Oklahoma, 2015

Winter Weather in Oklahoma, February 28, 2015

February 28, 2015 · NWS AMA · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A weak upper level disturbance brought light snow accumulations to the Oklahoma Panhandle during the morning hours of the 28th. Most locations received one to two inches of snow accumulation.

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

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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 weak upper level disturbance brought light snow accumulations to the Oklahoma Panhandle during the morning hours of the 28th. Most locations received one to two inches of snow accumulation.

The following is a list of snow amounts by county: 2 inches at Guymon (Texas County); 1 to 2 inches at Kenton (Cimarron County); 1 inch at Floris (Beaver County).

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 Feb 27, 11:50 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 11:50 PM CST, 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1150 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

.UPDATE...
MAIN REASON FOR UPDATE WAS TO LOWER OVERNIGHT LOWS ACROSS THE AREA
BASED ON CURRENT TEMPERATURE TRENDS. SURFACE OBS AND MESONET SITES
INDICATE TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID TEENS AND ANTICIPATE
TEMPERATURES TO FALL SEVERAL DEGREES FURTHER OVERNIGHT. AN UPPER-
LEVEL DISTURBANCE SLIDING ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO IS GENERATING THE
NEXT ROUND OF LIGHT SNOW THAT IS STARTING TO MOVE INTO THE WESTERN
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES TONIGHT. EXPECT THIS SNOW TO TRACK EASTWARD
ACROSS THE AREA...WITH THE GREATEST ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLES. THIS FITS THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
THAT BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT SO DO NOT SEE THE NEED TO MAKE ANY
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ADVISORY. STILL ANTICIPATING SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1-2 INCHES WITHIN THE ADVISORY...WITH LESS THAN AN
INCH OVER THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE.

CLK

&&

.AVIATION...
/06Z TAFS/ NOT MUCH CHANGE TO PREVIOUS THINKING AS LIGHT SNOW WILL
IMPACT THE TERMINALS FOR MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. CIGS AND VIS
WILL LOWER INTO THE MVFR AND IFR RANGE...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
FURTHER DETERIORATION TO LIFR. HAVE LEFT OUT MENTION OF LIFR
CONDITIONS GIVEN LOW CONFIDENCE IN OCCURRENCE. LIGHT SNOW SHOULD END
SATURDAY MORNING...BUT STILL EXPECT MVFR CIGS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY.
POSSIBLE FOR AREAS OF FOG LATE SATURDAY NIGHT...BUT CONFIDENCE IS TOO
LOW TO INCLUDE ATTM.

CLK

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 622 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015/

AVIATION...
/00Z TAFS/ INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE
TERMINALS THIS EVENING...WITH CIGS AND VIS IN THE MVFR RANGE. NEXT
ROUND OF SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE TERMINALS LATE
TONIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. FLIGHT CONDITIONS WITHIN THIS AREA OF
SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE TO IFR. SNOW SHOULD MOVE EAST OF THE
TERMINALS BY AROUND 12-14Z SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH STILL EXPECT MVFR CIGS
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. WARM AIR ADVECTION
PROCESSES CAN RESULT IN A WINTRY MIX OF RAIN/SLEET/SNOW SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AS SUBTLE UPPER LIFT CAN GENERATE ADDITIONAL PRECIP
SATURDAY AFTERNOON...HOWEVER CONFIDENCE IN THIS IS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE
IN THE FORECAST ATTM.

CLK

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015/

DISCUSSION...
SNOW ROUND ONE HAS WRAPPED UP AND NOW ITS TIME TO GEAR UP FOR SNOW
ROUND TWO.

ROUND TWO STARTS UP LATE TONIGHT AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE
MOVES OUT OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND INITIATES SNOW ACROSS THE
NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO PLAINS. THIS SNOW WILL ENTER THE FAR WESTERN
CORNER OF THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING BEFORE SPREADING AREA WIDE
AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. FOR THIS AREA 1-2 INCHES OF
STORM TOTAL SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE WHILE THE REST OF THE AREA SHOULD
REMAIN BELOW 1 INCH BY NOON SATURDAY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL
BE RAISED FOR THE NORTHERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES STARTING
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH NOON SATURDAY.

TEMPERATURES ALOFT WARM SATURDAY AFTERNOON TO BRING IN A BIT OF
UNCERTAINTY TO PRECIPITATION TYPE FOR THE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT
HOURS. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT WE WILL SEE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW
FOR THE I-40 CORRIDOR AND SOUTH WHILE WE HOLD ONTO SNOW NORTH OF THE
CORRIDOR DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ALOFT
CONTINUE TO WARM TO WHERE SNOW LOOKS UNLIKELY AREA WIDE AND THE
THREAT OF A LIGHT RAIN/FREEZING RAIN MIX BECOMES MORE LIKELY. THERE
IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS BUT THEY SHOULD REMAIN BELOW
A TENTH OF AN INCH.

AFTER THIS FIRST STORM SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF THE REGION...A CLOSED LOW
WILL DEVELOP OFF THE SRN CA COAST THIS WEEKEND. PNHDLS WILL BE IN SW
FLOW ALOFT WITH MODERATING TEMPS FORESSEN. ALSO...ANY PRECIPITATION
THAT FALLS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING WIL LIKELY BE A
WINTRY MIX OF EITHER LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE...LIGHT FREEZING
RAIN...OR LIGHT SLEET. BY MONDAY AFTERNOON ENOUGH WARM AIR WILL BE
PRESENT SUCH THAT PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE ALL LIQUID.

THEN...A FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND ITS ATTENDANT SFC COLD
FRONT IS SLATED TO IMPACT THE TX AND OK PNHDLS NEAR THE MIDDLE OF
NEXT WEEK...WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND PERHAPS SOME LIGHT WINTER
PRECIPITATION.

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: DALLAM...HANSFORD...HARTLEY...HEMPHILL...
     HUTCHINSON...LIPSCOMB...MOORE...OCHILTREE...ROBERTS...
     SHERMAN.

OK...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: BEAVER...CIMARRON...TEXAS.

&&

99/99
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 11:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1130 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-281200-
CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-
HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-
GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
1130 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES.

.DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT.

ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE TEXAS AND
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION ARE
ANTICIPATED OVER THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA
OVERNIGHT. ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE INCH OR LESS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY. ADDITIONAL
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS...IF ANY...SHOULD REMAIN AROUND ONE INCH OR
LESS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON SATURDAY
AFTERNOON FOR THE OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLES.

A WINTRY MIX OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN...OR
LIGHT SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING
ACROSS THE AREA. VERY LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY OCCUR.

LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS
MAINLY THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES. LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. SPOTTERS AND
OBSERVERS ARE REQUESTED TO RELAY SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO.

CLK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 27, 7:27 PM CST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
727 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0655 PM     SNOW             CLARENDON               34.94N 100.89W
02/27/2015  M1.5 INCH        DONLEY             TX   PUBLIC

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1500255

CE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Beaver

When
February 28, 12:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
Beaver forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.750, -100.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Floris, 1 inch of snow accumulation was reported.

Winter Weather, Texas

When
February 28, 12:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
Texas forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.748, -101.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Guymon, 2 inch of snow accumulation occurred.

Winter Weather, Cimarron

When
February 28, 12:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
Cimarron forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.748, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Kenton, an estimated 1 to 2 inch of snow accumulated.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, February 2015

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: 563720, 563721, 563722.