OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Utilities are still working to restore power following a winter storm that brought ice, sleet and snow to Oklahoma last week.

Nearly 71,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity Tuesday.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported that the majority of the power outages were in the southern part of the state. Utility officials have said it could be next week before service is restored.

Emergency management officials say the majority of outages, about 34,000, continue to be in the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives service areas. Other extensive outage areas are more than 20,000 Public Service Company of Oklahoma customers, more than 8,400 of which are in Lawton.

Altus' 9,300 customers make up the majority of the nearly 15,000 homes and businesses without power in the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority service area.

TULSA, Ok. - Over twenty trucks from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation were out overnight in Tulsa County spreading material on ice-glazed roadways. Even though motorists are advised to stay back and away from those trucks, ODOT's Martin Stewart says it doesn't always happen that way. Stewart says, "A couple of teenagers failed to yield at a stop sign, pulled out in front of one of my trucks, contact was made. One was transported but I've heard that is not injured." Stewart says if you don't have to be out just stay at home.

TULSA, Ok. - Public Service Company of Oklahoma crews have whittled the number of power outages in the Tulsa area down to just a few customers this morning. PSO's Stan Whiteford says that's not the case elsewhere in Oklahoma. He says, "In the Tulsa region and the Tulsa metro area, things are in pretty decent shape here. It's a little different story out in western Oklahoma where we have over 50,000 outages out there." Whiteford says the only area around Tulsa with a large number of customers still without electricity is in the Grove area. Whiteford says 3,600 customers there should have their service back this morning.

A potent winter storm that blanketed parts of the state with snow and ice is forecast to exit Oklahoma and the southern Plains on Friday.

The National Weather Service said snow may fall on the back side of the system as it tracks eastward, but the precipitation should end from west to east.

On Thursday, a mixture of snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain fell, coating surfaces with ice. Temperatures ranged from 26 degrees in Guymon to 40 degrees in McAlester. The mercury peaked at 33 degrees in Altus, Bartlesville and Tulsa and hit 34 degrees in Oklahoma City.

Temperatures on Friday should range from the 20s in most spots to near 40 in southeast Oklahoma. Forecasters expect temperatures to tumble into the teens and 20s Friday night.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A winter storm has dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain on Oklahoma and the southern Plains, leading to thousands of power outages, canceled flights at the state's largest airports and the closure of major highways.

Ice accumulations estimated by the National Weather Service at between one-quarter to 11/2 inches brought down electrical lines and trees limbs Thursday, knocking out lights and heat to more than 132,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses.

Parts of southern Oklahoma, where freezing rain fell for several hours, appeared to be hardest hit.

Altus Emergency management director Lloyd Colston says the entire city was without power, except the hospital and other emergency operations that had generators.

Colston says streets are slick and a shelter has been set up for residents.

A potent winter storm is expected to track across Oklahoma.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings and watches for Thursday and Friday.

Up to 10 inches of snow is likely in western and northern Oklahoma. Freezing rain and snow is possible in southwestern and central sections, while accumulating ice is possible in southern Oklahoma.

On Wednesday, skies were partly cloudy and temperatures ranged from 56 degrees in Muskogee to 68 degrees in Altus, Frederick and Lawton.

The high was 61 in Bartlesville, Enid and Tulsa and 65 was the high in Guthrie, Hobart and Oklahoma City.

Highs ranging from the 20s in the northwest to 40s in the southeast are expected Thursday. Lows should range from the teens in the Oklahoma Panhandle to 30s in southeast Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has declared a statewide emergency as a dangerous winter storm pushes into Oklahoma.

Henry declared the emergency Wednesday for all 77 Oklahoma counties as state officials continued their emergency response preparations.

Henry says emergency management authorities believe it was important to issue the declaration before the storm arrived. The storm was forecast to cross the state Wednesday night and Thursday.

A companion order the governor signed permits weight and size limits on state roadways to be waived to allow heavy power company vehicles to position themselves across the state. The governor says the storm could include an ice storm and widespread power outages.

The emergency declaration provides a formal mechanism for local governments to seek reimbursement for recovery costs through the state's disaster public assistance program.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok. - Wednesday may be the last mild day across Oklahoma for a while.

