Following a strong cold front early on the 9th, a fast-moving upper trough in northwest flow passed over the South Plains late on the 9th and early on the 10th accompanied by a very narrow, but impressive band of moderate to occasionally heavy snow. Even with mild ground temperatures and the fast movement of the snow band, the season's first snow resulted in accumulations around 1/2 inch over…
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 LUB wrote it up.
Following a strong cold front early on the 9th, a fast-moving upper trough in northwest flow passed over the South Plains late on the 9th and early on the 10th accompanied by a very narrow, but impressive band of moderate to occasionally heavy snow. Even with mild ground temperatures and the fast movement of the snow band, the season's first snow resulted in accumulations around 1/2 inch over much of the South Plains. Muleshoe received the most snow at 1 inch. From midnight through the early morning of the 10th, very cold temperatures in the lower teens and single digits above zero led to hazardous road conditions. Several vehicle accidents were reported by DPS officials, particularly in Lubbock. A fatal vehicle rollover occurred west of Reese Center on Highway 114 after a minivan encountered an icy patch and slid off the road.
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 Dec 9, 5:39 PM CST, 4 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 539 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012 .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS IN PLACE AT BOTH TERMINAL SITES CURRENTLY...HOWEVER EXPECT CEILINGS TO DROP DOWN INTO MVFR TO IFR RANGE AFTER MIDNIGHT MONDAY MORNING. AT THE SAME TIME...A BAND OF SNOW WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS BOTH TERMINALS SOMETIME IN THE 07Z TO 10Z TIME FRAME. WIND SPEEDS WILL INCREASE ONCE AGAIN INTO THE 20 TO 30 KNOT SUSTAINED RANGE AS THE STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES. VISIBILITIES MAY DROP INTO IFR RANGE DUE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL AT TIMES...HOWEVER THIS WILL BE SHORT LIVED AND DO NOT EXPECT AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF POOR VISIBILITIES. ALSO...MAJOR ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW ARE NOT EXPECTED BUT THERE COULD BE UP TO ONE HALF OF AN INCH AT BOTH TERMINALS. SNOWFALL WILL QUICKLY PUSH EAST OF THE REGION EARLY MONDAY MORNING WITH A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS BY SUNRISE...LASTING THROUGH THE DAY. JORDAN && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 316 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012/ SHORT TERM... IMMEDIATE MAIN FOCUS FOR THIS FORECAST PACKAGE IS OF COURSE THE APPROACHING WINTER STORM SYSTEM FROM THE NORTHWEST...THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE FOUR-CORNERS REGION PER 21Z WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. THUS...FLOW ALOFT IS BACKING TO THE SW AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO THROUGHOUT THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. THE RATHER BREEZY COLD FRONT THAT PUSHED SOUTH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS EARLIER THIS MORNING WAS NOTED ACROSS THE EDWARDS PLATEAU AND HAS SINCE...DECLINED IN SPEED /15-20 MPH/ GIVEN A MORE RELAXED PRESSURE GRADIENT AND HENCE WEAKER PRESSURE RISES. EXPECT A FURTHER DECLINATION IN SPEEDS BY SUNSET. THIS COLD FRONT HAS USHERED IN A MUCH COLDER AND DRIER AIRMASS...AS 850 MB TEMPS HOVERED AROUND 0 DEGREES CELSIUS /SFC TEMPS ONLY IN THE 40S AND 50S/ AND DEWPOINTS WERE IN THE TEENS AND 20S. ATTENTION QUICKLY TURNS TO THE APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM NW OF THE REGION. MODELS APPEAR TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE TRACK AND TIMING OF THE SYSTEM...WHERE IT IS PROGGED TO BE ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL NEW MEXICO BY 10/00Z TO ACROSS THE WESTERN PANHANDLES/WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS BY 10/06Z...AND FINALLY EAST OF THE CWA AOA 10/12Z. WE MUST ADDRESS A FEW THINGS WITH RESPECT TO THIS SYSTEM. /1/...PRESSURE RISES OF 6-8 MB PER 3 HOURS /WITH HIGHEST PRESSURE RISES NOTED ACROSS THE WRN ZONES/ LATE THIS EVENING/TONIGHT...WILL RESULT IN NRLY WINDS INCREASING TO AOA 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30-35 MPH. THESE SPEEDS WILL MORE OR LESS ENSUE THROUGH LATE TONIGHT/EARLY TOMORROW MORNING WHERE THEREAFTER THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS ANTICIPATED TO RELAX. /2/...THE PRECIP TYPE AND THE TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRECIP IS OF COURSE WORTHY OF A MENTION. IF FOLLOWING THE AFOREMENTIONED STORM TRACK...THE FAR SWRN TEXAS PANHANDLE WILL BE THE FIRST TO SEE PRECIP LATE THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. PROGGED MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW A COOLING WITH TIME PROFILE AS 850 MB TEMPS DROP BELOW 0 DEGREES CELSIUS. A DRY ATMOSPHERE MUST BE OVERCOME AND IT IS INDEED EXPECTED TO MOISTEN FROM THE TOP-DOWN BY LATE THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. COLD TEMPS AND MOISTENING WITHIN THE DENDRITIC ZONE IMPROVES CONFIDENCE OF AN ALL SNOW PRECIP-TYPE. MORE THAN ADEQUATE MID TO UPPER LEVEL LIFT /ALSO NOTED WITHIN THE DENDRITIC ZONE/ WILL BE ACROSS THE NWRN ZONES LATE THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. AS SUCH...