Heavy Snow, Hockley
- When
- February 12, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hockley forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 33.608, -102.343 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Texas, February 12, 1997
Localized heavy snow fell across the southwest part of the South Plains on the 12th. The most snow was reported in Cochran, Hockley, Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, and southern Lubbock Counties, with lesser amounts in a few adjacent counties.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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 LUB wrote it up.
Localized heavy snow fell across the southwest part of the South Plains on the 12th. The most snow was reported in Cochran, Hockley, Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, and southern Lubbock Counties, with lesser amounts in a few adjacent counties. Sundown (Hockley Co.) reported the greatest amount: 12 inches. Other large totals were Levelland (8 inches), near Slaton (8 inches), and Brownfield (7 inches). Generally, most areas in those six counties received 4 to 6 inches (though the city of Lubbock escaped with only 2-3 inches).Additional snow fell across the area again the next day, but accumulations were far less (mainly 1 to 3 inches).
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Terry
- When
- February 12, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Terry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 33.174, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Yoakum
- When
- February 12, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Yoakum forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 33.173, -102.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Lynn
- When
- February 12, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lynn forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 33.177, -101.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Cochran
- When
- February 12, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cochran forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 33.604, -102.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Lubbock
- When
- February 12, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lubbock forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 33.610, -101.820 (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
- High Surf in Washington, February 12, 1997
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 12 to 15, 1997
- Tornado in Texas, February 12, 1997
- Flash Flood in Texas, February 12, 1997
- Heavy Rain in Texas, February 12 to 13, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Utah, February 12, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 12 to 13, 1997
- Flooding in Texas, February 12 to 28, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 12 to 13, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, February 12, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Texas, February 12 to 13, 1997
- Flood in Hawaii, February 12, 1997
More
Every storm in Texas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 1997
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: 5594265, 5594266, 5594267, 5594268, 5594269, 5594270.