Winter Storm in Oklahoma, April 4, 2017

Name: Winter Storm in Oklahoma, April 4, 2017
Start: 2017-04-04T15:35
End: 2017-04-04T16:35
Location: Oklahoma

April 4, 2017 · NWS AMA · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

As a surface low and an upper level of low pressure moved east of our region throughout the day on the 4th, wrap around moisture from the main upper level low pressure system was impacting the northwestern areas. With the steep 700 hPa isodrosotherm gradients along with the strong CAA, this was the set up of moderate snow across the NW< especially since temperatures were still above freezing for the remainder of the TX/OK Panhandles, minus the far northwestern areas where cooling of the column allowed accumulating snowfall to occur as the morning progressed while the remainder of the central and eastern Panhandles had a cold rain.

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 Apr 4, 3:28 PM CST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 3:28 PM CST, 7 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
428 PM CDT Tue Apr 4 2017

.DISCUSSION...
Quite the afternoon in the Panhandles today. Showers and
thunderstorms have circulated through the southern, eastern, and
central TX Panhandle. A mix of rain and snow have fallen on and
off today in the northwestern and central TX Panhandle and OK
Panhandle. So far, snow total have ranged from large flakes
falling with little to no accumulation to 6 plus inches in
Cimarron County. The upper level low that has been responsible for
this has slowly eased its way from New Mexico into the Panhandles
and is expected to continue pushing eastward over night. As it
does this, the precip will end from west to east and should be
gone by the mid morning hours. After its exit, the weather for the
rest of the work week and into the weekend becomes quite benign as
high pressure settle over the central CONUS. Towards the end of
the weekend, an upper level short wave pushes in and may create
some chances for thunderstorms to come back to eastern parts of
the area, but timing between models is still a little different.
The big weather feature is actually near the very end of the
extended as some models are hinting at the possibility of
thunderstorms coming into the Panhandles. Models differ quite a
bit in this system so for now have just gone with a blend and will
have to keep eyes on this as it could bring another round of
severe storms.

Beat

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Amarillo TX                33  56  36  69  43 /  30   0   0   0   0
Beaver OK                  35  58  35  65  38 /  70   5   0   0   0
Boise City OK              26  49  31  62  38 /  20   0   0   0   0
Borger TX                  33  58  35  69  42 /  40   0   0   0   0
Boys Ranch TX              30  58  35  69  42 /  20   0   0   0   0
Canyon TX                  34  57  35  70  41 /  20   0   0   0   0
Clarendon TX               36  60  41  72  44 /  20   0   0   0   0
Dalhart TX                 27  53  32  65  37 /  10   0   0   0   0
Guymon OK                  32  55  33  65  39 /  50   0   0   0   0
Hereford TX                33  57  35  70  41 /  20   0   0   0   0
Lipscomb TX                37  59  37  68  41 /  60   5   0   0   0
Pampa TX                   33  56  37  68  43 /  40   0   0   0   0
Shamrock TX                40  61  39  72  42 /  20   5   0   0   0
Wellington TX              40  64  41  73  43 /  20   0   0   0   0

&&

.AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
TX...Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for the
     following zones: Hansford...Hartley...Moore.

     Winter Storm Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for the
     following zones: Dallam...Sherman.

OK...Winter Storm Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for the
     following zones: Cimarron...Texas.

&&

7/16

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 4, 2:54 PM CST, 41 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
354 PM CDT Tue Apr 4 2017

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-051000-
Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb-
Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson-
Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth-
354 PM CDT Tue Apr 4 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma
Panhandles.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

Snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches are expected across the
western and central Oklahoma Panhandle and northwestern Texas
Panhandle. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect this afternoon
through early evening for these areas. A Winter Weather Advisory
is in effect for west-central and north-central Texas Panhandle
where 1-5 inches of snow is possible. The Snow may be moderate to
heavy at times along with blowing snow which may cause limited
visibility. Roads may become slick and dangerous especially
overnight as temperatures drop into the high 20s in the warned
areas.

Isolated thunderstorms are possible today across the southern and
eastern Texas Panhandle. Severe weather is not expected.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Thunderstorms may be possible for the southeastern Texas Panhandle
Sunday night. Severe weather is not expected.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

Beat

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 4, 2:21 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
321 PM CDT TUE APR 04 2017

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

0317 PM     SNOW             TEXLINE                 36.38N 103.02W
04/04/2017  M6.0 INCH        DALLAM             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LIGHT SNOW AT OBSERVATION. RAPID MELTING

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1700309

AWARD

Local storm report, Apr 4, 2:33 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
333 PM CDT TUE APR 04 2017

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

0325 PM     SNOW             GOODWELL                36.59N 101.63W
04/04/2017  M2.0 INCH        TEXAS              OK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SNOWING AT OBSERVATION. 2 INCHES COMMON FROM GOODWELL
            TO TEXHOMA.

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1700310

AWARD

Local storm report, Apr 4, 2:55 PM CST, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
355 PM CDT TUE APR 04 2017

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

0330 PM     SNOW             FELT                    36.57N 102.78W
04/04/2017  M6.0 INCH        CIMARRON           OK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LIGHT SNOW AND WINDY CONDITIONS AT OB.

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1700311

AWARD

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:02 PM CST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
402 PM CDT TUE APR 04 2017

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

0358 PM     SNOW             10 W BOISE CITY         36.73N 102.69W
04/04/2017  M6.5 INCH        CIMARRON           OK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            REPORTED 6-7 INCHES TOTAL WITH RAPID MELTING. LIGHT
            SNOW AT OB.

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1700312

AWARD

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:23 PM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
423 PM CDT TUE APR 04 2017

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

0421 PM     SNOW             15 S TEXLINE            36.16N 103.02W
04/04/2017  E4.0 INCH        DALLAM             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SNOW ENDED AROUND 1600. RAPID MELTING

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1700313

AWARD

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:28 PM CST, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
428 PM CDT TUE APR 04 2017

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

0426 PM     SNOW             6 SE TEXLINE            36.32N 102.94W
04/04/2017  E8.0 INCH        DALLAM             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STORM TOTAL SNOW. SNOW ENDED AROUND 1600.

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1700314

AWARD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Cimarron

When: April 4, 3:35 PM CST to 4:35 PM CST
Where: Cimarron forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.748, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snow of 5 inches for Boise City.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, April 2017

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: 694914.