A deep Arctic airmass had settled into the Southern Plains. Several upper level disturbances moved across the region, bringing moderate to heavy snow to parts of the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 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 deep Arctic airmass had settled into the Southern Plains. Several upper level disturbances moved across the region, bringing moderate to heavy snow to parts of the area. Snow came in two waves, with the heaviest snow being confined to both northwestern Oklahoma and south central and southeastern Oklahoma.
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 27, 5:52 AM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
552 AM CST FRI FEB 27 2015
.AVIATION...
SNOW WILL INCREASE WEST TO EAST THIS MORNING ACROSS WESTERN AND
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS. THE WAVE
PRODUCING THIS AREA OF SNOW WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY
MID-DAY. IFR CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED. LATE TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW WILL
MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA WITH REDUCED VISITLITY AND LOWER
CEILINGS. WINDS WILL MAINTAIN NORTHEAST OR EAST.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 403 AM CST FRI FEB 27 2015/
DISCUSSION...
THE FIRST OF TWO SHORT WAVE TROUGHS IS APPROACHING WESTERN
OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING. SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO WESTERN OKLAHOMA
SHORTLY. THE MAIN ENERGY OF THIS WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE RED
RIVER AREA TODAY. AN ADVISORY FOR UP TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW REMAINS
EFFECTIVE FOR THIS AREA WITH PART OF NORTH TEXAS LIKELY TO HAVE
CLOSER TO THIS HIGHER AMOUNT. THE SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA DURING THE AFTERNOON. AFTER A RELATIVE LULL IN
PRECIPITATION TONIGHT, A SECOND UPPER WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
PANHANDLES AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA SATURDAY MORNING. THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL STILL REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY COLD AND MOIST FOR SNOW HERE. IT
APPEARS THAT HEAVIER SNOW WILL REMAIN IN KANSAS WITH UP TO A
COUPLE INCHES LIKELY IN NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BEFORE LATE
SATURDAY AFTERNOON. STRONG WARM ADVECTION ABOVE THE SURFACE LAYER
IS FORECAST BY SEVERAL MODELS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF SATURDAY OVER
THE SOUTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF OKLAHOMA. THIS WOULD ALLOW WEAKER WAVES
THAT MAY PASS OVER OKLAHOMA SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING TO
PRODUCE A BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET BEFORE SURFACE
TEMPERATURES EXCEED FREEZING LATER SUNDAY MORNING. AFTER A WARMER
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND A WEAK FRONT MONDAY, STRONGER SOUTH WINDS AND
MILD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY. THIS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH
INCREASING UPPER SOUTHWEST FLOW AND GIVE A CHANCE FOR RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE PASSAGE OF A WAVE EMBEDDED IN THE
SYNOPTIC-SCALE UPPER TROUGH. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY
AND POSSIBLY ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SNOW BEFORE THE LARGE-SCALE TROUGH
FINALLY MOVES EAST OF OKLAHOMA LATER WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK 19 33 30 43 / 30 60 40 40
HOBART OK 18 31 28 43 / 30 50 40 40
WICHITA FALLS TX 23 34 32 49 / 70 50 40 40
GAGE OK 14 31 25 40 / 40 50 30 20
PONCA CITY OK 17 32 27 42 / 20 80 50 40
DURANT OK 24 35 33 47 / 70 40 40 50
&&
.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR OKZ004-
009-010-014>016-021>023-027-028-033>036-038-040-041.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR OKZ037-
039-044>046-050.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT
FOR OKZ047-048-051-052.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING
FOR OKZ042-043.
TX...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR TXZ083.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR
TXZ084>090.
&&
26/09/09HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 539 AM CST FRI FEB 27 2015 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-281145- 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- 539 AM CST FRI FEB 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 WEATHER... SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS TODAY. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SNOW WILL BE IN PARTS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA... AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. THE SNOW COULD CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS IN SOME AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... .WINTER WEATHER... A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS WILL KEEP PRECIPITATION IN THE FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE COLD ENOUGH THAT AREAS OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE OFF AND ON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN SATURDAY MORNING... WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS EXPECTED NORTH OF I-40. AS WARMER TEMPERATURES MOVE INTO THE REGION... MORE OF A WINTRY MIX WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA OVER THE REST OF THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. FREEZING RAIN MAY ALSO CREATE SLICK ROADWAYS... ON SATURDAY...SUNDAY AND EARLY MONDAY... MOSTLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I40. STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. GET GRAPHICS AND MORE DETAILS AT WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN...AND FOLLOW OUR WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 heavy snow, 12 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 4 inches had fallen in Woodward.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 4 inches had fallen in Altus.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, just over 4 inches had fallen in Enid.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 3.3 inches were reported in Manitou.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around two inches of snow 14 miles south of Buffalo.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, Cache picked up 5 inches and Lawton saw 2 to 3 inches.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around an inch of snow had fallen in Elk City.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, Duncan recorded a storm total snow of 5.6 inches, while Comanche, further south, only saw around 1.5 inches of snow.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, widespread 3 to 4 inch snowfall totals were reported. Ratliff City saw around 4 inches of snow, while Lone Grove and Gene Autry recorded 3 inches of snow. Ardmore only received around 2 inches.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the late morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, Stratford and Pauls Valley reported 4 and 4.5 inches of snow respectively, and Wynnewood recorded just over 3 inches.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, Overbrook recorded 4 inches of snow, with Thackerville receiving up to 5 inches.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, Vanoss recorded up to 6 inches, while areas near Ada and Stonewall ranged from 4 to 5 inches.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 5 inches had fallen in Davis, and 3.5 inches had fallen in both Sulphur and Dougherty.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 4 inches had fallen in Lehigh.
Snow began falling during the late morning of the 27th and persisted through the morning of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, just over 4 inches had fallen in Enid.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around 3 inches of snow were reported in Wayne.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 3.5 inches of snow fell in Pontotoc.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around two inches of snow had fallen in Durant.
Snow began by late morning on the 27th and lasted through the late morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around 2.5 inches fell in Wetumka.
Snow began early on the 27th and lasted through the early morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around two inches of snow had fallen in Mustang.
Snow began by late morning on the 27th and lasted through the late morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around two inches of snow had fallen in Warr Acres.
Snow began by late morning on the 27th and lasted through the late morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around 2.5 inches were measured in Norman.
Snow began around noon on the 27th and lasted through noon on the 28th. By the time snow had ended, 2 to 3 inches of snow had fallen across the county, with Shawnee recording up to 3.5 inches of snow.
Snow began by late morning on the 27th and lasted through the late morning hours of the 28th. By the time snow had ended, around 2 inches had fallen in Stillwater and in Perkins.
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, February 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: 562702, 562699, 562704, 562705, 562711, 562696, 562708, 562692, 562693, 562691, 562694, 562695, 562698, 562700, 562703, 562706, 562707, 562709, 562714, 562710, 562712, 562713, 562716, 562715.