Spavinaw Goes From Lake Town To Snow City

Craig Day, News On 6

SPAVINAW, Oklahoma -- This week's winter storm brought record snowfall followed by record cold temperatures. Nowata was really in the ice box at minus 31 degrees. And Spavinaw in Mayes County is digging out from a record breaker after an amazing snowfall.

Spavinaw, Oklahoma looks more like a mountain community than a lake town. Angie Marquez is originally from New Mexico. Even she is amazed at the remarkable Oklahoma snowfall.

"Not ever seen this much snow. Never in my entire life, until coming here," said Spavinaw resident Angie Marquez. "Even being from New Mexico, yeah."

Spavinaw got 27 inches of snow on top of what last week's blizzard brought. The 27 inches breaks the previous 24-hour Oklahoma snowfall record set in Woodward and Freedom in 2009.

While it is unique to be a record holder, about all the distinction really means is many remain cooped up in their homes, and it is a challenge to get around if they can get out.

Snow removal man Larry Pennel is one of the most popular guys around right now.

"I could see the difference from Langley to here. The roads were clear in Langley; the roads here are not. They're still iced over," said Larry Pennel.

Pennel will be busy for some time.

Les Perdian splits his time between homes in Spavinaw and Ohio. He once owned a business in Spavinaw called Captain Freeze.

Craig Day: "Do they call you Captain Freeze now?
Les Perdian: "Some of them do. Call me Captain Freeze."
Craig: "Now more people call you that?"
Les Perdian: "They call me a lot of things: 'Yankee! You brought this down here.'"

Most everyone in Spavinaw agrees the record snowfall is both amazing and beautiful. But it can also be trying.

Even with the sunshine and warmer temperatures in the weather forecast, it is still going to take quite some time for all this snow to melt. There is just so much of it.

And there is so much work still ahead for the new record holders who live here - people trying to recover. History makers trying to make their way back to normal.

"Stuck again. Just bad news," said Jeremy Herren, Spavinaw resident. "When you're trapped, you're trapped. You can't get out."

"This shocked me. I came down here to get away from the winter," said Les Perdian.

Spavinaw resident Mowell McLeroy said he does not like the snow.

"No, I sure don't. I sold my four-wheel drive truck about a week and a half ago. You know how that goes, perfect timing on that," he said.

"I've worked three days in about two weeks."