As an upper low came down on the 26th, numerous showers and storms began to form. A cold front moved through the area that night, gradually bringing the area below freezing.
Every event with a place to put it; 26 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.
As an upper low came down on the 26th, numerous showers and storms began to form. A cold front moved through the area that night, gradually bringing the area below freezing. The 27th saw precipitation transition to sleet and freezing rain. Combined with high winds, this caused extensive damage to trees and power lines. By the 28th, all of the precipitation had turned to snow.
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 Dec 27, 6:28 AM CST, 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
628 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
.UPDATE...
TEMPS CONT TO FALL TO NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING A BIT
FARTHER EAST THIS MORNING. WE ARE GETTING QUITE A FEW REPORTS OF
FREEZING RAIN ACROSS WESTERN INTO PARTS OF NORTHERN OKLAHOMA AS
WELL AS SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. WILL THEREFORE
EXPAND THE ICE STORM WARNING FOR A COUPLE MORE COUNTIES OF
NORTHERN OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHERN OK INTO NORTH TEXAS.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 540 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015/
AVIATION...
MAINLY IFR CONDITIONS THIS MORNING MAY GO TO LIFR ACROSS THE AREA AS
A MIX OF WINTRY PRECIP GRADUALLY TRANSITIONS TO SNOW THIS EVENING
AND OVERNIGHT. VERY STRONG GUSTY NORTH WINDS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
GUSTS OVER 40KTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.
30
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 346 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015/
DISCUSSION...
NEXT ROUND OF HEAVIER PRECIP NOW MOVING ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA
AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. MUCH OF THIS IS FALLING AS A MIX OF
FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WITH SOME SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR
NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
CRITICAL SFC TEMP OF 32 DEGREES CONT TO CREEP EAST AND
SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING. STILL APPEARS
THAT THE FREEZING LINE WILL REMAIN NEAR THE I-44 CORRIDOR THROUGH
MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY AS TEMPS DO VERY LITTLE THROUGH THE
DAYLIGHT HOURS. WITH MODELS KEEPING A WARM LAYER OF AIR OVER THE
AREA TODAY FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET SHOULD REMAIN THE PRIMARY
PRECIP TYPES ACROSS WESTERN PARTS OF THE AREA... WITH RAIN AND A
FEW THUNDERSTORMS FARTHER EAST. COULD ALSO SEE A FEW STRONGER
STORMS ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA TODAY... HOWEVER MUCH
OF THE SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD REMAIN TO OUR EAST AND SOUTHEAST
TODAY.
WHERE FREEZING RAIN REMAINS THE PREDOMINATE PRECIP TYPE... EXPECT
TO SEE MORE PROBLEMS WITH DOWNED TREES AND POWERLINES CREATING
POWER OUTAGES AS WIND SPEEDS WILL REMAIN HIGH WITH GUSTS OVER 50
MPH CONT THROUGH THE DAY INTO THIS EVENING. ALSO AS YOU GO
FARTHER WEST TOWARD THE PANHANDLES TEMPS ARE QUITE A BIT COLDER
AND SLICK/HAZARDOUS ROADWAYS WILL BE MORE LIKELY AS WELL. A BAND
OF A QUARTER TO PERHAPS A HALF AN INCH OF ICE STILL EXPECTED
ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHWEST... WESTERN INTO NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
TODAY. WILL THEREFORE KEEP THE ICE STORM WARNING FOR THOSE AREAS.
BLIZZARD WARNING STILL LOOKS REASONABLE ACROSS FAR NORTHWEST
WHERE SNOW WILL BE MAIN PRECIP TYPE AND WINDS WILL CREATE NEAR
ZERO VISIBILITY BY LATER TODAY. MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT EXTENDING
BLIZZARD WARNING FARTHER SOUTH TONIGHT AS ICE TRANSITIONS TO
SNOW.
ALSO... PARTS OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA... WHICH RECEIVED 2 TO AS
MUCH AS 7 INCHES OF RAIN YESTERDAY... COULD PICK UP AN ADDITIONAL
2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL BETWEEN NOW AND MONDAY MORNING. FLASH
FLOOD WATCH TO CONT THERE UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.
AS UPPER LOW BEGINS TO SHIFT FARTHER EAST AND NORTHEAST
THIS EVENING... COLUMN SHOULD COOL ENOUGH TO SEE SNOW TRANSITION
FARTHER EAST. ALTHOUGH BY THIS TIME THE UPPER LOW DOES BEGIN TO
ACCELERATE AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS. THE SYSTEM WILL
LIFT NORTHEAST OF THE AREA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON BRINGING AND END
TO THE WINTRY PRECIP. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAR BY TUESDAY
MORNING WITH TEMPS FALLING INTO THE TEENS AND 20S MOST LOCATIONS
WITH SOME SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS THE NORTH.
