National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce
 
National Weather Service Lubbock Significant Weather Events
Dec. 7-8, 2018: Winter storm brings heavy snow to parts of the South Plains
Snow falling in southwest Lubbock on Saturday morning (December 8, 2018). Image courtesy Mark Conder.
Snow falling in southwest Lubbock on Saturday morning (December 8, 2018). Image courtesy Mark Conder.

 

A moisture infused storm system brought widespread winter weather to West Texas in early December, including a swath of heavy snow from the South Plains into the Rolling Plains. The winter storm was preceded by a strong cold front that moved through on Thursday, December 6th. Behind the front gusty northerly winds carried in much colder air. Temperatures dropped into the lower and middle 30s by early Friday morning, when the initial effects of the approaching storm were felt. Scattered rain showers developed, with pockets of freezing rain where temperatures were at or slightly below the freezing mark. Thankfully, the marginal temperatures and relatively mild ground kept impacts minimal through the day on Friday.

 

GOES 16 water vapor loop valid from from around 6 am to 9 am on 8 December 2018. Note the impressive storm system churning across northwest Texas where it was producing moderate to heavy snow.
GOES 16 water vapor loop valid from around 6 am to 9 am on 8 December 2018. Note the impressive storm system churning across northwest Texas where it was producing moderate to heavy snow.

 

Everything changed Friday night as more widespread moderate to heavy precipitation formed and spread into the South Plains in response to the approaching southwestern storm system. Temperatures aloft cooled quickly and this caused the rain to mix with and change to snow Friday evening. Moderate to heavy snow continued overnight into Saturday morning before ending from west to east.

 

Regional radar animation valid from 8:48 pm to 9:58 pm on 7 December 2018. At this time, most of the precipitation was in liquid form, but it quickly changed over to snow over the next several hours over the South Plains region.
Regional radar animation valid from 8:48 pm to 9:58 pm on 7 December 2018. At this time, most of the precipitation was in liquid form, but it quickly changed over to snow over the next several hours over the South Plains region.

 

The heavy wet snow quickly piled up through early Saturday morning, with a half a foot or more falling over the central South Plains into the Rolling Plains by daybreak or so. 

 

Snow beginning to accumulate at several different locations around the South Plains at 2 am December 8, 2018.
Snow beginning to accumulate at several different locations around the South Plains at 2 am December 8, 2018.

 

Lubbock was squarely in the heaviest band of snow, with spots around the city recording from 9 inches to a foot. Snow and ice packed roadways created slick conditions which resulted in numerous accidents. Although dangerous for travel, the snow also created a beautiful scene.

 

Lubbock radar animation valid from 3:15 am to 8:50 am on 8 December 2018.
Lubbock radar animation valid from 3:15 am to 8:50 am on 8 December 2018.

 

As the above radar animation and below snow map show, there was a sharp cutoff between the heavy snow over the central South Plains to very little to no snow north over the Texas Panhandle and south into the Permian Basin.

 

Snow totals observed around the South Plains region for the 7-8 December 2018 winter storm.
Snow totals observed around the South Plains region for the 7-8 December 2018 winter storm.

 

Where the snow band did linger, very heavy snow fell for several hours Saturday morning, with a half a foot to nearly a foot accumulating over much of the central South Plains into the Rolling Plains. Some of the biggest winners were right around Lubbock where many reports of 9 to 11 inches were received.

 

Radar-estimated and bias-corrected liquid water equivalent for the 7-8 December 2018 winter storm. The first shade of green represents 3/4"+, with the second shade of green representing 1"+.
Radar-estimated and bias-corrected liquid water equivalent for the 7-8 December 2018 winter storm. The first shade of green represents 3/4"+, with the second shade of green representing 1"+. A regional view can be VIEWED HERE. The snow that melted in the West Texas Mesonet sites can also be SEEN HERE.

 

The snow also brought welcome moisture to the region, with liquid water equivalents of a half inch to one inch common where the heaviest band of snow tracked across. Lubbock officially recorded 10 inches of snow and 1.09 inches of liquid from this December winter storm, both setting records for the day.

 

isible satellite image captured on 9 December 2018. The white stretching across the South Plains into the Rolling Plains is the broad snow pack left on the ground after the previous day's storm.
Visible satellite image captured on 9 December 2018. The white stretching across the South Plains into the Rolling Plains is the broad snow pack left on the ground after the previous day's storm.

 

The snow lasted for a few days, melting off quickly by late weekend into early the next week as temperatures rose into the 40s and 50s. Before then, the above satellite image shows the impressive swath of snow blanketing the South Plains on Sunday morning.

