Ice, fog create dangerous road conditions Tuesday morning - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

Ice, fog create dangerous road conditions Tuesday morning

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By Steve Divine - bio | email
LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -

Tuesday morning, areas of ice - and some fog - may create hazardous travel conditions. You may need more drive time for your morning commute.

In the Lubbock area this morning there is some patchy ice on main roads, while areas of ice are likely on less traveled roads. Be especially cautious on elevated roadways (such as bridges and overpasses) and areas that typically remain in the shade (such as tree-lined streets, downtown, and underpasses).

To the west and especially north of Lubbock this morning, icy and snow-packed roads are likely. If you can, delay your travel until the sun has been up for a few hours, until road crews have had an opportunity to work on your route, and until other traffic ahead of you has cut through some of the ice and slush.

Otherwise, morning lows will be in the single digits where a couple or more inches of snow remains on the ground, teens in the central KCBD viewing area - including Lubbock, and low to mid 20s across the southern KCBD viewing area counties.

Afternoon highs will top out near freezing across the northern viewing area where several inches of snow will be slow to melt, upper 30s to low 40s in the central South Plains - including Lubbock, and upper 40s to low 50s across the southern KCBD viewing area. Skies will be mostly sunny (dry) and winds generally will be westerly at 5 to 5 mph.

A Snow Record

Lubbock's official (measured at the airport) snowfall total yesterday was 3.4" - more than double the February average snowfall of 1.6". The 3.4" set the record snowfall for the date. The previous February 25 record was 1.5" in 1982. Lubbock's Snow Season total is now 3.7", which is 3.6" below the season-to-date average 7.3"). Last year at this time the season to date total was 6.8". By the way, Lubbock's average seasonal snowfall is 8.2" (based on 1981 -2010). The snowiest February on record was 1956 with 16.8".

Lubbock's precipitation (liquid) total yesterday at the airport was 0.34", bringing the total for the month to 1.31" - which is 0.65" above the 30 year average. Last February the value was 0.51". Lubbock's year to date (YTD) precipitation total is now 2.23", which is 0.92" above the 30 year average. The total last year at this time? Just half an inch (0.52").

Snowfall reports (via NWS Lubbock):

  • <1"...Post
  • <1"...Tahoka
  • <1"...Spur
  • 1"....Brownfield
  • 1"....Dickens
  • 2"....Jayton
  • 2"....Floydada
  • 3"....Plains
  • 3"....Morton
  • 3"....Abernathy
  • 3.4"..Lubbock airport
  • 4"....LBB Sci Spec (0.41" water)
  • 4"....Levelland
  • 4"....Shallowater
  • 4"....Paducah
  • 4"....Crosbyton
  • 4.5"..Ralls - Drifts to 1 ft
  • 5"....Roaring Springs - Drifts to 2 ft
  • 6"....Lubbock west near 8th & Milwaukee
  • 6"... Bovina - Drifts to 3 ft
  • 6"....Littlefield - Drifts to 3 ft
  • 6"....Memphis
  • 7"....Friona
  • 7"....Olton - Drifts to 3 ft
  • 7"....Happy - Drifts 4-5 ft
  • 8"....Dimmitt - Drifts 4 ft
  • 8"....Plainview - Drifts to 3 ft
  • 8"....Muleshoe - Drifts to 6 ft
  • 10"...Childress
  • 13"...Silverton - Drifts 7 ft
  • 15"...Tulia (CO-OP observer ~ 2 mi W) - Drifts to 6 ft

A few other reports:

  • Floyd County 3"
  • Crosby County 1" east to 4" west
  • Parmer County 6+" drifts of 3 feet
  • 19" Amarillo - Drifts to 6 ft. The total smashed the February 25 record of 10.0" (1903) and the February monthly record of 12.0" (February 16, 1893). It's the second highest 24 hour snow total at Amarillo. The record is 20.6" March 25-26, 1934.

Reported Peak Winds (via NWS Lubbock):

  • 67 MPH O'Donnell
  • 62 MPH Graham
  • 59 MPH Lubbock (Airport)
  • 59 MPH Olton
  • 59 MPH Levelland
  • 58 MPH Wolfforth
  • 58 MPH Reese Center

Truly a blizzard?

The National Weather Service says blizzard conditions exist when, for a period of 3 hours or longer, winds are sustained or are frequently gusting to 35 miles an hour or greater; and there is considerable falling and/or blowing snow - that is, reducing visibility frequently to less than 1/4 mile.

Yesterday winds were sustained at 35 mph or greater from before 11 AM to after 3 PM. (Plus, yesterday frequent gusts near 35 mph or greater occurred from before 6 AM to after 6 PM.)

Yesterday visibility was at or below 1/4 mile from before 9 AM until after 1 PM.

Yes.

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