An upper level cutoff low pressure center moved slowly eastward over west Texas, creating a prolonged period of wintry precipitation. Although rain, sleet and snow occurred, the precipitation fell mainly as snow, with significant accumulations over west Texas.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 MAF wrote it up.
An upper level cutoff low pressure center moved slowly eastward over west Texas, creating a prolonged period of wintry precipitation. Although rain, sleet and snow occurred, the precipitation fell mainly as snow, with significant accumulations over west Texas.
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 Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 11:51 AM CST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1151 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2011
.DISCUSSION...
SEE 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.
&&
.AVIATION...
WIDESPREAD MVFR AND IFR CIGS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
AT AREA TAF SITES. LIGHT SNOWFALL WILL ALSO CONTINUE ACROSS
SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND THE NORTHWEST PERMIAN BASIN...WHERE TEMPO
IFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED IN SN BR. CIGS WILL LOWER OVERNIGHT AS
SNOWFALL BECOMES WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE REGION. PREVAILING IFR CIGS
ARE EXPECTED BEGINNING LATE THIS EVENING AND CONTINUING THROUGH
TOMORROW MORNING. WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED TEMPO GROUPS FOR LIFR CIGS
AND VSBYS AT MOST SITES...ESPECIALLY TOWARD 12Z AS SNOWFALL RATES
SHOULD INCREASE.
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... EDDY COUNTY PLAINS...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY
COUNTY.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...NORTHERN LEA
COUNTY...SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 PM MST
SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...
NORTHERN LEA COUNTY...SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
TX...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST
SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... BORDEN...CRANE...
DAWSON...ECTOR...GLASSCOCK...HOWARD...LOVING...MARTIN...
MIDLAND...MITCHELL...REAGAN...SCURRY...UPTON...WARD...
WINKLER.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SATURDAY
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... ANDREWS...GAINES.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST SATURDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...REEVES
COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54
CORRIDOR.
&&
99HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 410 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2011 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-241015- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS- LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND-GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU- BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- 410 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2011 /310 AM MST FRI DEC 23 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY SNOWS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...HEAVY SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE OVER GAINES AND ANDREWS COUNTIES. THE ROLLING PLAINS...THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR...UPPER TRANS PECOS REGION...DAVIS MOUNTAINS...AND INTERSTATE 10 ALONG AND EAST OF VAN HORN WILL ALSO SEE SOME SNOW ACCUMULATION LATER TODAY AND OVERNIGHT. TRAVEL CONDITIONS THROUGH MUCH OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS... AND THE TEXAS PERMIAN BASIN WILL LIKELY BE IMPACTED BY THE SNOWFALL. LOCALLY STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND INTO THE NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE PERMIAN BASIN. THE ROLLING PLAINS...THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR...UPPER TRANS PECOS REGION...DAVIS MOUNTAINS...AND INTERSTATE 10 ALONG AND EAST OF VAN HORN WILL ALSO SEE SOME ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT /LOWER CASE/ HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 947 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2011 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-231815- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR- REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND- GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU-BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...QUEEN...ARTESIA...CARLSBAD... CARLSBAD CAVERNS NP...TATUM...HOBBS...LOVINGTON...EUNICE...JAL... SEMINOLE...LAMESA...GAIL...SNYDER...ANDREWS...STANTON... BIG SPRING...COLORADO CITY...VAN HORN...PECOS...MENTONE... RED BLUFF LAKE...KERMIT...ODESSA...MIDLAND...GARDEN CITY... MONAHANS...CRANE...MCCAMEY...RANKIN...BIG LAKE...ALPINE... FORT DAVIS...FORT STOCKTON...PRESIDIO...MARFA...BIG BEND NP... MARATHON...SANDERSON...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP...PINE SPRINGS 947 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2011 /847 AM MST FRI DEC 23 2011/ ...WINTER WEATHER REPORTS FROM ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING... SNOW AND ICE REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED ACROSS THE WESTERN AREAS THIS MORNING. MOST PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN IN EDDY COUNTY NEW MEXICO WHERE 1 TO 3 INCHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED...ESPECIALLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 285. THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ARE GENERALLY FROM AROUND CARLSBAD TO LAKEWOOD AND WEST TO AROUND HOPE. REPORTS FROM CULBERSON COUNTY AND TEXAS DOT INDICATE A MIX OF LIGHT SNOW AND ICE FROM THE INTERSTATE 10 AND 20 SPLIT WEST TO NEAR PLATEAU. FARTHER SOUTH INTO THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS REPORTS ARE ALSO OF A MIX OF LIGHT SNOW AND ICE FROM FREEZING FOG WITH ICE ON EXPOSED OBJECTS. A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT THE FOR EDDY COUNTY AND THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS TODAY AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN THE EFFECT FOR LEA COUNTY...THE UPPER TRANS PECOS...AND THE REMAINDER OF CULBERSON COUNTY. FARTHER EAST INTO THE PERMIAN BASIN ONLY LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY. HOWEVER TONIGHT SNOW WILL INCREASE ACROSS MOST ALL AREAS... ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND THE PERMIAN BASIN. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR EDDY AND LEA COUNTIES...THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...AND GAINES AND ANDREWS COUNTIES TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REST OF THE PERMIAN BASIN AND PARTS OF THE TRANS PECOS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST AND WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Kermit reported 4-6 inches of total snowfall.
Storm total snowfall for Mentone was 6-8 inches.
Odessa had a total of 4-6 inches of snowfall.
Several car wrecks were reported in Midland by the Midland County Emergency Manager's office at 1835 CST, including a 5 vehicle wreck. No injury reports were received. The EM's office also reported an inch of snow at that time. A total of 6.4 inches of snowfall was recorded at the NWS office at Midland International Airport.
Seminole spotter reported a total of 6 inches of snowfall.
Greenwood, which is approximately 10 miles east of Midland, reported a total of 4.3 inches of snowfall.
The total snowfall at Lenorah, which is located approximately 6 miles east of Tarzan, was 6 inches.
Andrews had a total of 5 inches of snowfall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2011
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: 354403, 354324, 354407, 354404, 354323, 354410, 354406, 354402.