A Christmas Eve blizzard made a mess of holiday travel plans throughout the Midwest, stranding motorists, forcing flight cancellations, canceling church services and raising concerns about roadways on Christmas morning.
More than 2 inches of snow was recorded at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Areas to the northwest were walloped, with 8 inches falling in Nocona in Montague County and 5 to 6 inches in Wichita Falls.
Gusts of 50 mph caused blizzard conditions rarely seen in North Texas.
"It's extremely rare," said Daniel Huckaby, a weather service meteorologist. "To get both the heavy snow and high winds that cause a blizzard is a very unique event here in Texas."
Dallas-Fort Worth last experienced a white Christmas in 2004 and 1997. But the last time the area was socked with a true, New England-style dose of snow on Christmas Day was Dec. 25, 1926.
"I think it’s more in the Christmas spirit. It is beautiful," said Connie Smith, 41, of Fort Worth, who loaded groceries from Central Market into her car during a heavy snow. "I can’t believe it was 70 yesterday and snowing today."
Read the full story at star-telegram.com
The storm also brought harrowing weather to Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, with expectations that at least six inches of snow would have fallen overnight in the Kansas City area.
Weather forecasters warned that high winds would make travel hazardous, causing blowing and drifting snow and, at times, low visibility.
More than 40 afternoon and evening flights out of Kansas City International Airport were canceled or delayed. About 30 inbound flights were canceled as well and many area churches canceled Christmas Eve services.
On Thursday, snow forced closure of Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, and air traffic at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was delayed more than two hours.
Read the full story at KansasCity.com