Oklahoma winter storms

Every recorded winter storm record since 1996 · 77 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 3,990 winter storm records in Oklahoma from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 134 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 12, 2007 winter storm: 14 deaths and $1.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 10 records. Oklahoma ranks 34th of 51 states and territories by count and 37th of 50 per square mile.

Winter storms in Oklahoma, 1996 to 2026

Winter storm records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

recorded, no damage figure
under $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
a year with a death

Records: 3,9901996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 134average
Deaths: 78360 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $1.1Bas filed
Busiest year: 2000306 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are winter storm records common in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma averages about 134 winter storm records a year since 2000, 34th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2000 (306). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Oklahoma records 582 winter storm records since 1996, 37th of 50 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Oklahoma have the most winter storm records?

Per square mile, Washington County leads Oklahoma: 51 days with a winter storm record since 1996, 122.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Cimarron County has the most winter storm records (99 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Washington County 122.7 (51)
Cleveland County 113.2 (63)
Oklahoma County 111.4 (80)
McClain County 99.9 (57)
Ottawa County 95.6 (45)
Payne County 92.0 (65)
Murray County 91.3 (38)
Tulsa County 91.2 (52)
Logan County 90.1 (69)
Pawnee County 86.2 (49)
Nowata County 84.8 (48)
Noble County 84.7 (62)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is winter storm season in Oklahoma?

57% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The busiest month is January (1,248 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 1,248 · Feb 1,035 · Mar 387 · Apr 30 · May 0 · Jun 0 · Jul 0 · Aug 0 · Sep 0 · Oct 49 · Nov 270 · Dec 971 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest winter storm records in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2007-01-12	Winter StormWashita County · forecast zone Washita One storm episode: 10 records in 10 places; the totals are the episode's. A strong winter storm crippled much of Oklahoma from January 12th through the 14th, spreading snow, freezing rain and sleet across the state. The snow and sleet was confined to northern and western Oklahoma. The freezing rain and sleet occurred mainly over central and southwest Oklahoma, with mainly freezing rain over ...	14	0	$1.5M
2007-12-09	Ice StormOklahoma County · forecast zone Oklahoma One storm episode: 5 records in 5 places; the totals are the episode's. A devastating ice storm affected a large swath of Oklahoma beginning on the 9th and continuing through the 11th over parts of the area. The storm left behind a trail of severe damage to trees and power lines, which in turn led to the worst power outage in Oklahoma history (in terms of the number of people impacted). ...	11	13	$213M
2015-12-27	Ice StormKay County · forecast zone Kay One storm episode: 20 records in 19 places; the totals are the episode's. As an upper low came down on the 26th, numerous showers and storms began to form. A cold front moved through the area that night, gradually bringing the area below freezing. The 27th saw precipitation transition to sleet and freezing rain. Combined with high winds, this caused extensive damage to trees and power ...	4	0	$47M
2008-01-03	Winter WeatherGarvin County · forecast zone Garvin One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. Light precipitation developed over parts of northern Texas before sunrise on the 3rd and moved through parts of southern Oklahoma. The precipitation moved over surface temperatures that were in the upper 20s and lower 30s, which caused it to freeze on contact. Precipitation coverage was not widespread, but enough ice ...	3	7	$62K
2008-12-09	Winter WeatherLogan County · forecast zone Logan One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. A strong cold front moved southeast through Oklahoma during the overnight hours of the 8th into the early hours of the 9th. Temperatures quickly fell below freezing by the morning. Precipitation developed over the northern Texas panhandle and moved east. Snow started falling over northwest Oklahoma before sunrise and ...	3	6	–
2011-02-01	BlizzardOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A very strong storm system moved across the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains on the 31st of January and 1st of February. Cold air had surged into the region ahead of this system on the 30th and 31st. Precipitation developed into eastern Oklahoma during the evening of the 31st, beginning as freezing rain and ...	3	5	$39M
2011-01-19	Winter WeatherRoger Mills County · forecast zone Roger Mills One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places, 2011-01-19 to 2011-01-20; the totals are the episode's. A strong, but fast-moving disturbance moved toward the southern Plains late on the 19th. At the same time, an arctic cold front moved south, with very cold temperatures behind the boundary moved south through Oklahoma. Cloud cover thickened during the afternoon and evening hours of the 19th, keeping temperatures near ...	3	0	–
2009-12-24	Winter StormTulsa County · forecast zone Tulsa Four to eight inches of sleet and snow fell across the county. An auto accident resulted in 3 (indirect) fatalities during the storm near Sand Springs.	3	0	–
2009-12-24	BlizzardGarvin County · forecast zone Garvin One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A powerful winter storm developed over parts of the Southern Plains, resulting in one of the most widespread and damaging blizzards to affect Oklahoma in decades. Blizzard conditions affected the vast majority of northern, central, and southwest Oklahoma for at least 5 to 7 hours. A surface low pressure center ...	3	0	$2.9M
2007-12-08	Ice StormTulsa County · forecast zone Tulsa One storm episode: 17 records in 17 places, 2007-12-08 to 2007-12-09; the totals are the episode's. Arctic air spread into the region ahead of a strong storm system over the desert southwest. Several disturbances translated from the low pressure area across the Southern Plains, resulting in several periods of precipitation, including thunderstorms. Freezing rain was the dominant precipitation type during the event; ...	3	0	$428M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest winter storm records in Oklahoma

