Texas, 1996

Heavy Snow in Texas, April 5, 1996

April 5, 1996 · NWS MAF · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Rain fell across the Permian Basin during the early morning hours, but by daybreak had changed mostly to snow. Heavy snow fell over all but the southern Permian Basin during the middle and late morning hours and continued in the eastern parts of the region into the afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.

Rain fell across the Permian Basin during the early morning hours, but by daybreak had changed mostly to snow. Heavy snow fell over all but the southern Permian Basin during the middle and late morning hours and continued in the eastern parts of the region into the afternoon. More snow moved into the transpecos region during the afternoon, but by sunset only a few flurries remained.Snow amounts ranged from traces in the western and southern Permian Basin, to 2-3 inches in the central Basin, to generally 6-8 inches in the eastern areas. Within the Midland area of responsibility the heaviest totals were in southeastern Scurry County where 10-11 inches of snow were reported at Inadale. In northwestern Howard County U.S. Highway 87 was closed for a few hours due to heavy snows and slick conditions.Although officially only 2 inches of snow was recorded at the Midland NWS office this was the biggest snow on record for the month of April. The latest measurable snow on record was 1/2 inch on 4/7/83. The home-opening baseball game for the Midland Angels was snowed out, the first ever for a Texas League game.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Van Horn & Hwy 54 Corridor

When
April 5, 5:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Van Horn & Hwy 54 Corridor forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Martin

When
April 5, 6:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Martin forecast zone
Coordinates
32.306, -101.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Midland

When
April 5, 6:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Midland forecast zone
Coordinates
31.869, -102.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Borden

When
April 5, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Borden forecast zone
Coordinates
32.744, -101.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Scurry

When
April 5, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Scurry forecast zone
Coordinates
32.746, -100.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Howard

When
April 5, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Coordinates
32.306, -101.435 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Glasscock

When
April 5, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Glasscock forecast zone
Coordinates
31.870, -101.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Reagan

When
April 5, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Reagan forecast zone
Coordinates
31.366, -101.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5566441, 5566442, 5566443, 5566444, 5566445, 5566446, 5566447, 5566448.