Is Amarillo In Danger Of A March Blizzard This Week? Not Exactly. Maybe.
If you've lived in the Texas panhandle for longer than a couple of years, you're familiar with the "March Blizzard." It seems every year we get a grand finale from Old Man Winter before spring really sets in.
This week, forecasts are calling for potentially severe storms and snow.
Is There A Blizzard On The Way?
While it seems impossible to predict the weather in the Texas panhandle, those who get paid to do so aren't sounding any alarms just quite yet. That doesn't mean it won't be nasty out there to start the week.
While many of us think a blizzard is strictly Mother Nature dumping a mountain of snow on top of us, that's not necessarily the case. Heavy snow fall is a part of it, but there's also the wind speed and visibility to keep in mind. Also, it has to be sustained for three hours.
There's also "ground blizzards." That's when the wind is blowing snow off the ground to the point that visibility is hazardous.
This is what has some people saying this could be our "March Blizzard."
How Much Snow Is Actually In The Forecast?
The good news? The National Weather Service Amarillo is saying that the biggest amount of snowfall is going to be far, far to the north. For us in Amarillo, they're saying somewhere between one to three inches of wet snow.
They do mention that visibility will be an issue, and winds will be up to 35 mph.
What About Those Storms For The Texas Panhandle Today?
That's still in the forecast too. Supposedly we can expect to start things out with some storms and rain this afternoon. It has been mentioned that some of those could become severe.
After the storms, we can expect the snow. According to the graphic above, we can expect it to all get started this afternoon.
No matter what happens, be safe on the roads tonight. It's not a bad idea to go ahead and make plans to allow yourself a little extra time to get where you need to go.