Oklahoma: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2007-12-08	Ice StormTulsa County · forecast zone Tulsa One storm episode: 17 records in 17 places, 2007-12-08 to 2007-12-09; the totals are the episode's.	3	0	$428M
2007-12-09	Ice StormOklahoma County · forecast zone Oklahoma One storm episode: 5 records in 5 places; the totals are the episode's.	11	13	$213M
2000-12-26	Ice StormGarvin County · forecast zone Garvin One storm episode: 27 records in 27 places; the totals are the episode's.	0	0	$128M
2007-01-12	Winter StormMuskogee County · forecast zone Muskogee One storm episode: 12 records in 12 places; the totals are the episode's.	0	0	$54M
2017-01-14	Ice StormBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver	1	1	$48M
2015-12-27	Ice StormKay County · forecast zone Kay One storm episode: 20 records in 19 places; the totals are the episode's.	4	0	$47M
2002-01-30	Ice StormGarfield County · forecast zone Garfield One storm episode: 12 records in 12 places; the totals are the episode's.	0	0	$41M
2011-02-01	BlizzardOttawa County · forecast zone Ottawa One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's.	3	5	$39M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are winter storm records becoming more frequent in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Winter storms: Oklahoma and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Oklahoma	United States	Oklahoma's share
1996-99	574	32,893	1.7%
2000s	1,550	88,805	1.7%
2010s	1,226	103,626	1.2%
2020-26	640	62,015	1.0%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent winter storm records in Oklahoma

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Damage
2026-01-23	Winter StormBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormMurray County · forecast zone Murray	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormWashita County · forecast zone Washita	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormWoodward County · forecast zone Woodward	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormWoods County · forecast zone Woods	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormStephens County · forecast zone Stephens	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormSeminole County · forecast zone Seminole	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormRoger Mills County · forecast zone Roger Mills	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormPottawatomie County · forecast zone Pottawatomie	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormPontotoc County · forecast zone Pontotoc	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormPayne County · forecast zone Payne	–
2026-01-23	Winter StormOklahoma County · forecast zone Oklahoma	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

Federal disaster declarations for winter storm records in Oklahoma

FEMA has declared 25 disasters in Oklahoma for winter storm, counting its incident type and declarations that name snow or winter storm or ice storm or blizzard in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 18 were major disasters, the latest on March 3, 2023.

The 12 most recent
Declared	Number	Title	Areas named
2023-03-03	DR-4690	Severe Winter Storm	1
2021-02-24	DR-4587	Severe Winter Storms	77
2021-02-17	EM-3555	Severe Winter Storm	77
2020-12-21	DR-4575	Severe Winter Storm	29
2017-02-10	DR-4299	Severe Winter Storm	11
2016-02-10	DR-4256	Severe Winter Storms and Flooding	42
2015-12-29	DR-4247	Severe Winter Storms and Flooding	21
2014-01-30	DR-4164	Severe Winter Storm	4
2013-04-08	DR-4109	Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm	17
2011-05-13	DR-1985	Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm	16
2011-02-02	EM-3316	Severe Winter Storm	77
2010-03-05	DR-1883	Severe Winter Storm	50

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.