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Mid-Afternoon Update on Snow Potential

This will be a quick supplemental post to our detailed forecast posted this morning. Jenny will have a more comprehensive blog later this evening. Let me reiterate that this upcoming winter weather potential is not expected to be a high-impact winter storm for a vast majority of Texas. There is the potential for fairly significant travel impacts in the Texas Panhandle late Thursday into Friday as several inches of snow may accumulate with temperatures in the teens.

  • Confidence is increasing that the Texas Panhandle will experience a period of snow late Thursday into the morning hours Friday. Specific accumulation totals cannot be accurately given at this time. However, some locations may receive in excess of five inches of snow. Locally heavier bands of snow will likely develop within a more comprehensive area of light snow. It is within those localized, heavier bands that could produce snowfall totals in excess of five inches over small areas. Widespread snow totals of one to three inches are currently expected.
  • Temperatures will be below freezing into the weekend in the Texas Panhandle. Any snow that does fall tomorrow night and on Friday will have no issues accumulating on roadways. Any snow that does melt into slush will quickly freeze into black ice. Hazardous travel conditions are possible in portions of the Texas Panhandle, including on Interstate 40, late Thursday into the day Friday.
  • As the energy responsible for the snow in the Texas Panhandle moves east we’ll see the snow become less widespread and more concentrated in a heavier band. Small adjustements to the upcoming storm’s track could result in considerable changes to the snow amounts and where the snow falls. Current data indicates most of the heavier snow will remain north of the Red River in western to south-central Oklahoma. A band of two to three inches will be possible in that zone. The track of this band of snow is uncertain.
  • The current forecast places the potential for a dusting to half inch of snow along the Red River from Childress east through Texoma. Temperatures will be well below freezing and any snow that does fall could cause slick spots on roads and especially bridges.  Flurries will be possible as far south as Interstate 20 with little in the way of accumulation of impacts. ‘
  • This forecast is likely to change as new data arrives and we narrow down the specifics. Do not be surprised if we see a large north or south shift in the potential snow totals. This isn’t an event where widespread snow occurs (outside of the Panhandle). So the track of the snow band will dictate who gets snow. At this time a major winter storm is very unlikely as the moisture values will be limited.
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David Reimer

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