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO PERHAPS 2 INCHES ACROSS THE NWRN ZONES IS HIGHLY PROBABLE...AND IT IS NOT MORE THAN THAT GIVEN THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE SYSTEM. AS A RESULT...HAVE OPTED TO ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PARMER...CASTRO...BAILEY AND LAMB COUNTIES. ELSEWHERE...SOUNDING PROFILES WILL EVOLVE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS PROJECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT PROGRESSES ESE ACROSS THE FA THROUGHOUT THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. THE BEST LIFT IS EXHIBITED NORTH OF A PADUCAH TO LUBBOCK TO PLAINS LINE. IT IS THEREFORE NOT SURPRISING TO SEE PROGGED PRECIP CONFINED TO THE NORTHERN AND NWRN ZONES. WILL LEAVE SOME ROOM FOR UNCERTAINTY AND WILL LEAN TOWARDS SHOWING A STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL /THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING/ OF AOA 1.00 INCH ACROSS THE NWRN ZONES...0.5-1.00 INCH ALONG AND NORTH OF A MATADOR TO LUBBOCK TO DENVER CITY LINE AND LESS THAN A 0.5 INCH NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST OF LUBBOCK /WHERE LIFT WILL BE WEAKEST/. /3/...DRIER AIR PROMPTLY FILTERING IN BEHIND THE SYSTEM IS ANOTHER REASON /BESIDES THE STORM/S RELATIVELY QUICK SPEED AND WEAKENING LIFT/ AS TO WHY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELATIVELY LIGHT...A DIRECT RESULT OF A NARROW WINDOW FOR ATMOSPHERIC MOISTENING. OVERNIGHT TEMPS WILL PLUMMET TO NEAR THE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS THE SWRN TEXAS PANHANDLE TO LOWER 20S ACROSS THE LOW ROLLING PLAINS. THIS RAISES CONCERN FOR FREEZING ROADWAYS AS SNOW MELT THEN FREEZES AS TEMPS DROP. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION AS ROADS COULD BECOME RATHER SLICK. TOMORROW...NRLY WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND SKIES WILL CLEAR...BUT BELOW NORM TEMPS WILL ENSUE /UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S/ GIVEN A 1025 MB SFC RIDGE LINGERING ACROSS THE REGION. 29 LONG TERM... WE DID NOT MAKE SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE LONG TERM FORECAST. SOLUTIONS REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH ANOTHER MODEST TROUGH PASSING IN A COLD AND DRY AIRMASS ABOUT MIDDAY ON TUESDAY. THE LATEST GFS HAS SHARPENED THIS TROUGH JUST A BIT BUT STILL IS NOT FAR OUT OF LINE. THEN...A FLAT UPPER RIDGE WILL PASS WEDNESDAY LEADING TO INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND A SURFACE TROUGH FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. TEMPERATURES SHOULD GRADUALLY CLIMB NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL WEDNESDAY...AND THEN TO AROUND 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE WARMER BY THURSDAY. UPPER FLOW SHOULD BACK SUFFICIENTLY TO ALLOW AT LEAST SHALLOW LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO RETURN BY LATE THURSDAY OR AT LEAST FRIDAY OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS. THE CURRENT ECMWF RUN HAS ADJUSTED EVEN MORE WET FOR LATE FRIDAY...AND WE ARE RELUCTANT TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR A SINGLE MODEL RUN THIS FAR OUT. STILL...THIS MAY BE ADEQUATE TO TEMPER THE WARMING SOMEWHAT FOR THE VERY END OF THE WEEK. WINDS ALSO SHOULD INCREASE AT LEAST INTO BREEZY...IF NOT WINDY CATEGORY LATER IN THE WEEK. RMCQUEEN && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 10 36 12 45 22 / 70 0 0 0 0 TULIA 12 38 14 45 22 / 60 10 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 14 38 15 46 23 / 30 10 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 17 41 17 47 23 / 30 10 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 17 40 17 47 22 / 30 10 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 20 42 22 49 25 / 20 10 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 19 42 20 48 24 / 30 10 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 19 41 17 48 24 / 30 10 0 0 0 SPUR 22 43 19 48 23 / 30 10 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 23 43 18 51 23 / 20 10 0 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM CST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021-022-027-028. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 327 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012 TXZ021>044-102130- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 327 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WINTER WEATHER A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS AND THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE FOR SNOWFALL AROUND ONE INCH. A LIGHTER DUSTING OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE LATER TONIGHT THAT COULD LEAD TO LOCALLY SLICK ROADS. IT WILL ALSO BE VERY COLD WITH WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES DROPPING TO AROUND 5 TO 15 DEGREES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A COOP observer in Muleshoe measured 1.0 inch of snow.
A 56 year old woman was fatally injured after her minivan encountered an icy patch along Highway 114 west of Reese Center, slid off the road, and rolled in the ditch. A passenger was moderately injured and transported to a hospital. Both occupants were wearing their seatbelts.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Lubbock | 2012-12-10 | 56 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2012
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: 415890, 415901.