Winter Weather — Hemphill, Texas

2024-01-08 · Hemphill, Texas

Event narrative

Up to 1.5 of snow was measured by an observer near Glazier. This snow fell during periods of high winds on the 8th, which created poor visibility and blizzard like conditions. The high winds also made accurate snow measurements extremely difficult.

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 1155353. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.