The National Weather Service says temperatures should be above average before a storm system arrives. A winter storm watch has been issued for Thursday and Friday, when Oklahoma could get a mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet and heavy snow.

On Tuesday, skies were clear and temperatures ranged from 45 degrees in Ponca City to 55 degrees in Lawton. The high temperature in Stillwater and Tulsa was 48, and the mercury peaked at 49 degrees in Guthrie and Oklahoma City.

Rain chances will be slight initially, then a mixture of rain, snow and sleet is possible for northwest Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Highs in the 50s and lows ranging from 20s in the Oklahoma Panhandle to 40s in the southeast are expected.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Thousands of homes and businesses lost power and Oklahoma's two largest school districts canceled classes for the rest of the week as a winter storm brought freezing precipitation and sub-freezing temperatures to the region.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric reported nearly 20,300 customers without power late Wednesday after freezing drizzle fell across much of central Oklahoma. There were no reports of accidents or injuries.

Earlier in the day, Oklahoma City school Superintendent Karl Springer and Tulsa Superintendent Keith Ballard announced they had canceled classes for Thursday and Friday because of concern for students who must wait outside for buses or who walk to school.

The frozen precipitation was expected to end Thursday, but temperatures aren't expected to climb out of the teens and 20s during the day and will plummet into the single digits and below at night.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State transportation agencies have spent millions of dollars clearing Oklahoma's roads and turnpikes following the Christmas Eve snow storm.

Officials at the Department of Transportation estimated Tuesday the agency spent about $4 million between Dec. 23, the day before the storm struck, and Dec. 28. The agency cleared interstate highways as well as other major roads in the state.

Nearly 1,000 ODOT employees worked throughout the holiday weekend to clear roadways following the storm. Officials say they spread 50,000 tons of salt and sand and 22 tons of magnesium chloride, which prevents icing.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority spent $929,139 clearing snow from Oklahoma turnpikes between Dec. 23 and Dec. 29. Four turnpikes were closed during the snow storm, but all were reopened by Christmas morning.

PAWNEE, Ok. - Drivers taking Highway 412 from the west toward Tulsa can expect delay this morning. Dipatcher Crystal Hankins works at the Oklahoma Highway Patrol office in Pawnee. Hankins says, "We've had slick bridges and overpasses and there's a semi (tractor-trailer) accident on the Keystone bridge on Highway 412 going from the Cimarron Turnpike into Tulsa." Hankins says the crash that happened about 3:30 a.m. is still in the cleanup phase. Driving in the Guymon area of northwest Oklahoma is slick and hazardous this morning as well. Carly Whittler dispatches Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers in that part of the state. Whittler says, "On U.S. 287, a trooper says in Cimarron in that area it's going to be slick in spots with light snow accumulation. Also, in Harper County and Woodward County on U.S. 270, it's going to be very hazardous due to snow accumulaton and black ice." Whittler says she's had no reports of any accidents but she says it's a different story over toward Oklahoma City. She says several accidents have been reported in that area during the night.

JONES, Okla. (AP) - The U.S. Geological Survey reports a magnitude 3.5 earthquake was recorded near Jones in central Oklahoma.

The earthquake struck about 11:45 a.m. Monday and was centered about two miles southeast of Jones - about 16 miles east of Oklahoma City.

There were no reports of damage or injuries, but residents in Midwest City and Spencer reported feeling the quake.

Quakes of magnitude 2.5 to 3 are generally the smallest felt by people. A magnitude 4 quake can cause moderate damage.

UNDATED (AP) - Rain, snow and winter-like temperatures are in Oklahoma's forecast for the upcoming work week.

The National Weather Service says there could be enough cold air late Monday night and early Tuesday for very light freezing rain across the northern half of Oklahoma before precipitation turns to rain.

