The second in a series of winter storms impacted portions of northern and western Oklahoma late on the 20th as a potent upper level storm moved across western Oklahoma. A narrow corridor of snowfalls greater than one foot occurred across northwest Oklahoma, with many surrounding areas measuring between 4 and 8 inches of snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 22 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.
The second in a series of winter storms impacted portions of northern and western Oklahoma late on the 20th as a potent upper level storm moved across western Oklahoma. A narrow corridor of snowfalls greater than one foot occurred across northwest Oklahoma, with many surrounding areas measuring between 4 and 8 inches of snow. A few spots across southeast Oklahoma also saw heavy snow before the storm eventually ended.
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 20, 11:36 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1136 PM CST WED FEB 20 2013
.AVIATION...
VERY POOR FLIGHT CONDITIONS ARE STILL EXPECTED THROUGH AT LEAST
TOMORROW AFTERNOON. RAIN...SNOW...SLEET...AND BRIEF FREEZING RAIN
WILL ACCOMPANY A POTENT STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE REGION
TONIGHT. HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT NEAR SPS...BUT THIS WILL NOT BE
INCLUDED AT THE MOMENT. IFR AND BRIEF LIFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY.
MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL COME TO AN END AROUND 18Z
TOMORROW...AND FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE FOR MOST TERMINALS
AFTER 21Z AS LOW CIGS BEGIN TO IMPROVE FROM SOUTHWEST TO
NORTHEAST.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK 34 48 23 40 / 100 80 10 0
HOBART OK 35 50 23 43 / 100 50 0 0
WICHITA FALLS TX 37 61 27 48 / 100 60 0 0
GAGE OK 30 36 15 36 / 100 70 0 0
PONCA CITY OK 31 36 17 30 / 100 100 10 0
DURANT OK 36 59 30 47 / 100 90 10 0
&&
.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR OKZ016>025.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR OKZ011>015.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR OKZ004>010.
TX...NONE.
&&
01/03/03HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
607 PM CST WED FEB 20 2013
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-211300-
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-
607 PM CST WED FEB 20 2013
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS.
LOCATION...
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM HOLLIS...
TO ALTUS...TO LAWTON AND ARDMORE...AND INCLUDES ALL OF WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS.
TIMING...
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT THROUGH 7 AM CST THURSDAY.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS...
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD PLAN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS LATER
TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
DISCUSSION...
ANY PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...MAINLY RAIN
SOUTH OF I-40 WITH A LIGHT WINTRY MIX NORTH OF I-40. UP TO AN ADDITIONAL
INCH OR TWO OF SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING NORTH OF A WOODWARD TO
STILLWATER LINE.
A MORE POTENT LOW PRESSURE STORM SYSTEM WILL SURGE INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. AS THIS OCCURS...STRONG FORCING AND
INCREASING ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL LEAD TO GREATER THUNDERSTORM
POTENTIAL ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. WHILE INSTABILITY
WILL BE MARGINAL...AT LEAST SOME POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL WILL EXIST WITH
THE STRONGEST STORMS THAT FORM LATER TONIGHT.
IF SEVERE STORMS OCCUR LATER TONIGHT...HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
WOULD THE MAIN HAZARD. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS
ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL.
FARTHER NORTH...COLD AIR WILL SURGE INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA NEAR
THE CENTER OF THE LOW PRESSURE STORM SYSTEM OVERNIGHT. WITH STRONG
FORCING IN THIS AREA AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO BE NEAR OR JUST
BELOW FREEZING...EXPECT HEAVY WINTRY PRECIPITATION IN THIS AREA WITH
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE.
PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CST THURSDAY FEB 21.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...100 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...30 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
A DANGEROUS WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA.
AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE AREA...EXPECT HEAVY SNOW
TO RESULT IN ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES NORTH OF
A CLINTON TO STILLWATER LINE AFTER MIDNIGHT. AVOID TRAVEL IN THIS
AREA TONIGHT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...PREPARE FOR SNOW
PACKED ROADS AND TRAVEL DELAYS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...
GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA THURSDAY MORNING. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER
IS NOT EXPECTED.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE NEXT WEDNESDAY ACROSS WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
A WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND
WESTERN OKLAHOMA THROUGH NOON THURSDAY. PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOWFALL ARE
EXPECTED...WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVER PARTS OF NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
AVOID TRAVEL IN THIS AREA THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AS SNOW PACKED ROADS AND
REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL MAKE FOR VERY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 5 AM
THURSDAY...WITH UPDATES AS NEEDED.
AUSTIN/MBSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 winter weather, 6 winter storm, 3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms transitioned to rain, freezing rain, and sleet, before finally transitioning to mostly snow. Several locations across the county measured over 5 inches of snow. Arnett saw up to 10 inches of snow.
An observer in Woodward measured 7.9 inches of snow. Other areas across the county, including Quinlan and Fort Supply, saw 7 inches of snow. Before heavy snow began, thunderstorms and mixed precipitation were reported.
Up to 6 inches of snow fell in Laverne. Before heavy snow began, sleet and freezing rain were reported.
Over 2 inches of snow fell near Hunter.
Weatherford and Fay both received 2 inches of snow.
Watonga measured 2.5 inches of snow, while areas northwest of Geary saw up to 3.7 inches of snowfall.
Areas around Leedey measured 5 inches of snow.
Light freezing rain transitioned quickly to snow. Several areas, including Sayre and Retrop, picked up an inch of snow.
CoCoRaHs observer reported up to 13.5 inches of snow in Alva. Other locations in the county, including Waynoka, measured a foot or more of snow.
Media and public reported between 1 and 3 inches of snow over northern Oklahoma county. The heavier snow occurred in Edmond, where up to 2.5 inches of snow fell.
Up to 3.5 inches of snow fell in Crescent.
Around an inch of snow fell in Guthrie.
Several reports were received ranging from an inch in Norman to 1.3 inches in Moore.
A spotter in Okarche reported 2.4 inches of snow.
Purcell picked up 2.5 inches of snow.
Areas around Ada saw a quick burst of heavy snowfall, adding up to over 3 inches of snow.
Several locations, including Ames and Fairview, reported 4 inches of snow. Rain occasionally mixed with sleet and freezing rain initially before the transition to all snow.
Over 4 inches of snow were reported near Lahoma. A mix of precipitation occurred early on before heavy snow set in.
Areas around Yale received nearly 2 inches of snow.
Parts of Kay county, including Newkirk and Braman, picked up around 5 inches of snow.
An observer reported 4 inches of snow in Meeker.
An inch or more of snowfall was reported at Billings.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, February 2013
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: 428870, 428871, 428872, 428877, 428878, 428879, 428880, 428881, 428868, 428882, 428883, 428884, 428886, 428887, 428888, 428890, 428869, 428874, 428889, 428876, 428885, 428875.