Blizzard — Oldham, Texas

2024-01-08 · Oldham, Texas

Event narrative

Blizzard level winds were reached starting at 1245CST and lasted through 1819CST. Snow and winds led to near zero visibility and snow covered surfaces led to TxDOT shutting down I-40 from Soncy Rd in Amarillo westward all the way to the New Mexico state line, starting around 1330CST and lasting through much of the evening. Sustained winds were measured between 40 and 50 mph for several hours between 1200CST and 1640CST. A couple of mesonet stations located in the county measured wind gusts in excess of 58 mph throughout the afternoon of the 8th, from 1225 CST to 1623 CST. The peak gust of 70 mph was measured at 1502CST by the mesonet located 11 miles SSW of Romero. Snowfall amounts were generally around one to two inches, especially in the western third of the county.

Wider weather episode

A strong low pressure system brought severe winds and snow to the combined Panhandles. With sustained winds reaching 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 74 mph combined with snow, much of the area saw blizzard to near blizzard conditions. The Oklahoma and Texas Departments of Transportation were forced to shutdown roadways as motorists got stranded in the snow with near zero visibility and no way for emergency personnel to reach them. Roads west and north of Amarillo, TX were impacted for much of the afternoon through evening hours of the 8th. Amarillo east and southeastward, while experiencing the same strong winds, only experienced shorter durations of low visibility and less impact from the snow compared to the northwestern Panhandles.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1155315. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.