Snow is possible in northern Oklahoma, and a wintry mix is likely in the central part of the state.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The National Weather Service says there's a possibility for up to 4 inches of snow as a winter storm moves in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

Forecasters issued a winter weather advisory through 6 a.m. Monday for the Panhandle. Snowfall accumulations through Monday morning were expected to range from 1 to 2 inches across the central and eastern Panhandle, with 2 to 4 inches possible across the western Panhandle.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Heavy rain and wind pounded parts of Oklahoma, leaving minor damage and flooding in parts of the state.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Emergency Medical Services Authority reported at least 25 injury and non-injury accidents on Thursday, mainly in central Oklahoma. None were fatal.

Tornado warnings were issued for Hughes and Pushmataha counties, but there was no immediate confirmation that anything touched down.

According to the National Weather Service, winds of an unknown speed damaged a metal barn and snapped several power poles near Weleetka in Okfuskee County. The weather service says a 71-mph wind gust was reported in Payne County near Stillwater, and a gust downed a tree near Loco in Stephens County.

Flash flood warnings were issued for eight counties in eastern Oklahoma, including the Tulsa area.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved all 77 Oklahoma counties for a federal disaster designation due to extreme weather conditions during the past year.

Gov. Brad Henry said Wednesday farmers and ranchers in the state are eligible for low-interest Farm Service Agency loans to cover losses caused by extreme weather between September 2008 and June of this year.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack approved 74 counties for a primary natural disaster designation. Ranchers and farmers in the remaining three counties - Adair, Cherokee and Pushmataha - are also eligible for FSA loans because those counties are contiguous to the primary disaster area.

Henry says the agriculture and ranching industries have been hit hard by drought combined with floods, hail, fire, high winds and freezing temperatures.

ADA, Okla. (AP) - A minor 3.4 magnitude earthquake rattled an area in central Oklahoma, one of several small quakes reported in the state.

Amy Vaughan, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center, says the quake hit early Thursday at 3:22 a.m. CDT in an area near Ada and 63 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.

A Pontotoc County dispatcher says there were no immediate reports of damage.

Quakes of magnitude 2.5 to 3 are generally the smallest felt by people.

Also Thursday, five earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 2.7 occurred in the Jones area.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Authorities say strong winds damaged mobile homes and felled trees as severe weather moved through northern Oklahoma.

There were no reports of injuries with the thunderstorms, which began tracking across the state late Wednesday and continued into Thursday.

Payne County emergency management officials reported significant damage to two mobile homes near Tryon as a storm blew threw before 1 a.m. Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, the speed of the winds weren't known.

Other reports included guttering ripped off a home in Stilwell and trees being uprooted, knocked down or damaged in Rogers, Sequoyah and Okmulgee counties.

The weather service says the strongest winds - a 70 mile-per-hour gust at Quapaw and a 65 mile-per-hour gust in Commerce - were reported in Ottawa County.

UNDATED (AP) - The chance for showers and thunderstorms will continue for the rest of the week across Oklahoma.

The weather service issued a flood warning early Monday for parts of north-central and northwest Garfield County after a powerful thunderstorm brought high winds and heavy rain overnight. The warning expired about 11:30 a.m., but several roads in the area were closed after some locations received as much 6 inches of rain.

Meanwhile, the chance for rain and thunderstorms will continue through Friday across much of the state. Daytime highs are expected to be in the mid 80s to mid 90s, with overnight lows mostly in the 60s to upper 70s.

ENID, Ok.- Heavy rain brought high water to Enid, Oklahoma, in Garfield County yesterday. News 9 Oklahoma City's Doug Warner reports rainfall from yesterday is causing trouble for residents in the north-central Oklahoma town. He says, "There's a trailer completely demolished. It's a box trailer (with) Chisholm Stampede Band on it so their transportation there, as far as their equipment goes, that trailer is completely mashed." Warner reports there are lots of trees down and high water in the area. He says the Enid High School football field is under water this morning. Warner says a power outage from the storms will cause classes to be cancelled in Kremlin, Oklahoma, in Garfield County today. There were no injuries reported from the storms.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Severe thunderstorms have caused damage and knocked out electric power in parts of Oklahoma.

There were no reports of injuries with the storms, which packed winds of more than 70 miles per hour as they tracked through northern sections of the state Monday afternoon. Gusts of more than 70 miles per hour were reported near Freedom, Cherokee and Enid.

