressure developed south out of Canada into Kansas early on the 8th behind a cold front, that finally moved into northern Texas during the late afternoon hours. Behind the arctic front were very cold temperatures, with temperatures falling into the single digits, and even sub-zero readings across many areas of the northern and central Plains. Precipitation, developed behind the front as a strong low-level jet transported relatively warm and more moist air north over-top of the front. Snowfall totals generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches over western north Texas, with northerly surface winds gusting over 30 mph reducing visibilities to near 1/4 of a mile at times.
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 8, 9:13 PM CST, 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
913 PM CST TUE FEB 8 2011
.UPDATE...
PRIMARY PRECIPITATION BAND HAS SET UP FROM NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
SOUTHWEST INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE WITH THE PRECIPITATION
INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF HOURS. IN THE NORTHERN OKLAHOMA BAND... SNOWFALL
ESTIMATES FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT INCLUDE 3 TO 4 INCHES AT BUFFALO...
4 TO 5 INCHES AT BLACKWELL AND AROUND 2 INCHES IN ENID SO FAR.
ALTHOUGH THE HEAVY SNOW EVENT IS ONGOING ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO
TIERS OF COUNTIES IN OKLAHOMA... THE HEAVY SNOW BAND OVER THE
TEXAS PANHANDLE WILL MOVE EAST AND BECOME THE PRIMARY FEATURE OVER
WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.
FARTHER SOUTHEAST... LIGHT RADAR REFLECTIVITIES HAVE CORRESPONDED
WITH SOME REPORTS OF LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. ALTHOUGH THE RADAR MAY BE OVERSHOOTING SOME OF
THE PRECIPITATION WITH FORCING AT SUCH LOW LEVELS.
HAVE MADE SOME RELATIVELY MINOR UPDATES TO THE PACKAGE THIS
EVENING... MAINLY TO UPDATE THE TIMING OF THE PRECIPITATION
/ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHEAST/... INCREASE WIND GUSTS /ESPECIALLY
IN THE SOUTHWEST/... AND REDUCE MIN TEMPERATURES IN MANY AREAS.
GIVEN THE SNOWFALL RATES AND EXPECTED EVOLUTION... THE PREDICTED
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS STILL LOOK REASONABLE. .26.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 550 PM CST TUE FEB 8 2011/
AVIATION...
WINTER STORM IN UNDERWAY IN NORTHERN OKLAHOMA WITH KGAG... KWWR
AND KCSM ALREADY REPORTING SNOW WITH VSBYS AT OR BELOW 3SM.
HEAVIEST SNOW BAND IS IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA ALONG THE KANSAS-
OKLAHOMA BORDER AND WILL BE SPREADING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE
EVENING. ALTHOUGH CHANCES ARE LOW ENOUGH TO NOT INCLUDE IN THE
TAFS... THERE IS STILL A CHANCE OF SLEET AND/OR FREEZING RAIN
ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AS
LOW-LEVEL TEMPERATURES COOL. EXPECT GUSTY WINDS AND WIDESPREAD
SNOW/BLOWING SNOW WITH IFR TO LIFR CEILINGS OVERNIGHT AND INTO
WEDNESDAY BEFORE SNOW TAPERS OFF FROM WEST TO EAST. MAY SEE CIGS
LIFT TO ABOVE 030 ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AS STORM SYSTEM MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 354 PM CST TUE FEB 8 2011/
DISCUSSION...
MODERATE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW HAS MOVED INTO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA...
WITH MINOR ACCUMULATIONS BEGINNING TO BE REPORTED NEAR THE
PANHANDLES BORDER. SHOULD SEE THE SNOWFALL INTENSITIES RAMP UP
ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
THE SWATH OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL DEVELOP FURTHER EAST AS
THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS FROM COLORADO OVER OKLAHOMA. THERE MAY
BE A SHORT PERIOD OF SOME SLEET... AND MAYBE EVEN THUNDER SLEET
ALONG A NARROW STRIP NEAR THE INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR PRIOR TO THE
SWITCHOVER. EVEN WITH A PERIOD OF SLEET... MOST MODELS CONTINUE TO
BE PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH WIDESPREAD 6+ INCHES OVER A LARGE PORTION
OF OUR CWA... WITH SOME LOCATIONS OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF OKLAHOMA
PICKING UP CLOSE TO 10 INCHES. THE SNOW TOTALS OVER NORTHWEST
OKLAHOMA WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED... AS HI RESOLUTION MODELS SHOWING
A PERIOD OF INTENSE SNOWFALL RATES AND SOMEWHAT HIGHER TOTALS. WE
WILL GO AHEAD AND LEAVE CURRENT TOTALS AS IS FOR NOW... ADJUSTING AS
NECESSARY THROUGH THE EVENING.
