Heavy Snow — Woodward, Oklahoma

2013-02-25 · Woodward, Oklahoma

Event narrative

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions impacted Woodward county throughout the day. The weight of up to 18 inches of snow was too much for some structures across the area. At least one home collapsed beneath the weight of the snow, resulting in the death of a 71 year old man in Woodard, Oklahoma. Exact time of collapse is unknown, but is likely to have happened later in the event when heavier snows would have already accumulated.

Wider weather episode

A strong winter storm system moved from west Texas into southern Oklahoma overnight on the 24th and lasted through the morning hours of the 26th. Very heavy snowfall occurred to the north and west of the upper low, mainly over parts of northwest Oklahoma. As surface low pressure strengthened over southern Oklahoma, very strong and gusty northwest winds developed, leading to blizzard conditions for several hours over much of western Oklahoma. Up to 18 inches of snow fell over parts of northern and western Oklahoma, with lesser amounts from southwest through north central and central Oklahoma. The winter storm gradually moved east through the day on the 24th and slowly exited the region by the morning of the 26th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 427387. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.