Authorities say strong, straight-line winds tore off part of the roof of a house in Okay and threw it 50 feet. Officials also reported roof damage to a home near Buffalo; a billboard and pole that were blown down near Stillwater; and power pole damage from a tree in Bristow.

The storms also dumped more than two inches of rain in Inola, Okmulgee and Pryor.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Weather forecasters expect intense heat to return to Oklahoma after Thursday's brief reprieve thanks to a storm system.

Before thunderstorms rolled across northern, central and southern sections of the state late Wednesday into Thursday, daytime highs reached or passed 100 degrees in many areas, including a 106-degree reading in Lawton on Wednesday.

An excessive heat warning for the Tulsa area and a heat advisory for 14 counties in eastern Oklahoma remained in effect through Friday, when possible triple-digit temperatures and higher humidity could lead to heat-related illnesses.

There have been no deaths officially attributed to the extreme heat, but the Emergency Medical Services Authority has reported receiving just under 300 heat-related calls.

UNDATED (AP) - Rain chances will be slim during the upcoming work week, when forecasters say conditions will be hot and dry.

The National Weather Service says an upper high pressure system anchored over northern New Mexico will bring hotter weather. But a weak northwest air flow will lend itself to bringing one or two cold fronts close to northern Oklahoma.

A front will most likely move into the state late Wednesday or Thursday when an upper level trough passes through the upper Midwest. A slight chance for rain is forecast in northern and central Oklahoma on Thursday.

Seasonably hot and humid air is expected through the week.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - At least one home was heavily damaged and about 5,000 homes and businesses lost electricity when a powerful thunderstorm rolled through Stillwater and northern Oklahoma.

Authorities say there were no reports of injuries, but dozens of utility poles in the area were snapped or blown over by straight-line winds Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 70 miles-per-hour near Stillwater.

Emergency Management technician Rob Hill says significant damage was done to a house when a tree fell on top of it, but no one inside was hurt.

He says about 2,500 customers of Stillwater's municipal electric service lost electricity during the storm.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. reported about 2,500 in north-central Oklahoma at one point.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Strong thunderstorms that swept through Oklahoma have knocked out power to more than 29,500 Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. customers.

Most of the outages were in the Oklahoma City metro area. OG&E reports that 28,900 customers were without power in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Del city and Midwest City.

Other areas experiencing power outages include Hallett, Heavener, Howe and Madill.

The storms are the result of a cold front that entered the state on Wednesday and is pushing south through the state. the storms were accompanied by heavy rain, hail strong winds and frequent lightning.

Forecasters say more storms are likely overnight and Friday as the impact of an upper high pressure ridge shifts west. Storm chances may increase again Monday and Tuesday as the western ridge flattens.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Emergency Medical Services Authority has been working a number of ambulance calls involving people overcome by the heat, including one case in Tulsa involving a death.

This man died after being found unconscious at a west Tulsa construction site on Monday. He is believed to have been a homeless man. He showed symptoms of heat-related illness, and alcohol use is suspected to have complicated his medical condition.

A second person was also treated for heat-related symptoms in the Tulsa area Monday, but this person is not suffering major medical problems.

Also Monday, EMSA transported six people to hospitals in the Oklahoma City area for medical issues related to the heat. Temperatures in Oklahoma City reached 103, while Tulsa reported 98.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Even after a pattern of rainy weather has moved out of Oklahoma, some Memorial Day weekend activities could be washed out by lingering flooding at state parks.

Ten of Oklahoma's 50 state parks have problems with high water due to recent storms.

Most of Beavers Bend State Park in southeastern Oklahoma has been closed after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had to release water from Broken Bow Lake. Nine other parks have closed boat docks and limited camping.

State tourism director Hardy Watkins says the reality is that there will be an impact on Memorial Day weekend, one of the department's three biggest weekends of the year.

But he says even a short dry spell could make a big difference in how many parks can reopen by next weekend.

UNDATED (AP) - Power is slowly returning in Anadarko after a tornado damaged homes and businesses and downed trees and power lines.

The town of about 6,400 was the hardest-hit after a storm system unleashed violent storms on the state Wednesday night.

According to emergency management officials, three people sustained minor injuries when the EF-2 twister touched down in Anadarko.