THE OTHER ISSUE WITH THIS STORM IS THE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES THAT
WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA. MILD TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON FROM
INTERSTATE 40 SOUTH WILL BE KNOCKED DOWN 20 TO 30 DEGREES BY
TOMORROW MORNING. VERY LITTLE RECOVERY WILL OCCUR TOMORROW AS
WELL... WHICH WILL MAKE IT FEEL QUITE UNBEARABLE OUTSIDE.
AS CONSISTENT AS THE MODELS HAVE BEEN WITH THIS WINTER STORM... THEY
HAVE ALSO BEEN CONSISTENT IN ENDING THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION ENDING
FAIRLY QUICKLY FROM WEST TO EAST TOMORROW MORNING. GUSTY NORTHERLY
WINDS WILL KEEP BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
AFTER THE STORM MOVES EAST... A DRY FORECAST WILL DOMINATE THE
EXTENDED... AS THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN SHIFT WILL BE IN FULL FORCE.
WILL CONTINUE TO UNDERCUT GUIDANCE THROUGH SATURDAY DUE TO LINGERING
SNOW COVER. AFTER THAT... TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE AT OR JUST ABOVE
MID FEBRUARY AVERAGES.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK 8 18 3 29 / 100 90 0 10
HOBART OK 7 14 2 30 / 100 60 0 0
WICHITA FALLS TX 12 20 7 31 / 90 70 0 10
GAGE OK -1 18 -2 34 / 100 50 0 0
PONCA CITY OK 5 16 -4 26 / 100 70 0 0
DURANT OK 22 25 9 30 / 80 100 10 10
&&
.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR OKZ004>031-
033>040-044-045.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR OKZ032-041>043-
046>048-050>052.
TX...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR TXZ083>086-089-
090.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR TXZ087-088.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
850 PM CST TUE FEB 8 2011
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-091300-
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
850 PM CST TUE FEB 8 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
DISCUSSION...
ARCTIC AIR WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INTO SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND
WESTERN NORTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT AND ELIMINATE ANY CHANCE OF
SURFACE-BASED THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER... A COUPLE CLAPS OF THUNDER
WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AS SOME MID LEVEL INSTABILITY
DEVELOPS IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVING
EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.
PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CST WEDNESDAY FEB 9.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...15 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...ZERO.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH THE
NIGHT WITH TRAVEL LIKELY BEING HAZARDOUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE IN MANY
AREAS. REFER TO OUR WINTER STORM WARNING MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL
DETAILS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
SNOW... BLOWING SNOW... AND BITTER COLD WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS
WINTER STORM CONDITIONS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BE
VERY HAZARDOUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS. REFER TO THE WINTER
WEATHER MESSAGE FOR DETAILS. A WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED TO COMMENCE
BY FRIDAY.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 5 AM
WEDNESDAY.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter weather, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Around an inch of snow accumulated north of Vernon.
Around two inches of snow accumulated in Archer City.
Around 1.5 inches of snow accumulated in Crowell.
Around an inch of snow accumulated in Benjamin.
Around two inches of snow accumulated in Quanah.
Three to four inches of snow accumulated over the northern half of Wichita county, including 3.6 inches measured at Sheppard Air Force Base. Numerous wind gusts over 35 mph greatly reduced visibilities and created considerable blowing and drifting of the snowfall.
Three to four inches of snow accumulated over the northern half of Clay county, including 3.0 inches measured in Henrietta. Numerous wind gusts over 35 mph greatly reduced visibilities and created considerable blowing and drifting of the snowfall.
Around an inch of snow accumulated across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2011
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: 287017, 287018, 287019, 287020, 287023, 287031, 287033, 287037.