The following text is from a Public Information Statement issued at 100 pm CST, January 31 2002, by the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma.

...Winter Storm Affects Much of Central and Western Oklahoma...

The most significant ice storm since December of 2000 affected parts of Oklahoma the past two days.

Depending on how one wants to gauge the damage- this latest storm will go down as one of the worst ice storms in Oklahoma history. The most recent storm affected a significantly larger area than did the December 2000 storm. Nearly all communities northwest of a line from Chandler, to Norman, to Lawton and Frederick experienced damaging ice accumulations. In addition to a larger area affected, the recent storm impacted more people. At one point nearly a quarter of a million homes and businesses were without power across Oklahoma.

The worst icing occurred from west-central through north-central Oklahoma. Local areas received a glaze of ice more than an inch thick on just about anything that was above ground and exposed to the cold air. The results were devastating to trees and power lines. Fortunately, relatively warm ground temperatures helped to limit ice on roads in many areas.

Freezing rain changed to sleet and finally snow across far northwest Oklahoma last evening and overnight with anywhere from one to three inches of snow falling before it came to an end early this morning. Snowfall amounts over the Oklahoma Panhandle were higher with Guymon reporting six inches of snow.