A strong upper low moved from southern California into eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado. sleet and freezing rain across the Texas panhandle.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS AMA wrote it up.
A strong upper low moved from southern California into eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado. This system produced snow...sleet and freezing rain across the Texas panhandle. Interstate 40 was closed west of Amarillo from Soncy Road to the New Mexico state line from 7 PM CST on December 19 until 8 AM CST December 20 due to the potentially icy conditions. Interstate 27 between Amarillo and Canyon had dry stretches and icy patches which created havoc for drivers. A Xcel Energy spokesman reported that fifteen hundred residents were without power and downed tree limbs were to blame in Amarillo. Also...one thousand five hundred and seventy-five residents in Borger were without power and five hundred and sixty-five customers were without power in Miami. There were no reports of fatalities which were attributed to the icy weather...however there were a few injuries reported due to the icy weather.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 18, 10:19 PM CST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1019 PM CST MON DEC 18 2006
.DISCUSSION...
00Z KAMA SOUNDING AND LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGEST STRENGTHENING WARM
LAYER TO DEVELOP ALOFT TONIGHT AS SOUTHERLY FLOW ABOVE THE COLD AIR
IN PLACE TRANSPORTS RELATIVELY WARM MOIST AIR NORTH...SETTING UP
IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR FREEZING RAIN TO DEVELOP TONIGHT OVER MUCH OF
THE FORECAST AREA. SNOW MAY INITIALLY FORM IN THE NORTHWESTERN
FORECAST AREA...WITH RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN ELSEWHERE...BUT AS WARM
LAYER OVERSPREADS THE PANHANDLES...WILL SEE A TRANSITION TO FREEZING
RAIN MOST AREAS BY MORNING. DEPTH OF COLD AIR WILL DICTATE WHERE
EVENTUAL TRANSITION TO SLEET OCCURS...WITH GREATEST LIKELIHOOD IN
NORTHWESTERN ZONES. LIFT...ENHANCED BY APPROACH OF UPPER LOW AND
ASSOCIATED JET...COUPLED WITH DIFFLUENCE IN THE UPPER JET...WILL BE
GREATEST TUESDAY...WITH INTENSITY OF PRECIP EXPECTED TO INCREASE
DURING THE DAY. ENHANCED LIFT WILL ALSO HELP TO ERODE THE WARM LAYER.
AS COLD POOL ALOFT OVERSPREADS THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT...AND WARM
LAYER ERODES...TRANSITION TO SLEET AND THEN SNOW WILL BE EXPECTED.
OVERALL BIG MESS IN STORE.
IN SHORT...RAIN/FREEZING RAIN TONIGHT MIXED WITH SNOW OR SLEET IN THE
NORTHWESTERN ZONES...WITH ICE PERSISTING CENTRAL ZONES THROUGH
TUESDAY WHILE CHANGEOVER TO SNOW POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN THE
NORTHWEST...BEFORE CHANGING OVER TUESDAY NIGHT AREAWIDE.
HAVE ADJUSTED DEWPOINT GRIDS...POPS...WX AND MAX TEMPS THROUGH
TOMORROW AS A RESULT OF CURRENT FORECAST REASONING. DO NOT EXPECT MAX
TEMPS TO EXCEED FREEZING TOMORROW EXCEPT IN THE SOUTHEAST...SO HAVE
TAKEN SOME AREAS DOWN A CATEGORY.
KRAMAR
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMARILLO TX 26 29 29 41 23 / 80 90 90 40 0
BEAVER OK 24 31 25 43 23 / 70 90 90 70 5
BOISE CITY OK 22 29 21 38 23 / 90 90 90 40 5
BORGER TX 25 31 31 42 25 / 80 90 90 40 5
BOYS RANCH TX 26 30 27 40 20 / 90 90 90 40 0
CANYON TX 27 29 30 40 22 / 80 90 90 40 0
CLARENDON TX 30 34 34 49 27 / 70 90 90 50 5
DALHART TX 23 28 20 37 16 / 90 90 90 40 0
GUYMON OK 23 30 24 44 18 / 80 90 90 50 5
HEREFORD TX 27 30 28 42 22 / 90 90 90 30 0
LIPSCOMB TX 24 33 29 46 23 / 70 90 90 70 5
PAMPA TX 25 33 31 43 28 / 70 90 90 50 5
SHAMROCK TX 29 36 34 52 26 / 60 90 90 60 5
WELLINGTON TX 32 38 35 54 29 / 60 90 90 60 5
&&
.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ARMSTRONG...CARSON...COLLINGSWORTH...DALLAM...DEAF
SMITH...DONLEY...GRAY...HANSFORD...HARTLEY...HEMPHILL...