At least 40 homes and businesses were damaged and the downtown is littered with roofing material and shards of glass.

Eddie Ladd says last night's storm was the first tornado he'd been through since setting up his insurance business there 21 years ago and hopes it's the last.

In northeastern Oklahoma, a 100 mph wind gust blew off parts of the roof at the Lighthouse Mission in Bartlesville, displacing 15 homeless people staying at the shelter.

Mission founder Naomi Hill says everyone was scared but safe.

The National Weather Service's Norman office said at least five tornadoes touched down yesterday.

An EF-1 tornado touched down in Noble County and EF-0 twisters touched down in Cleveland, Dewey and Kay counties.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - No damage or injuries have been reported from a line of severe thunderstorms that spawned at least one tornado in Oklahoma overnight.

Caddo County Emergency Management Director Larry McDuffey says there was damage in the cities of Anadarko and Gracemont last night, although officials aren't sure if it was caused by a tornado or straight-line winds.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that downed trees and power lines had led to the closure of U.S. Highways 62 and 281, effectively closing off Anadarko to traffic from the east.

McDuffey added that dozens of inmates were evacuated from the Caddo County jail because of a gas line break.

A tornado was also reported near Tonkawa in Kay County, although emergency management officials couldn't locate a damage path.

As many as 8,000 customers were without electricity at one point.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Even as floodwaters receded in some areas of eastern Oklahoma, two people have drowned in separate accidents after the area endured heavy, constant rainfall in recent days.

Twelve Oklahoma counties, mostly in the north and east, remain under flood warnings yesterday issued by the National Weather Service and three others were under flood watches. Another was under a flash flood watch.

But through the afternoon hours, little rain fell in the state and forecasters also are predicting mostly dry weather today, with chances for rain increasing tomorrow.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that 49-year-old Pryor resident Kimberlyn Rae Kendrick drowned on Saturday night after driving her car past barriers placed in a flooded rural Mayes County roadway and being swept away.

Troopers also say 73-year-old Paul Cox of Broken Bow drowned yesterday morning in the Glover River in McCurtain County. Troopers say family members told them Cox hadn't been seen since 6 p.m. Saturday and that he had been drinking.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - It could be another stormy in Oklahoma today.

The National Weather Service said a cold front that moved southward across the state yesterday was expected to track back to the north, bringing warm, moist air with it.

As a result, a complex of thunderstorms was forecast to develop west of Oklahoma and sweep eastward overnight into today.

Far southwestern Oklahoma had the best chance of severe storms overnight, with areas farther to the east possibly seeing severe weather today.

Yesterday, skies were partly to mostly cloudy and temperatures ranged from 60 degrees in Clinton and Guymon to 78 degrees in McAlester. The mercury peaked at 65 degrees in Oklahoma City and reached 66 in Tulsa.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely, with temperatures reaching the 70s and 80s during the day and falling into the 50s and 60s tonight.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - At least six tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma over the weekend.

National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Lamers says investigators confirmed that four twisters hit Garfield County late Saturday into early Sunday.

Lamers says two of the tornadoes in Garfield County were rated as EF-2's, which can generate winds of up to 135 miles per hour.

According to a report, one of those tornadoes struck Enid's north side and another hit southeast of Kremlin.

A third Garfield County tornado that struck northwest of Kremlin and near Hillsdale, was rated and EF-1, meaning winds could have reached up to 110 miles per hour in the storm.

Rating on the county's fourth tornado, which hit east of Hillsdale, hasn't been completed.

Officials have confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Roger Mills and Ellis counties on Sunday, but the ratings haven't been completed.

CRAWFORD, Okla. (AP) - A mobile home and frame home were damaged when a tornado touched down in far western Oklahoma yesterday, but no one was hurt.

State emergency management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says the two homes were damaged in Ellis County but no injuries were reported from the second batch of storms in as many days.

Three people were hurt when twisters struck Enid and Kremlin in northwestern Oklahoma overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.

Numerous roads and bridges have also been closed due to high water in northwestern Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. reports about 3,000 customers without power in the Shattuck area in northern Ellis County.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State and federal emergency management crews will visit northwestern Oklahoma this week to survey damage caused by a snowstorm that hit the area last month.

