Half-Century Records Fall in Texas Snowstorms

Parts of Texas got their heaviest snowfall in half a century Saturday, and record accumulations were reported in many cities.

Snow was reported from northern Arizona to New Mexico, and winter storm warnings were posted across the region, as far east as Louisiana.

In the 24-hour period ending at 9 p.m., seven inches of snow had fallen at San Antonio, breaking a record for one-day snowfall of 4.7 inches set in 1949.

A record also fell at Del Rio, which had not had measurable snowfall since Jan. 17, 1981. The 5 1/2 inches of snow in 24 hours there broke a record of 4.7 inches in 1926. Elsewhere in Texas, seven inches fell at Alpine, four inches at Midland and two inches at Austin.

Don Clark of the Texas Highway Department said that “very hazardous driving conditions” existed from near Houston to Austin and San Antonio, southward to Corpus Christi and west to the Big Bend region. Clark said crews were sanding streets, but “as long as it keeps falling, it’s a battle.”

Rio Grande Valley citrus farmers, whose crops were virtually destroyed during a freeze last winter, were warned to take precautions against the storm. Travelers advisories due to snow and slippery roads were in effect for much of North Carolina, where three to six inches fell overnight in the northern mountains, and in Maryland.