NWS Lubbock

2010: A deadly winter storm produced widespread snow and ice accumulations and resulted in significant damage across the
West Texas South Plains during the daytime hours of the 28th. Wintry precipitation began to overspread the region in the
hours after sunrise. Although heavy snowfall (including thunder-snow) was common over the western South Plains and the
extreme southwestern Panhandle, the precipitation began to fall as freezing rain over much of the central South Plains,
the extreme southeastern Panhandle, and the northern Rolling Plains. A layer of ice, that in some cases became topped by
accumulating snow, downed trees and utilities. This led to widespread damages from fallen trees and power lines. More than
200 power poles were snapped by the weight of ice and snow in Floyd County, and another 40 poles were downed in Hale
County. A downed power pole and line in Olton fell onto four parked vehicles in the high school parking lot, and the live
utility wire caused a fire that destroyed one of the cars. Approximately 20,000 South Plains homes and businesses were
without power at the height of the storm, and at least two homes were heavily damaged in Lubbock by falling trees.
Authorities reported 175 weather-related auto accidents in Lubbock County. Multiple accidents were additionally reported
in Childress, Hale, Hall, Hockley, Motley, and Terry Counties. One Hale County motorist was injured. In rural Bailey
County, an elderly woman slipped on the ice and broke her hip. Injured from the fall and unable to summon help, the woman
died of exposure before being found. The entire city of Childress was rendered without power and communications for an
extended period of time. Ice-related damage was widespread there, and included the collapse of a radio tower. In addition,
power outages at nearby Greenbelt Lake (Donley County) caused pumps to fail and resulted in an outage of drinking water
for the Childress area. Total economic damages from the storm were estimated at nearly $4M. Some of the heaviest snow
totals included: 9 inches at Rhea, 8 in Olton, 6 at Happy, Hart, Muleshoe, and Sudan, 5 at Denver City and Friona, 4 at
Dimmitt, Littlefield, Shallowater, Tulia, and Wolfforth, and 3 inches at Abernathy, Lubbock, Morton, Plainview, and
Silverton. The worst freezing rain accumulations occurred in Childress, Memphis and Dimmitt where one inch of ice was
measured on exposed surfaces.