On This Day: Historic Blizzard Buried Southern Plains in Record Snow

Big Snowstorm in Kansas and Oklahoma – March 27, 2009

A Huge Spring Snowstorm

People usually think of big snowstorms happening in the Rocky Mountains or the northern states. But on March 27, 2009, a huge blizzard hit the Southern Plains, bringing record snowfall to Kansas and Oklahoma.

Heavy Snow and Strong Winds

This storm dropped a lot of snow in just one day:

• Kansas: 30 inches in Pratt (the most ever in one day)
• Oklahoma: 26 inches in Freedom and Woodward (this record was broken later in 2011 with 27 inches in Spavinaw)
• Texas: Amarillo got 11 inches, and some places in the Texas Panhandle got more than a foot.

The wind was very strong, blowing over 40 mph. Snow piled up into huge drifts, some as high as 20 feet in Kansas. Roads were completely covered, making travel impossible. In northwest Oklahoma, some roads were buried so deep that even bulldozers had trouble clearing them.

The heavy snow also damaged buildings. Some roofs collapsed because of the weight. The damage was so bad that the government gave disaster aid to four counties in Oklahoma.

Tornadoes in the South

While the snowstorm hit the Plains, the same weather system caused tornadoes in the South. Between March 25-29, 56 tornadoes hit states from Texas to Kentucky and the Carolinas.

These tornadoes, along with strong winds and hail, caused $2.4 billion in damage. This storm was powerful and dangerous in many ways.

A Storm to Remember

The March 2009 blizzard was one of the biggest spring snowstorms in the Southern Plains. It showed that winter can still bring big storms in March.

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Important Facts:

• Kansas got 30 inches of snow in 24 hours.
• Oklahoma got 26 inches in Freedom and Woodward.
• Strong 40+ mph winds created huge snowdrifts, making roads impossible to use.
• The heavy snow caused roof collapses and other damage, leading to federal disaster aid.
• The same storm also caused a tornado outbreak in the South, with $2.4 billion in damage.

Stay Informed About Weather

Learning about past storms helps us prepare for future ones. Follow weather experts and trusted news sources to stay updated on extreme weather.

For more weather updates, follow Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at Weather.com, on Bluesky, X (Twitter), and Facebook.