ANOTHER QUICK MOVING SYSTEM MAY BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO
MAINLY NORTHERN OKLAHOMA TUESDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE... COLD AND
DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEKEND.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK 35 28 32 17 / 100 90 60 0
HOBART OK 32 26 32 15 / 90 90 50 0
WICHITA FALLS TX 39 29 36 19 / 90 90 40 0
GAGE OK 28 21 29 7 / 80 90 40 0
PONCA CITY OK 35 29 31 14 / 90 90 70 10
DURANT OK 49 35 39 27 / 100 90 40 0
&&
.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR OKZ008-013-019-
025-028-029.
ICE STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR OKZ006-007-011-012-
015>018-021>024-027-033>038.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR OKZ004-005-009-010-
014.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR OKZ020-026-030-
039-040-044-045.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR OKZ026-028>032-
039>043-045>048-050>052.
TX...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR TXZ084-087.
ICE STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR TXZ083-085.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR TXZ086-088>090.
&&
14/30HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 459 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-281100- 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- 459 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN... WESTERN...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... .WINTER PRECIPITATION... FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND ESPECIALLY NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA WILL LIKELY SEE HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...AS STRONG WINDS CAUSE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET AMOUNTS ARE MORE UNCERTAIN...BUT SOME ACCUMULATION OF ICE FROM SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS LIKELY. AREAS ALONG A LINE FROM ALTUS TO CLINTON TO ENID COULD SEE THE HIGHEST ICE TOTALS WITH AMOUNTS RANGING FROM A QUARTER TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH. .HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING... RAIN... HEAVY AT TIMES... WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. FOLLOWING YESTERDAYS HEAVY RAIN...THIS AREA WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ADDITIONAL FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF OKLAHOMA...GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM CHANDLER TO NORMAN TO WAURIKA THROUGH TONIGHT. .THUNDERSTORMS... THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE... MAINLY ACROSS FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. .COLD... COLD TEMPERATURES... COMBINED WITH VERY STRONG... GUSTY WINDS... WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS. THIS WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL DIFFICULTIES FOR THOSE WHO LOSE POWER BECAUSE OF ICE OR STRONG WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... .WINTER PRECIPITATION... BY MONDAY MORNING...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL HAVE CHANGED TO SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. STRONG WINDS MAY CAUSE NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS MONDAY. THE WINDS MAY ALSO INCREASE TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE CAUSED BY ICE. .COLD... COLD WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL DIFFICULTIES FOR THOSE WHO LOSE POWER BECAUSE OF ICE OR STRONG WINDS. GET GRAPHICS AND MORE DETAILS AT WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN...AND FOLLOW OUR WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
116 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1229 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 9 W MEERS 34.76N 98.74W
12/27/2015 M58 MPH COMANCHE OK MESONET
MESONET STATION 9 W MEERS /WMRO2/
&&
NWS NORMAN OK
IRIS SYSTEMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 ice storm, 5 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Up to one inch of ice accumulation reported in Yukon on power lines. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Up to an inch of ice accumulation reported. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Up to an inch of ice accumulation reported. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Up to an inch of ice accumulation reported. Two men out duck hunting were killed when their boat capsized on Kaw Lake during the storm. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Up to a quarter inch of ice was reported. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Up to half an inch of ice reported in Edmond.
Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Emergency manager reporter 4 inches of sleet, 2 inches of snow, and 1 inch of ice accumulation. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Emergency manager reported 4 to 6 inches of snow and half an inch of ice. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Emergency manager reported 6 inches of snow/sleet and 0.75 inches of ice. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Media reported 4 inches of sleet in Cordell. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
Public reported 6 inches of snow. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.
COOP observer reported 4 inches of snow.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm, Kay | 2015-12-27 | 22 | Male | Boating | Indirect |
| Ice Storm, Kay | 2015-12-27 | 29 | Male | Boating | Indirect |
| Ice Storm, Oklahoma | 2015-12-27 | 38 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Indirect |
| Ice Storm, Oklahoma | 2015-12-27 | 66 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, December 2015
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: 608090, 608091, 608092, 608093, 608094, 608095, 608096, 608097, 608098, 608099, 608100, 608101, 608102, 608103, 608104, 608105, 608106, 608107, 608108, 608109, 608110, 608112, 608113, 608114, 608115, 608116.