An upper level trough of low pressure moved across the Texas Panhandle on January 29th and caused snow showers during the afternoon and overnight hours. The combination of divergence aloft from a 145 mph to 170 mph jet streak at 300mb, southwesterly winds at 700mb bringing in pacific moisture, and a surface cold front dropping surface temperatures below freezing proved adequate to produce…
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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 AMA wrote it up.
An upper level trough of low pressure moved across the Texas Panhandle on January 29th and caused snow showers during the afternoon and overnight hours. The combination of divergence aloft from a 145 mph to 170 mph jet streak at 300mb, southwesterly winds at 700mb bringing in pacific moisture, and a surface cold front dropping surface temperatures below freezing proved adequate to produce several reports of 1 inch to 3 inches of snow across the Texas Panhandle. The 6 AM CST sounding from the National Weather Service in Amarillo (Potter County) showed the lowest twelve thousand feet of the atmosphere was extremely dry with dewpoint depressions ranging from 5 to 15 degrees. As upper level forcing increased over the course of the day, dewpoint depressions decreased as evaporative cooling provided by virga lowered atmospheric temperatures within this layer. By the early afternoon a cold front dropped across the area to lower surface temperatures below freezing. The colder airmass behind the front provided the last needed cooling of the lowest layers of the atmosphere and precipitation began in the form of snow. Snow persisted for several hours before coming to an end just before 11 PM CST. The snow caused several vehicle accidents in Oldham, Potter, Randall, and Moore County as drivers slid off roadways due to slick conditions however, no injuries were reported with these accidents. In Potter County, police closed the 34th Street Bridge due to several vehicle accidents as icy conditions developed on elevated surfaces.
The following is a list of snow accumulations across the Texas Panhandle: 2 inches 5 miles north northeast of Panhandle (Carson County); 2 inches in Dawn (Deaf Smith County); 1 inch in Gruver (Hansford County); 1.5 inches in Borger (Hutchinson County); 3 inches in Vega (Oldham County); 2 inches in Boys Ranch (Oldham County); 1 inch 8 miles south southwest of Romero (Oldham County); 3 inches in Bushland (Potter County); 2 inches in Amarillo (Potter County); 2 inches 6 miles west of Amarillo (Potter County); 2 inches 6 miles northwest of Amarillo (Potter County); 1.7 inches 7 miles east northeast of Amarillo (Potter County); 1.6 inches 1 mile west southwest of Bushland (Potter County); 3.9 inches 3 miles southwest of Amarillo (Randall County); 2.5 inches 5 miles south southwest of Amarillo (Randall County); 2.5 inches 8 miles southwest of Amarillo (Randall County); 2 inches 6 miles southwest of Amarillo (Randall County); 1.8 inches 5 miles west southwest of Amarillo (Randall County); and 1 inch in Stratford (Sherman County).
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 Jan 29, 6:36 PM CST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 636 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 .UPDATE... A QUICK UPDATE TO THE ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT HAS BEEN ISSUED. HAVE CALLED FOR AREAL QUALIFIERS FOR SNOW SHOWERS THIS EVENING...AND CORRECTED ERRONEOUS POP. NO OTHER CHANGES AT THIS TIME. COCKRELL && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 532 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013/ AVIATION.../00Z TAFS/ IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE -SN THROUGH 02Z AT KDHT, 03Z AT KGUY, AND 0430Z AT KAMA. IT'S POSSIBLE FLIGHT CATEGORIES COULD BRIEFLY DROP A CATEGORY LOWER THAN REFLECTED IN THE TAFS. AFTER THESE TIMES, VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH A GOOD PORTION OF THE NIGHT AT ALL TAF SITES, PARTICULARLY AT KDHT AND KGUY. JACKSON PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 327 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013/ DISCUSSION... THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM ROMERO TO MASTERSON TO ALLISON. LIGHT SHOWERS ARE MOVING ALONG THE WESTERN EXTENT OF THE FRONT SLOWLY MOVING INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. AHEAD OF THE FRONT THE SHOWERS ARE ALL RAIN AND BEHIND THE FRONT LIGHT SNOW IS BEING REPORTED. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHWARD REACHING AMARILLO AROUND 4 PM. A LITTLE AFTER THIS TIME...A VORT MAX MOVING ALONG THE KANSAS OKLAHOMA STATE LINE COULD CAUSE A SECONDARY PULSE IN SNOW ACTIVITY ACROSS THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SNOW MAY LIMIT VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE MILE FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME. STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN ONE INCH. ALL MODELS HAVE THE FRONT SOUTH OF THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THERE ARE A FEW MODELS THAT KEEP PRECIP CHANCES IN THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT FOR NOW WILL HAVE POPS END AROUND MIDNIGHT WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE NAM12/RUC13 SOLUTIONS. THERE IS A RISK OF THUNDER IN THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE UNTIL SUNDOWN. THIS CHANCE IS TOO LOW TO MENTION IN THE PRE-FIRST PERIOD WEATHER GRIDS BUT CAN/T BE RULED OUT ENTIRELY. BEHIND THE FRONT WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT OF A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND SHOULD RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 MPH WITH SOME BRIEFLY HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE. THE COOLER AIRMASS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DROP TEMPERATURES BACK INTO THE 20S AND