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First Bout of Winter Weather this Season for West Texas |
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A solid covering of snow at Caprock Canyons State Park on Thursday afternoon (9 January 2025). The picture is courtesy of Captain Collis Park via Kelly Royall. |
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Cold air settled in the region the first full week of 2025, thanks to a series of storm system moving by well to our north. Although West Texas missed out on the precipitation with these initial disturbances, the cold air did set the stage for wintry weather when another storm system moved in on a much more-southerly track, though the southern Rockies and Four Corners. |
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| Water vapor satellite loop valid from 8:26 am to 11:26 am on Thursday (9 January 2025). | |
| Moisture was limited as the winter storm first approached the region, but it gradually tapped a supply from the Gulf of Mexico, causing precipitation to expand in coverage and intensity early Thursday morning (9 January 2025). The leading edge of the precipitation started as freezing rain and sleet over much of the central and southern South Plains into the Rolling Plains. However, the wintry mix quickly turned over to snow in most locations as the temperatures aloft cooled modestly. | |
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| Lubbock WSR-88D radar animation valid from 10:12 pm on Wednesday to 11:33 am on Thursday (8-9 January 2025). An additional radar animation, valid from 2:26 am on Thursday to 7:25 am on Friday (9-10 January 2025) can be FOUND HERE. | |
| The first wave of wintry precipitation, though relatively brief, did create slick roadways, as temperatures were at or below freezing. As a result, many businesses and schools delayed their open Thursday morning. Conditions generally improved over the central and southern South Plains and much of the Rolling Plains late morning into the afternoon, as drier air aloft limited the precipitation to flurries and areas of drizzle and freezing drizzle. | |
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| Snow falling and accumulating in Morton Thursday morning (9 January 2025). The image is courtesy of Chris Whited and KLBK. A video of heavy snow falling in Friona Thursday morning, courtesy of Pantex, can be VIEWED HERE. | |
| However, where the dry air aloft failed to advance, a band of moderate to heavy snow setup and persisted from the northwestern South Plains into the central Texas Panhandle. Heavy snow, sometimes at rates at or greater than 1 inch and hour, quickly piled up Thursday morning and early afternoon, with lighter snow persisting well into the evening. | |
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| Infrared satellite loop valid from 3:46 am to 11:26 am on Thursday (9 January 2025). | |
| Even locations outside the heaviest band of snow, many locations did experience one last bout of snow Thursday evening, into the early morning hours of Friday, before shifting off to the east of the region. | |
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| A snowy scene in Roaring Springs on Thursday (9 January 2025). The image is courtesy of Jeff Thacker. | |
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When the clouds cleared and the sun rose, satellite imagery (below) clearly showed the vast extent of the snowfield, stretching from east-central New Mexico through the Texas Panhandle and beyond. |
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| "RGB True Color" satellite animation Friday morning (10 January 2025). A regional view can be FOUND HERE. | |
| In fact, as illustrated by the map below, the wintry impacts from the system were not limited to the South Plains region, but stretch over a large chunk of the country, from New Mexico through much of the Carolinas and Virginia. | |
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| National Watch, Warning and Advisory map valid Thursday evening (9 January 2025). | |
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Over the course of the event, the entire region experienced at least a taste of wintry weather. The central and southern South and Rolling Plains generally saw a little freezing rain, sleet and/or snow, with totals from a trace to a half inch being common. The more significant amounts were confined to the northwestern South Plains into the Texas Panhandle. Snow totals of 6 to 8 inches were confined to Parmer and Castro Counties, with 2 to 4+ inches over much of the rest of the southern Texas Panhandle as well as the northern South Plains around Muleshoe and Morton. |
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| Observed snowfall reported to the National Weather Service (NWS) January 9th-10th, 2025. The reports are from the NWS COOP observers and the public. A different view of the same information can be VIEWED HERE. | |
| Gusty northerly winds followed the heaviest snow, and resulted in a bunch of blowing and drifting snow Thursday night. Then, where the snow cover was heaviest and skies cleared, temperatures tumbled into the teens Friday morning. Elsewhere, lows were mostly in the 20s. | |
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| [left] High temperatures measured on Thursday (9 January 2025) and [right] low temperatures measured Friday morning (10 January 2025). Both maps are courtesy of the West Texas Mesonet (WTM). | |
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Officially, the Lubbock Airport measured 0.5 inches of snow (and sleet) and a meager 0.07 inches of liquid (melted ice, sleet and snow) with this evening. An additional picture of this wintry January day can be found below: |
