Panhandle, South Plains could see up to 8 inches of snow Tuesday
Wintry precipitation looks increasingly likely for the Panhandle-South Plains starting in the overnight hours through Tuesday as a potent cold front moves through the region.
Most of the Panhandle-South Plains is under a winter weather advisory through Tuesday, with a possibility for some areas in the region to receive up to 8 inches of snow — increased from earlier projections on Sunday, which had forecast up to 2 inches of snow.
The greatest impact is forecast to occur along the Interstate 27 corridor between Hereford and Plainview, with chances steadily decreasing for areas further out, according to data from the National Weather Service offices in Lubbock and Amarillo.
The storm will hit Dimmitt, Friona and Plainview hardest with probabilities ranging from 3 to 8 inches of snow, according to NWS Lubbock projections, while Lubbock and Amarillo could receive anywhere between 1 to 5 inches of snowfall.
Areas south of Lubbock and the northern Panhandle can expect a lesser amount.
The storm system will spread across the Panhandle, South Plains and Rolling Plains throughout Tuesday. The southern portion of the Rolling Plains may see little to no snowfall, but periods of heavy rain are possible.
"As the storm system exits to the east late Tuesday night, colder air filtering in from the north on the backside of the storm and easing winds will likely result in unusually cold temperatures in the teens for many locations," reads a statement from the weather service.
Consequently, this could lead to refrozen roadways Wednesday morning. Travelers should plan ahead by going to http://drivetexas.org to check on road conditions.
The first snow of the season in Amarillo occurred on Nov. 4, while Lubbock received its first snow on Nov. 26, though both were only a trace — essentially a light "dusting" — that were less than one-tenth of an inch and too little to measure, according to representatives from both local NWS offices.
Historically, both Amarillo and Lubbock receive the greatest amount of snowfall in January, receiving an average of 4.7 and 2.54 inches, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Potential for "blanket of snow" in the South Plains, Panhandle Tuesday
