Blizzard — Hartley, Texas

2024-01-08 · Hartley, Texas

Event narrative

US Highway 54 and 87/387 were closed by TxDOT during the early afternoon hours due

to motorist getting stranded in low to zero visibility. The ASOS at the Dalhart Airport started reporting 1/4 mile visibility from 1045CST to 1735CST with blowing snow and winds greater than 35 mph in this time period as well. Snowfall amounts ranged from less than an inch in the far southeast part of the county to near four to six inches in the northwest part of the county near Dallam County. The ASOS at Dalhart Municipal Airport measured sustained winds of 35 to 42 MPH from 1150CST to 1555CST on the 8th. It also measured several wind gusts exceeding 58 mph from 1153 CST through 1730 CST with the peak gust of 66 mph being measured at 1219CST.

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 1155317. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.