2022

Three impactful winter storms struck Oklahoma during February, snarling traffic on state highways, bringing down power lines, and forcing widespread closures of businesses and schools. The first storm struck Feb. 1-3 and dumped 4-6 inches of snow over a significant portion of the state. Larger totals were scattered about, with nearly a foot of snow reported in both Hooker and Seminole. That same system covered parts of southeastern Oklahoma with up to a half-inch of freezing rain, damaging trees and power infrastructure in the area.

Winter arrived with conviction at the dawn of the new year in Oklahoma and delivered a startling counterpunch to the record-shattering heat of December. At least five strong cold fronts traversed the state during January, each one drawing Oklahoma back into a more familiar winter mindset as memories of December’s warmth faded. The disparity in the hours below freezing as measured by the Oklahoma Mesonet was demonstrative of the difference between the two winter months. During December, most of the state spent between 50 and 150 hours below freezing.