As much as 2 feet of snow was reported in some areas after a blizzard moved through in the first week of spring, causing several roofs to collapse. Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency for 50 Oklahoma counties.

The preliminary damage assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will concentrate on 11 counties in northwestern Oklahoma, from the Panhandle to Interstate 35 along the Kansas state line.

The crews will focus on damage to roads and bridges, plus other emergency response costs.

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (AP) - Authorities say dozens of homes have been damaged or destroyed and at least 34 people have been injured as fires rage across the state.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says two of those injuries were serious -- a firefighter was burned in a Lincoln County blaze and a motorist in Stephens County was severely injured after losing control of a vehicle on a smoke-covered road yesterday.

Gov. Brad Henry says his thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their homes and adds that officials will get a better idea of extensive the destruction is at daybreak.

Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel says about 100 structures have been damaged or destroyed, including the hard-hit communities of Midwest City and Choctaw.

South of Oklahoma City, 13 homes were damaged or destroyed between Lindsay and Dibble and dozens of others homes were threatened.

In Stephens County, Marlow Fire Chief Jerome McCalvin says some homes have been lost in the Velma area.

In Carter County, assistant emergency management director Chester Agan says six homes have been destroyed and a church in Fox was destroyed.

Stillwater Emergency Management Director Kirk Mittlestet says some structures have been lost in Payne County.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - It will take another day for a cold spring airmass to clear out of Oklahoma and allow more seasonable temperatures to return.

The National Weather Service said a ridge of high pressure will settle over the area today, bringing the coldest temperatures of the past two days. Freeze warnings for all but the counties in the Oklahoma Panhandle are in effect for tonight.

McCurtain County in the southeastern tip was expected to be included in the warning.

Yesterday, skies were clear to partly cloudy and ferocious northerly winds whipped the state most of the day. According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, maximum wind gusts ranged from 25 mph to 57 mph.

Daytime highs ranged from 48 degrees in Guymon to 58 degrees in Frederick. The mercury peaked at 49 degrees in Bartlesville, Enid, Gage, Ponca City and Tulsa and hit 54 degrees in Hobart and Oklahoma City.

Skies should be sunny today, with highs in the 40s and 50s and lows in the 20s.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The skies cleared, the temperatures warmed and electricity returned to areas of northwest Oklahoma that were hit by a crippling spring storm.

As little as a trace to as much as 25 inches of snow was reported throughout Oklahoma, with eight counties in the northwest part of the state seeing the greatest accumulations.

The National Weather Service received a report of 25 inches of snow near Fort Supply in Woodward County, the highest amount. Other amounts include 24 inches in Alva, Freedom, Hooker and Laverne; 23 inches in Buffalo; 21 inches in Felt and 18 inches in Arnett, Turpin, Waynoka and Woodward.

NWS meteorologist Alex Lamers says in February 1971, 36 inches of snow as recorded in Buffalo.

The snow led to roof collapses in Custer, Harper, Texas and Woodward counties. Thirty-eight residents were evacuated from a Buffalo nursing home to a hospital because the roof caved in and schools in Fort Supply and Tyrone were damaged by collapses.

In Harper County, emergency manager Conyetta Lehenbauer says electric power had returned to many residences, including her own, and emergency workers reached elderly people who were trapped in their homes.

In neighboring Woodward County, emergency manager Matt Lehenbauer said crews had cleared major roads in the area and damage assessments were expected to begin today.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation employees have been working non-stop. Officials say six 10-member teams carrying enough fuel and food to last at least four days were dispatched to northwest Oklahoma on Saturday.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for much of northwest Oklahoma, where more than a foot of snow could accumulate amid windy, blizzard-like conditions.

A blizzard warning was issued for Cimarron and Texas counties in the Oklahoma Panhandle, where more than six- to 12 inches of snow could fall and winds 35 to 40 miles per hour with higher gusts could create snow drifts of ten to 20 feet.

