Lubbock National Weather Service December 23-24, 2009 Snowstorm

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX

1246 PM CST THU DEC 24 2009

...CHRISTMAS EVE ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS IMPACTED BY A
SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM...

A POTENT WINTER STORM RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
AND VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS
OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY INTO LATE CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING. THE
APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM BEGAN TO INFLUENCE WEST TEXAS LATE
WEDNESDAY...WHEN RAIN INITIALLY OVERSPREAD THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL
SOUTH PLAINS. ALTHOUGH RAIN TRANSITIONED TO SNOW OVER THE FAR
NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS AND THE EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN PANHANDLE
BY LATE AFTERNOON WEDNESDAY...MOST AREAS CONTINUED TO SEE STEADY
RAINFALL THROUGH MUCH OF THE EVENING HOURS. BY LATE
EVENING...HOWEVER...RAIN TRANSITIONED TO SNOW OVER ALL OF THE
SOUTH PLAINS REGION...AND BY CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING SIGNIFICANT
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS HAD OCCURRED OVER MUCH OF WEST TEXAS. THE SNOW...
COMBINED WITH STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING AT TIMES NEAR 60
MPH...RESULTED IN NEAR WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY THURSDAY
MORNING OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PANHANDLE AND THE ROLLING
PLAINS.

NUMEROUS REPORTS OF AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED...AS
WELL AS LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES. PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE THAT
SOME ROAD CLOSURES HAVE ALSO OCCURRED.

A PRELIMINARY LIST OF REPORTED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND PEAK WIND
GUSTS FOLLOWS.

STORM SNOW TOTALS:

LAMB COUNTY 3-8 INCHES 3-4FT DRIFTS
LUBBOCK COUNTY 3-7 INCHES 2-4FT DRIFTS
HOCKLEY COUNTY 3-6 INCHES 4FT DRIFTS
SWISHER COUNTY 1-6 INCHES
PARMER COUNTY 3-5 INCHES 3-5 FT DRIFTS
CROSBY COUNTY 3-5 INCHES 2-3FT DRIFTS
HALL COUNTY 3-5 INCHES 1-2FT DRIFTS
MOTLEY COUNTY 3-5 INCHES 1 FT DRIFTS
GARZA COUNTY 2-5 INCHES 1-2FT DRIFTS
HALE COUNTY 2-5 INCHES 1 FT DRIFTS
COCHRAN COUNTY 2-5 INCHES
LYNN COUNTY 1-5 INCHES
CASTRO COUNTY 4 INCHES
KING COUNTY 4 INCHES
STONEWALL COUNTY 4 INCHES
BRISCOE COUNTY 3-4 INCHES
BAILEY COUNTY 3-4 INCHES
COTTLE COUNTY 2-4 INCHES
FLOYD COUNTY 2-4 INCHES
TERRY COUNTY 2-4 INCHES
YOAKUM COUNTY 1-4 INCHES
DICKENS COUNTY 2-3 INCHES 5FT DRIFTS
KENT COUNTY 2-3 INCHES
CHILDRESS COUNTY 2 INCHES

PEAK WIND GUSTS (COURTESY WEST TEXAS MESONET):

MEMPHIS68 MPH
GRAHAM61 MPH
WHITE RIVER LAKE60 MPH
TURKEY 59 MPH
CHILDRESS 58 MPH
0`DONNELL 56 MPH
PADUCAH 55 MPH
TULIA 54 MPH
HART 51 MPH
SLATON 50 MPH
WOLFFORTH 50 MPH
OLTON 48 MPH
LEVELLAND 48 MPH
LUBBOCK INTL AIRPORT (NWS) 47 MPH
PLAINS 47 MPH
SUNDOWN 47 MPH
JAYTON 46 MPH
FRIONA 46 MPH
BROWNFIELD 45 MPH
MULESHOE 41 MPH