TEENS ACROSS THE AREA. WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WILL SEE THE COOLER AIRMASS BEHIND THE FRONT MODERATE AS SURFACE WINDS SHIFT MORE OUT OF THE WEST AND HEIGHTS ALOFT BUILD. THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY SURFACE WINDS SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AS A BACKDOOR FRONT TRIES TO BREAK INTO THE PANHANDLES. HAVE KEPT TEMPERATURES MILD ALONG THE EASTERN BOARDER TO SHOW A GLANCING BLOW BY THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES WARM THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS RIDGING BUILDS TO THE WEST. ANOTHER FRONT LOOKS POISED TO CROSS THE PANHANDLES BY THE START OF NEXT WEEK. HAVE KEPT ANY MENTION OF PRECIP OUT OF THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME BUT MAY NEED TO BE REEVALUATED BY LATER SHIFTS. FIRE WEATHER... NEITHER ELEVATED NOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMARILLO TX 20 45 25 58 25 / 40 0 0 0 0 BEAVER OK 21 42 22 54 22 / 50 0 0 0 0 BOISE CITY OK 15 42 23 58 22 / 10 0 0 0 0 BORGER TX 22 44 26 60 26 / 40 0 0 0 0 BOYS RANCH TX 20 46 23 59 23 / 30 0 0 0 0 CANYON TX 19 46 24 59 25 / 30 0 0 0 0 CLARENDON TX 24 47 27 61 26 / 30 0 0 0 0 DALHART TX 16 44 21 58 20 / 30 0 0 0 0 GUYMON OK 19 45 23 58 22 / 40 0 0 0 0 HEREFORD TX 18 46 24 59 24 / 30 0 0 0 0 LIPSCOMB TX 24 44 24 56 23 / 40 0 0 0 0 PAMPA TX 22 43 25 57 25 / 40 0 0 0 0 SHAMROCK TX 27 45 27 60 26 / 30 0 0 0 0 WELLINGTON TX 28 48 27 62 27 / 20 0 0 0 0 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 13/03
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 325 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-300930- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 325 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES THROUGH THIS EVENING AS A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AS WELL AS THE NORTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE... WITH LESS THAN ONE INCH ACCUMULATION EXPECTED OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 309 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-300600- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BOISE CITY...KEYES...GUYMON...BEAVER... FORGAN...DALHART...STRATFORD...SPEARMAN...GRUVER...PERRYTON... BOOKER...HIGGINS...FOLLETT...HARTLEY...CHANNING...DUMAS... BORGER...MIAMI...CANADIAN...VEGA...AMARILLO...PANHANDLE... WHITE DEER...PAMPA...SHAMROCK...WHEELER...HEREFORD...CANYON... CLAUDE...CLARENDON...WELLINGTON 309 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 ...SOME LIGHT SNOW THIS EVENING... SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PANHANDLES THIS EVENING. THE SNOW WILL BE GENERALLY LIGHT WITH ANY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS UNDER ONE INCH. HOWEVER...A FEW HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY MELT AS IT FALLS ON ROADS INITIALLY. BUT...AS THE EVENING WEARS ON SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE ON THE ROADS MAKING THEM SLIPPERY. THE SNOW WILL END BY MIDNIGHT. NORTHWEST WINDS AT 15 TO 20 MPH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL CAUSE WIND CHILLS TO DROP TO AROUND ZERO IN THE WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WITH SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS ELSEWHERE. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO REMAIN ALERT FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY VISITING OUR WEBPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/AMA ...FOLLOWING YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER...LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... OR THROUGH YOUR PREFERRED MEDIA OUTLET. GOEHRING
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
22 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Two inches of snow was reported by KVII-TV on the north side of Amarillo at Broadway Road and Cherry Road.
Two inches of snow was reported by KAMR on the south side of downtown Amarillo.
The public reported 1 inch of snow at Boys Ranch in Oldham County.
A NWS Employee measured 1.8 inches of snow and reported sidewalks becoming slushy at their residence on the west southwest side of Amarillo.
A NWS COOP Observer reported 1 inch of snow in Stratford.
The NWS COOP Observer at Boys Ranch reported 2 inches of snow.
The NWS COOP Observer 8 miles south southwest of Romero reported 1 inch of snow.
A NWS Employee 8 miles southwest of Amarillo reported 2.5 inches of snow.
The NWS COOP Observer west southwest of Bushland reported 1.6 inches of snow.
The Sheriff's Office in Vega reported 3 inches of snow and several vehicle accidents. No injuries were reported in association to the accidents.
A NWS Employee reported 2 inches of snow at their home 6 miles northwest of Amarillo.
A member of the public reported 3 inches of snow 1 miles north of Bushland.
A NWS Employee reported 2 inches of snow at their home 6 miles west of Amarillo.
The NWS Office in Amarillo reported 1.7 inches of snow.
A trained spotter reported 2 inches of snow in Dawn.
The NWS COOP Observer in Borger measured 1.5 inches of snow.
A NWS Employee reported 2 inches of snow at their home 6 miles southwest of Amarillo.
The NWS COOP Observer in Gruver reported 1 inch of snow.
The NWS COOP Observer in Panhandle reported 2 inches of snow.
A NWS Employee reported 2.5 inches of snow at their home 5 miles south southwest of Amarillo.
A trained spotter reported 3.9 inches of snow 3 miles southwest of Amarillo.
Law Enforcement closed the 34th Street Bridge due to icy conditions causing vehicle accidents. No injuries reported in association to the accidents.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 2013
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: 431753, 431754, 431755, 431756, 431757, 431758, 431759, 431760, 431761, 431762, 431763, 431764, 431765, 431766, 431767, 431768, 431769, 431770, 431771, 431772, 431773, 431774.