Heavy Snow, Davis Mountains
- When
- December 11, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Davis Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
6 inches of snow
Heavy Snow in Texas, December 11, 1998
A strong upper level storm system interacted with copious amounts of Gulf and Pacific moisture to produce a heavy snow event across portions of Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. This storm system moved from west to east across the area with snowfall amounts up to 12 inches in western Reeves County.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
- 13
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.
A strong upper level storm system interacted with copious amounts of Gulf and Pacific moisture to produce a heavy snow event across portions of Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. This storm system moved from west to east across the area with snowfall amounts up to 12 inches in western Reeves County. This turned out to be the snow storm of the century for the Midland/Odessa area as the 9.75 inches recorded at the Midland International Airport set new records for the greatest daily snowfall, the greatest single event snowfall, and the greatest monthly snowfall ever recorded. Most of this snow fell in an intense 4-5 hour period. Numerous traffic accidents were reported on icy roads with a large number of injuries and one fatality. The heavy snowfall also resulted in loss of power for some communities.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Loving
- When
- December 11, 6:30 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Loving forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.849, -103.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
4 - 5 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Reeves County and Upper Trans Pecos
- When
- December 11, 7:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Reeves County and Upper Trans Pecos forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
12 inches at I-10/I-20 split
Heavy Snow, Ward
- When
- December 11, 9:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ward forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.510, -103.102 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
3 - 4 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Martin
- When
- December 11, 9:30 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Martin forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.306, -101.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
4 - 5 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Midland
- When
- December 11, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Midland forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 31.869, -102.032 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
6 - 10 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Winkler
- When
- December 11, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Winkler forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.850, -103.048 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
7 - 9 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Ector
- When
- December 11, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ector forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 31.869, -102.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
7 - 9 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Andrews
- When
- December 11, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Andrews forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.305, -102.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Crane
- When
- December 11, 10:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Crane forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.429, -102.516 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
7 inches of snow in northern part, 1 inch in southern
Heavy Snow, Glasscock
- When
- December 11, 10:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Glasscock forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.870, -101.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
4 - 5 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Howard
- When
- December 11, 12:00 PM CST to 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Howard forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.306, -101.435 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
7 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Presidio Valley
- When
- December 11, 12:00 PM CST to 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Presidio Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
4 - 5 inches of snow
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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 1998
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: 5674517, 5674518, 5674523, 5674522, 5674520, 5674511, 5674512, 5674513, 5674514, 5674515, 5674519, 5674516, 5674521.