HUTCHINSON...LIPSCOMB...MOORE...OCHILTREE...OLDHAM...
POTTER...RANDALL...ROBERTS...SHERMAN...WHEELER.
OK...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: BEAVER...CIMARRON...TEXAS.
&&TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 326 PM CST MON DEC 18 2006 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-191200- ARMSTRONG-BEAVER-CARSON-CIMARRON-COLLINGSWORTH-DALLAM-DEAF SMITH- DONLEY-GRAY-HANSFORD-HARTLEY-HEMPHILL-HUTCHINSON-LIPSCOMB-MOORE- OCHILTREE-OLDHAM-POTTER-RANDALL-ROBERTS-SHERMAN-TEXAS-WHEELER- 326 PM CST MON DEC 18 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE... ...WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH NOON WEDNESDAY... DRIZZLE THIS AFTERNOON WILL TURN TO FREEZING DRIZZLE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT MAKING ROAD CONDITIONS SLICK. FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL BEGIN AFTER MIDNIGHT AND SPREAD FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... ...A WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE GREATER THAN 4 INCHES ACROSS THE WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE. SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF GREATER THAN ONE HALF INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REST OF THE PANHANDLES EXCEPT THE FAR SOUTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE WHERE LIGHTER ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES MAY BE CALLED UPON FOR SNOWFALL AND ICE MEASUREMENTS. HENNIG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 ice storm, 3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
An estimated three quarters of an inch of ice was reported in Stinnett with two inches of snow in Fritch.
An estimated three-eighths of an inch of ice accumulation on trees and power lines from freezing rain was reported in Miami in which small branches broke. Less than one inch of snow was also observed.
An estimated one half inch of ice accumulation was reported on vehicles. Less than an inch of snow was also observed.
An estimated one half inch of ice accumulation due to the freezing rain was reported in Dumas. Numerous tree limbs and power lines were down due to the ice. Also...there were several minor vehicular accidents with only one serious injury and there were several falls with two of those resulted in broken hips. One home was lost in a fire which was caused by downed power lines.
An estimated one quarter of an inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported in Vega. Interstate 40 was reported closed.
An estimated one quarter of an inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain on trees...vehicles and exposed surfaces was reported in Dalhart.
An estimated four inches of snow was reported in Dumas.
A Sheriff's Deputy reported four to six inches of snow throughout Dallam county with an estimated five inches of snow in Dalhart.
An estimated four inches of snow was reported in Vega.
An estimated three-eighths of an inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported in Stinnett. Bridges and overpasses were reported becoming very slick and dangerous.
Three-eighths of an inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported seven miles southwest of Amarillo.
An estimated three quarters of an inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported in Gruver along with two inches of snow. Many tree limbs were reported down in the Gruver area with some falling on houses and vehicles.
An estimated one quarter of an inch of ice accumulation on trees from freezing rain was reported in Hereford along with two inches of snow.
One half of an inch of ice was reported in Channing which accumulated on trees and vehicles.
One quarter of an inch of ice from freezing rain was reported in Pringle with ice hanging on wires and accumulating on the roads.
One quarter of an inch of ice was reported in Dumas from freezing rain which accumulated on tree branches.
One quarter of an inch of ice from freezing rain was reported in Perryton with the ice having accumulated on trees. Less than one inch of snow was also observed.
One quarter of an inch of ice from freezing rain was measured at the Amarillo National Weather Service Office six miles east northeast of Amarillo. Ice had accumulated on vehicles...exposed surfaces and grassy areas. One to two inches of snow was also reported.
Three-eighths of an inch of ice from freezing rain was reported five miles west southwest of Amarillo. The ice had accumulated on tree branches and exposed surfaces and some sleet was also observed. One to two inches of snow was also reported.
One quarter of an inch of ice was reported in Stratford with trees and exposed surfaces completely iced over. Three inches of snow was also observed.
One quarter to one inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported in Panhandle along with one inch of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2006
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: 6427, 6428, 6429, 6430, 6431, 6432, 6433, 6434, 6435, 6436, 6437, 6438, 6439, 6570, 6571, 6572, 6573, 6574, 6575, 6576, 6577.