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| Snow blanketing the ground in Farwell Thursday afternoon (9 January 2025). The picture is courtesy of Mari Ferrel and her parents. | |
| Snow reports collected from this impactful early January day can found below: | |
Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
1111 AM CST Fri Jan 10 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 AM Snow 1 ESE Dimmitt 34.54N 102.30W
01/10/2025 M8.0 Inch Castro TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Friona 34.64N 102.72W
01/10/2025 M7.0 Inch Parmer TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Vigo Park 34.65N 101.50W
01/10/2025 M5.0 Inch Swisher TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 WNW Muleshoe 34.23N 102.75W
01/10/2025 M4.0 Inch Bailey TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Silverton 34.47N 101.31W
01/10/2025 M4.0 Inch Briscoe TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Memphis 34.73N 100.54W
01/10/2025 M3.5 Inch Hall TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 3 ENE Tulia 34.56N 101.72W
01/10/2025 M3.3 Inch Swisher TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Muleshoe Wildlife Refug 33.95N 102.77W
01/10/2025 M3.0 Inch Bailey TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 S Olton 34.17N 102.14W
01/10/2025 M3.0 Inch Lamb TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Roaring Springs 33.90N 100.86W
01/10/2025 M2.5 Inch Motley TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 W Kirkland 34.39N 100.09W
01/10/2025 M2.0 Inch Childress TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 NW Childress 34.44N 100.22W
01/10/2025 M1.5 Inch Childress TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 2 E Flomot 34.23N 100.96W
01/10/2025 M1.5 Inch Motley TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 7 NW Childress 34.52N 100.29W
01/10/2025 M1.3 Inch Childress TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 3 S Tell 34.34N 100.40W
01/10/2025 M1.3 Inch Childress TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 7 E Paducah 34.02N 100.18W
01/10/2025 M1.2 Inch Cottle TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 SE Northfield 34.28N 100.59W
01/10/2025 M1.2 Inch Motley TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 WNW Plainview 34.20N 101.75W
01/10/2025 M1.1 Inch Hale TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 10 S Paducah 33.88N 100.38W
01/10/2025 M1.0 Inch Cottle TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Turkey 34.40N 100.90W
01/10/2025 M1.0 Inch Hall TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 15 S Paducah 33.82N 100.31W
01/10/2025 M1.0 Inch King TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Morton 33.72N 102.76W
01/10/2025 M0.8 Inch Cochran TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 9 SE Floydada 33.88N 101.25W
01/10/2025 M0.7 Inch Floyd TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 WNW Levelland 33.59N 102.38W
01/10/2025 M0.6 Inch Hockley TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 5 SW Littlefield 33.87N 102.26W
01/10/2025 M0.6 Inch Lamb TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Dumont 33.81N 100.52W
01/10/2025 M0.5 Inch King TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Lubbock Int. Airport 33.66N 101.82W
01/10/2025 M0.5 Inch Lubbock TX Official NWS Obs
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 4 E Reese Center 33.59N 101.96W
01/10/2025 M0.4 Inch Lubbock TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Shallowater 33.69N 101.99W
01/10/2025 M0.3 Inch Lubbock TX NWS Employee
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 3 W Woodrow 33.45N 101.89W
01/10/2025 M0.3 Inch Lubbock TX NWS Employee
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 2 SSE White River Lake 33.46N 101.09W
01/10/2025 M0.2 Inch Crosby TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 W Spur 33.48N 100.88W
01/10/2025 M0.2 Inch Dickens TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Abernathy 33.84N 101.85W
01/10/2025 M0.2 Inch Hale TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 7 SW Lubbock 33.51N 101.93W
01/10/2025 M0.2 Inch Lubbock TX NWS Employee
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow Slaton 33.43N 101.65W
01/10/2025 M0.1 Inch Lubbock TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall.
1030 AM Snow 1 NNW Crosbyton 33.65N 101.25W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Crosby TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Floydada 33.99N 101.34W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Floyd TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Southland 33.36N 101.55W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Garza TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow 6 N Ropesville 33.49N 102.19W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Hockley TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Jayton 33.25N 100.57W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Kent TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Guthrie 33.63N 100.34W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch King TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow 1 WNW Tahoka 33.17N 101.81W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Lynn TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow 1 NNW Aspermont 33.15N 100.23W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Stonewall TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Brownfield 33.18N 102.27W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Terry TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Denver City 32.97N 102.83W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Yoakum TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
1030 AM Snow Plains 33.19N 102.83W
01/10/2025 E0.0 Inch Yoakum TX CO-OP Observer
Storm total snowfall. (Trace).
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