A winter storm warning was issued for Beaver County and adjacent counties in northwest Oklahoma and counties bordering the Texas Panhandle for four to eight inches of snow and up to four inches of snow was possible in a winter storm watch area that includes Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Forecasters said generally warm ground conditions and temperatures above freezing could limit the bulk of the travel problems to the northwest part of the state.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster exists in areas of Oklahoma that suffered major damage in winter storms at the end of January.

The declaration yesterday makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and some nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis.

The funding is for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm in the counties of Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, and Hughes.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Douglas G. Mayne has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - President Obama has approved Oklahoma's request for disaster assistance to individuals in three counties hit by deadly tornadoes last week.

Gov. Brad Henry announced yesterday that approval for individual assistance was granted for Carter, Logan and Oklahoma counties.

The designation ensures federal assistance for housing repairs or temporary housing and low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to repair or replace damaged property. It also provides disaster unemployment assistance and grants for serious needs and necessary disaster expenses not met by other programs.

Henry says he also expects to seek public assistance to help reimburse state and local governments for storm-related costs.(file photo)

LONE GROVE, Okla. (AP) - The last thing Susan Fambrough did as a howling tornado bore down on her mobile home in Lone Grove was comfort her 13-year-old daughter by taking her hand.

Within moments, the 54-year-old and her youngest daughter, Kaylee, were pulled apart as the powerful storm splintered their trailer.

Kaylee emerged from the wreckage with minor injuries, but the bodies of her mother and father Vincent Fambrough were discovered later that night.

The couple was among eight people killed and 14 seriously injured in the Tuesday night. Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace said yesterday his earlier report that one of these 14 had died was incorrect.

Others killed were postal carrier Tim Nevill; truck stop clerk Molly Hutchison; truck driver Gary Boyd Jr.; retiree Donna McGarvey; Air Force retiree William Wheat and Trevor Morgan.

State Medical Examiner's office spokeswoman Cherokee Ballard says all of the victims except Boyd lived in Lone Grove and all suffered some form of blunt force trauma. Boyd was from Jones.

Meanwhile, authorities declared the search for victims was over and residents began in earnest the task of cleaning up. (file photo)

LONE GROVE, Okla. (AP) - Gov. Brad Henry has visited numerous disaster sites in the state, from ice storms to floods to wildfires. And he says it never gets easier.

While sidestepping tornado debris yesterday in Lone Grove, Henry lamented that the latest disaster was the worst one he'd seen during his tenure.

Considering the state's recent history of disasters, that's quite a statement.

The Lone Grove tornado was the third to cause multiple fatalities in the state since March 2007, when a Panhandle couple became the state's first tornado deaths in almost six years.

On May 10th a tornado roared through Picher in far northeastern Oklahoma, resulting in seven deaths in the town that sits on a federal Superfund site.

Then came yesterday's twister in Lone Grove, which goes down as the deadliest tornado since the historic May 3, 1999, outbreak that killed 45.

Oklahomans have also endured wildfires and significant flooding that killed six.

Henry says the state has had more than its share of devastating weather and has learned how to deal with it.

LONE GROVE, Okla. (AP) - The sheriff of Carter County says a ninth person has died from injuries in a deadly tornado that went through the town of Lone Grove.

Sheriff Ken Grace says the victim was hurt during Tuesday night's storm and transferred to a hospital in Dallas. Grace says that person died yesterday.

Emergency crews sorted through bricks and beams in search of more victims after the half-mile wide twister blasted through.

Most of the deaths occurred in a mobile home park, and in one case, the wind lifted a car and dropped it on a man.

There were also miraculous tales of survival. Rescuers found one woman injured but alive under an overturned mobile home.

The National Weather Service assigned a preliminary EF-4 rating to the Lone Grove storm, with winds estimated at 170 miles per hour.

Survey teams say it appears the tornado reached EF-4 intensity on the south side of Lone Grove and remained on the ground for more than an hour.

Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency in 17 counties for the severe weather that raked the state on Tuesday. (file photo)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Authorities say the death toll has risen in a tornado that ripped through the southern Oklahoma town of Lone Grove.

Michelann Ooten of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says four people were killed when the large, violent twister moved through the town of about 4,600 last night. Ooten says search and rescue operations were ongoing.