 

Picture of the winter wonderland taken in Shallowater by Bruce Haynie. Picture of the winter wonderland taken in west Lubbock by Marsha Black.
Additional pictures of snow from around the region. The left picture was taken in Shallowater by Bruce Haynie. The right picture was taken by Marsha Black in west Lubbock.

 

Above and below are several pictures of the winter wonderland left behind by the winter storm.

 

More pictures of the winter wonderland around the National Weather Service Office in Lubbock. More pictures of the winter wonderland around the National Weather Service Office in Lubbock.
More pictures of the winter wonderland around the National Weather Service Office in Lubbock.

 

A listing of snow reports recorded during this winter storm can be found below.

 


Public Information Statement

 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
150 PM CST Tue Dec 11 2018

Total snowfall reports for December 7-8 snowstorm.


********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS
                     SNOWFALL           OF
                     /INCHES/   MEASUREMENT

TEXAS

...Bailey County...
   Muleshoe Wildlife Re   5.0   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Briscoe County...
   Silverton              2.0   930 AM 12/08  Law Enforcement

...Castro County...
   Hart                   3.5   859 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer

...Childress County...
   Tell                   2.0   843 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   1 W Kirkland           1.5   933 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   7 NW Childress         0.2   855 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer

...Cochran County...
   Morton                 4.2   906 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer

...Cottle County...
   10 S Paducah           5.0   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   Paducah                3.0   100 PM 12/08  Fire Dept/Rescue

...Crosby County...
   Crosbyton              8.0  1204 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   White River Lake       3.0   300 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Dickens County...
   Spur                   7.0   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Floyd County...
   9 SE Floydada          9.0  1206 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   Floydada               5.0  1000 AM 12/08  Law Enforcement

...Garza County...
   Lake Alan Henry        2.0   900 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer

...Hale County...
   Abernathy              7.5   811 AM 12/08  Social Media
   Plainview              4.0  1142 AM 12/08  Law Enforcement

...Hall County...
   Turkey                 3.0   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Hockley County...
   6 NNW Ropesville       8.5   100 PM 12/08  Storm total
   Levelland              6.9   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Kent County...
   Jayton                 5.0   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...King County...
   15 S Paducah           8.0   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   Dumont                 6.0  1030 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   Guthrie                5.0   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Lamb County...
   Littlefield            9.0  1205 PM 12/08  Social Media
   7 SE Littlefield       6.5   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   Olton                  5.0   900 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer

...Lubbock County...
   4 SW Lubbock          10.5  1130 AM 12/08  34th and Slide
   3 SSW Lubbock         10.5  1116 AM 12/08  Social Media
   5 WSW Lubbock         10.5  1134 AM 12/08  Trained Spotter
   3 ENE Wolfforth       10.0  1007 AM 12/08  NWS Employee
   7 SW Lubbock          10.0   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   6 NNE Lubbock         10.0   100 PM 12/08  Lubbock Airport
   Idalou                10.0   209 PM 12/08  Social Media
   4 SSW Lubbock         10.0  1003 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   Shallowater            9.8   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   4 WNW Lubbock          9.7  1100 AM 12/08  4th and Slide
   4 E Reese Center       9.3   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   1 SW Lubbock           9.0  1130 AM 12/08  NWS Employee
   5 NNW Lubbock          9.0  1220 PM 12/08  North Pointe Area
   4 NW Lubbock           9.0   832 AM 12/08  Broadcast Media
   1 NNE Ransom Canyon    8.8   844 AM 12/08  Public
   5 NW Lubbock           8.0   900 AM 12/08  Social Media
   6 SW Lubbock           8.0   828 AM 12/08  NWS Employee
   5 SW Lubbock           8.0   831 AM 12/08  Trained Spotter
   SSW Lubbock            7.2   812 AM 12/08  78th and Elgin
   3 W Woodrow            7.0   900 AM 12/08  NWS Employee
   7 WSW Lubbock          6.5   905 AM 12/08  NWS Employee
   Slaton                 5.0  1141 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   5 S Wolfforth          4.8   800 AM 12/08  NWS Employee

...Lynn County...
   Tahoka                 5.0   100 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Motley County...
   Roaring Springs        7.5   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   Matador                5.0   830 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   4 NE Flomot            3.5  1206 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   2 E Flomot             3.5  1205 PM 12/08  Storm Total
   Northfield             2.0   200 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Stonewall County...
   Aspermont              3.5  1202 PM 12/08  Storm Total

...Swisher County...
   Vigo Park              1.5   900 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer
   Tulia                  1.0   808 AM 12/08  Law Enforcement

...Terry County...
   Brownfield             6.0  1203 PM 12/08  Co-Op Observer

...Yoakum County...
   Plains                 5.0   900 AM 12/08  Law Enforcement
   Denver City            3.0   900 AM 12/08  Co-Op Observer