Amarillo was prepared for a historic blizzard this weekend. Were the predictions correct?

The National Weather Service reported that dangerous blizzard conditions would hit Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle on Saturday, December 26th. High winds and heavy snowfall were predicted.

The Panhandle emptied every Walmart and United of bottled water, canned food, batteries, and matches. Nobody wanted to be ill-prepared for the worst winter weather in Texas history.

Fortunately, Amarillo was not hit as severely as the reports predicted.

Amarillo got a total of 5 inches, with snow drifts up to 5 feet. The wind gusts were severe and caused damage to several structures in the area.

I27 from Canyon to Amarillo is open and clear. The road conditions in Amarillo are not ideal, so stay off the roads if you can. Several businesses will be closed today because of the weather:

  • ABC Learning Center 1,2 and 3
  • Acute & Chronic Pain and Spine Center
  • ADC Endoscopy Specialist
  • All Buttercup House locations in Borger
  • All United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos and United Express : Open at 9am
  • Allergy ARTS Clinic
  • Amarillo College Campus : closed for registration
  • Amarillo Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse
  • Amarillo Diagnostic Clinic
  • Amarillo Heart Group
  • Amarillo Medical Specialists
  • Amarillo Montessori Day School in Highland Park
  • Amarillo Oncology
  • Amarillo Pain & Accident Chiropractic Clinic
  • Amarillo Pain Associates
  • Amarillo Public Library
  • Amarillo Senior Citizens Assoc
  • Amarillo Surgical Group : Open at 11 a.m.
  • Amarillo Urology Associates
  • Amy Upton
  • AUA Surgical Center
  • Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center
  • Bryan Collins III, DDS
  • BSA Family Medicines Clinic
  • BSA Outpatient Therapy
  • Busy Bees Childcare & Pre-school
  • Butterflies & Bullfrogs
  • Cal Farley's Community Engagement Center
  • Cal Farley’s organizational headquarters
  • Canyon Chiropractic
  • Cardiology Center of Amarillo
  • Care Today Urgent-Health
  • CareNet Pregnancy Centers
  • Children's Circle of Friends
  • Christ Lutheran Church Child Development Center
  • City of Amarillo Offices
  • City of Canyon
  • Clovis City Offices
  • Clovis Health Office
  • Concentra Urgent Care : Open at noon
  • Create A Beat
  • Creek Stone Integrated Care
  • Dental Group of Amarillo
  • Don Harrington Discovery Center
  • DPS Offices: Deaf Smith, Parmer, Castro, & Oldham Counties
  • DPS Offices: Potter, Randall, Childress, Hall, Donley, Armstrong, Wheeler : Open at
  • 1pm
  • DPS Offices: Swisher, Briscoe, Gray, & Carson Counties : Open at 1pm
  • Family Support Services
  • First Baptist Child Development Center
  • First United Banking Center : Open at 10am
  • Footprints day school
  • Friendship Ranch Daycare Canyon
  • Grace Learning Center
  • Gray County offices : Open at Noon
  • Hagy Learning Center
  • Hands On Achievement
  • Harrington Breast Center
  • Harrington Breast Center
  • Harrington Cancer Center
  • Harrington Cancer Center
  • Haven Health Clinics
  • Hereford Day Care
  • Hillside Family Health Clinic
  • Hilltop Senior Citizen Association
  • Hutchinson County Offices
  • Imagination Station day care
  • Learning Depot
  • Local Liberty Tax Offices
  • Meadowbrook Counseling Center
  • Meganne Walsh MD
  • New Beginnings Preschool
  • Night & Day Care & Play
  • Northwest J O Wyatt Clinic
  • Northwest Texas Physician Group at Ridgeview
  • Northwest Urgent Care
  • Northwest Women's and Children's
  • Opportunities Senior Center in Borger
  • Opportunity School campuses
  • Outreach Health Services
  • Pampa Meals on Wheels
  • Panhandle AIDS Support Organization
  • Panhandle Cancer Care Center
  • Panhandle Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Parker Sports Medicine
  • Portales Health Office
  • Potter Co. Administrative Offices
  • ProStep Rehab Facility Amarillo & Borger locations
  • Rapid Tax Class by Liberty Tax
  • Smileworkshop
  • Specialized Therapy Services
  • St. Joseph's Daycare
  • Storyland Preschool & Child Care Center
  • Sunshine Childcare
  • Sunshine Childcare Canyon
  • Sunshine Valley Childcare Amarillo
  • Texas Breasts Specialists
  • Texas Oncology
  • Texas Pain & Spine Institute
  • Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus in Amarillo
  • The Amarillo Better Business Bureau
  • The Cross Medical Clinic
  • Toot 'n Totum Amarillo : Some locations at major intersections remain open - full list on Facebook
  • Trinity Lutheran Childcare
  • Tucumcari Health Office
  • Unique Individuals
  • Veteran Resource Center
  • Wesley Community Center
  • Western Chiropractic Clinic
  • Women's Healthcare Associates

The worst of the storm hit New Mexico and the South Plains.

Lubbock has issued a Disaster Declaration for the effects of the weather this weekend. This declaration will allow the State of Texas to provide resources to Lubbock County.

New Mexico is also in a State of Emergency because of the winter weather. Parts of New Mexico got 16 inches of snow, with snow drifts up to 10 feet.

There are several road closures in effect:

  • I-40 WESTBOUND ONLY from Amarillo to the New Mexico state line
  • I-40 EASTBOUND ONLY from Amarillo to the Oklahoma state line
  • I-27 in both directions from Exit 103 near Canyon, TX to Exit 53 north of Plainview, TX
  • US 287 in both directions from Amarillo to Childress, TX
  • US 60 in both directions from Hereford, TX to the New Mexico state line

More From KISS FM 96.9