Authorities earlier said there was extensive damage in Lone Grove and dozens of people were injured.

The tornado was one of at least three that touched down in Oklahoma yesterday. One churned through the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, causing three minor injuries, destroying at least six homes in Edmond and damaging or destroying businesses in both cities.

The weather service says damage and debris was consistent with a tornado near Pawnee in north-central Oklahoma. Two damaged mobile homes and two destroyed barns were reported there.

Elsewhere, a house was damaged in Wilson, near Ardmore, and 20 homes were damaged near Oklahoma 105 east of Guthrie.

In Pottawatomie County, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation reported that its maintenance facility east of Tecumseh along Oklahoma 9 was damaged. (file photo)

UNDATED (AP) - There is little relief in Oklahoma's forecast for dry, windy conditions that were ideal for wildfires over the weekend.

The National Weather Service says today is to be generally sunny with highs in the 50s and overnight lows in the 20s.

Mostly clear skies are forecast for tomorrow, with highs ranging from the mid 40s in northeast Oklahoma to near 60 degrees in far southeast Oklahoma.

Clear skies are expected to continue Wednesday for most of the state, with a few scattered clouds in northern Oklahoma. Highs were to range from the upper 40s in north-central Oklahoma to the mid 60s in the Panhandle, with overnight lows in the 20s to near 30 degrees.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Oklahomans endure a second straight day of wintry weather as freezing rain and sleet continued falling.

Icy roads are blamed for at least two fatal traffic accidents and caused officials to close most of the state's schools and all but essential state government workers were told to stay home yesterday.

According to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, nearly 28,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, mainly in eastern Oklahoma. Electric restoration crews report three-quarters to an inch of ice accumulation on power lines in that area.

Both Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and Tulsa International Airport remained open but airlines had canceled dozens of flights.

The National Weather Service canceled most winter weather advisories as the storm moved away and skies slowly cleared from west to east. An ice storm warning remained in effect for McCurtain County in Oklahoma's southeastern tip until today.

Temperatures are expected to climb above freezing in most areas today for the first time since Monday.

By Saturday temperatures could be in the 60s.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A winter storm that covered most of Oklahoma with a layer of ice has killed at least two people.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority says a truck driver was killed yesterday afternoon when his semi cab skidded off an icy stretch of Interstate 44 near Chandler. The driver's name wasn't released.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a 21-year-old Tulsa man was killed about 2:30 p.m. in the other accident on I-44, this one near Afton.

The patrol says Renard J. Johnson Junior sustained massive injuries when his sport utility vehicle slid out of control on the icy roadway and into the path of a semi. Johnson died at the scene.

Governor Henry has declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties and the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning until 6 tonight for most of central, south-central and northeast Oklahoma.

An ice storm warning was issued for nine counties in eastern Oklahoma into tomorrow, where thunderstorms could fall into sub-freezing air and enhance the chance for significant icing.

UNDATED (AP) - Emergency officials are bracing for the impact of a winter storm that is moving into Oklahoma.

In Oklahoma City, 18 salt crews reported to work at midnight in preparation for sleet and rain predicted to occur overnight and in the morning hours.

Officials say crews will focus their deicing efforts along the City's emergency snow routes. Bridges and overpasses along the snow route will be the first to be treated.

In Tulsa, emergency officials met this afternoon to make preparations in advance of a possible wintry weather blast. Officials say accumulation of ice on roads and other surfaces is likely in the area.

Trucks will be ready to roll when the precipitation begins to fall. Tulsa officials say they have plenty of material on hand to treat the streets.

UNDATED (AP) - Heat advisories are in effect across Oklahoma as another day of triple-digit heat grips the state.

The National Weather Service said more hot, dry weather is forecast after the state recorded afternoon temperatures yesterday as high as 109 degrees in Alva and Ardmore.

The high temperature in Oklahoma City reached 106, tying a record set 78 years earlier.

Forecasters said the state's weather pattern is expected to change toward cooler and wetter conditions late in the week as an upper low pressure system now over central Canada drops south. The front could arrive in Oklahoma as early as Wednesday.

Showers and thunderstorms are possible as early as Wednesday night and may last through the weekend.