A powerful winter storm brought a combination of high winds and winter weather, including accumulating snowfall, to the west Texas South Plains region during the evening hours of the 2nd and into the 3rd. Post frontal northerly winds gusted as high as 62 mph and were sustained at speeds up to 47 mph during the evening hours of the 2nd and the early morning hours of the 3rd over the northwestern…
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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 LUB wrote it up.
A powerful winter storm brought a combination of high winds and winter weather, including accumulating snowfall, to the west Texas South Plains region during the evening hours of the 2nd and into the 3rd.
Post frontal northerly winds gusted as high as 62 mph and were sustained at speeds up to 47 mph during the evening hours of the 2nd and the early morning hours of the 3rd over the northwestern half of the South Plains per measurements from the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet. These winds destroyed a metal storage shed when it was blown through a fence in Muleshoe (Bailey County) and snapped a power pole in Childress (Childress County). Observed severe wind gusts follow:
62 mph at White River Lake (Crosby County), 59 mph at Hart (Castro County), 58 mph at Muleshoe (Bailey County), 58 mph at Olton (Lamb County), and 58 mph at Plains (Yoakum County).
In addition, snow began to fall over much of the South Plains shortly before midnight on the 2nd. With high winds continuing into the morning hours of the 3rd, periods of blowing snow significantly reduced visibilities to near blizzard conditions. This contributed to at least two dozen automobile accidents across the region. Injuries were reported as a result of accidents in Castro and Hockley Counties.
Reported snowfall accumulations of at least 1 inch follow: 3 inches at Dimmitt (Castro County), 3 inches at Friona (Parmer County), 3 inches at Morton (Cochran County), 2 inches at Denver City (Yoakum County), 1 inch at Muleshoe (Bailey County), 1 inch at Olton (Lamb County), 1 inch at Brownfield (Terry County).
Combined estimated damages totalled nearly $235,000.
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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 2, 3:54 PM CST, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 354 PM CST SUN MAR 2 2008 .SHORT TERM... STRONG COLD FRONT CONTINUING TO SURGE SOUTHWARD WILL BE INITIAL EVENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...AS DRYLINE AND ERUPTING THUNDERSTORMS EDGE JUST EAST OF THE AREA. THE DRY AND MILD SOUTHWEST WINDS TODAY WILL TURN SHARPLY TO THE NORTH AND FOLLOWED CLOSE TO OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE. STORM SYSTEM GATHERING NEAR FOUR CORNERS WILL DIVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH WESTERN NEW MEXICO BEFORE ROUNDING THROUGH SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO INTO THE NORTHERN PERMIAN BASIN AFTER DAYBREAK MONDAY. THE 18Z WRF/NAM RUN FOLLOWED THE EARLIER GFS IDEA OF THE LOW ELONGATING NORTH TO SOUTH AT LEAST SOMEWHAT WHICH WILL CAUSE HAVOC WITH PRECIPITATION FORECASTS. FOR NOW...USED CONCEPTUAL MODEL TO SPREAD INCREASING LIGHT RAIN/SNOW CHANGING TO SNOW TOWARDS MORNING OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. DYNAMIC SYSTEM STRONG ENOUGH FOR SHALLOW MID LEVEL CSI BANDING INDICATING AT LEAST SOME POCKETS OF MODERATELY ENHANCED PRECIPITATION ARE POSSIBLE. WE HAVE EXPANDED THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY TO COVER ALL BY THE SOUTHERN ROLLING PLAINS. CANNOT RULE OUT HEAVIER ACCUMULATIONS AND VERY STRONG WINDS THAT MAY MIMIC WARNING CRITERIA...SO THE EVENING AND MIDNIGHT SHIFTS WILL NEED TO FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS. SYSTEM SHOULD LINGER INTO MIDDAY BEFORE PRECIPITATION CHANCES TAPER TOMORROW AFTERNOON. LOWERED MAXIMUMS MONDAY MOST AREAS A CATEGORY. MCQUEEN .LONG TERM... EXPECT TO SEE A QUICK WARM UP BACK INTO THE 60S FOR MUCH OF THE REGION ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM THAT WILL DIVE TOWARDS WEST TEXAS. THIS NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS REGION WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. NOT NEARLY AS MUCH MOISTURE FOR THIS UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM TO TAP SO AMOUNTS SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LIGHT SIDE. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE SLIGHT CHANCES OF RAIN/SNOW FOR LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER PIECE OF ENERGY WILL PASS OVER THE REGION ON THURSDAY NIGHT WITH ANY PRECIPITATION LIKELY REMAINING OVER THE PANHANDLE. COOL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THEN BACK TO ABOVE NORMAL FOR NEXT WEEKEND. && .FIRE WEATHER... SHARP COLD FRONT THIS EVENING MAY CAUSE ERRATIC CONDITIONS FOR ANY ON-GOING BURNS. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A NORTHERLY WIND SHIFT MOST AREAS BETWEEN 4 PM AND 7 PM THIS EVENING. THE COLDER AIR AND INCREASING MOISTURE WILL END THE MARGINAL FIRE CRITERIA BY MID EVENING. RM DRY LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY AS WARMER TEMPERATURES RETURN TO WEST TEXAS. WINDS APPEAR TO BE BELOW CRITICAL LEVELS AT THE 20-FOOT LEVEL AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION... STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY WILL IMPACT BOTH THE KCDS AND KLBB AIRPORTS. LOOK FOR IFR CEILINGS DEVELOPING LATER THIS EVENING WITH INCREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES...TRENDING MORE TOWARDS SNOW BY MORNING. COMBINATION OF WIND AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO BLOWING SNOW AT IFR OR LIFR LEVELS. RM && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 25 34 21 63 30 / 80 90 0 0 0 TULIA 28 32 22 62 30 / 70 90 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 29 33 23 62 30 / 60 90 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 29 34 24 63 30 / 70 80 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 31 34 23 63 31 / 50 80 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 30 34 25 65 30 / 60 80 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 33 36 26 60 32 / 50 80 10 0 0 SPUR 33 36 26 64 30 / 50 70 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 35 38 26 63 33 / 40 60 10 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 12 PM CST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ037-038-042>044. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 12 PM CST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>036-039>041. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>032. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ033>036-039>041. && 05/18
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 355 PM CST SUN MAR 2 2008 TXZ021>044-032200- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 355 PM CST SUN MAR 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NON PRECIPITATION STRONG NORTH WINDS WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 30 TO 35 MPH WILL OCCUR BEHIND A COLD FRONT THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. GUSTS BEHIND THE FRONT MAY REACH 55 MPH. WINTER WEATHER A POTENT WINTER STORM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE SOUTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE AND WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS TONIGHT AS IT MOVES EAST ACROSS NEW MEXICO. SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING ARE EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT FROM WEST TO EAST. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY WEST OF A LINE FROM SILVERTON TO PLAINVIEW TO PLAINS. AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. IN ADDITION... STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW THAT MAY SEVERELY RESTRICT VISIBILITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN LUBBOCK.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 high wind, 9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Local officials reported that damaging winds snapped a power pole near the Wal-Mart in Childress. A nearby Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site recorded sustained winds of 42 mph.
Local emergency management officials reported that a metal storage shed was destroyed when it was blown through a fence. A nearby Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site recorded a 58 mph wind gust near the time of the damage.
Media reports indicated that winter weather conditions in Castro County contributed to at least one serious automobile accident that resulted in an injury.
Newspaper articles reported that a number of vehicular accidents occurred in winter weather driving condition across portions of Parmer County. Local officials reportedly had difficulty locating the accidents and stranded motorists due to low visibilities within blowing snow.
Local newspaper reports indicated that a semi-truck jack-knifed in winter weather travel conditions along U.S. Highway 84 west of Anton. No injuries were reported.
Yoakum County officials reported at least six vehicular accidents related to winter weather travel conditions. No injuries were reported.
Adverse winter weather resulted in a number of accidents on Hockley County roadways during the morning hours of the 3rd. One accident resulted in an injury. Reported snow accumulations across Hockley County were less than one inch, but visibilities were reduced in blowing snow.
Local media sources reported that thirteen traffic accidents were related to winter weather conditions in Lubbock during the morning hours of the 3rd. Reported snow accumulations across the area were less than one inch, but visibilities were reduced in blowing snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2008
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: 84922, 84899, 84879, 84878, 84876, 84877, 84902, 84904, 84901, 84883, 84905, 78135, 78136, 78137, 78138, 78139, 78140, 78141, 84911, 84917.