A powerful winter storm swept across the Texas Panhandle over the weekend, bringing widespread snowfall, dangerous cold, and temporary disruptions to daily life. While the storm created significant local challenges—particularly for travel, schools, and water infrastructure—it also served as a real-world test of Texas’ power grid, which largely held up under the strain.
Snowfall and Local Impacts
The storm peaked from Saturday through Sunday, delivering heavy snow and blowing winds across much of northern Texas. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Amarillo, storm-total snowfall generally ranged from 4 to 9 inches across the Panhandle, with isolated higher totals reported by trained observers.
Some of the highest snowfall amounts included 9.8 inches in Kelton and 9.5 inches in Clarendon. Shamrock and Howardwick each reported around 9 inches, while Dimmitt, Greenbelt Lake, Mobeetie, and Virgo recorded approximately 8 inches. At Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, the official NWS measurement totaled 3.7 inches.
A narrower band of heavier snow extended from near Hale Center to south of Floydada, where 6 to 7 inches fell in spots. Areas farther south, including near Lubbock, saw lighter accumulations ranging from about 1.8 to 4.4 inches. Lubbock set a new daily snowfall record on Jan. 25, recording 4.4 inches and surpassing the previous record of 1.8 inches set in 1973.
Extreme Cold and Infrastructure Strain
In addition to snow, the storm ushered in Arctic air that drove wind chills down to between minus 10 and minus 20 degrees across parts of the region. Some locations neared minus 20, prompting the issuance of an Extreme Cold Warning that remained in effect through midday Monday.
The prolonged cold strained local infrastructure, particularly water systems. In Amarillo, multiple water main breaks were reported as temperatures plunged into the single digits. The City of Amarillo Water Utilities Department said crews were repairing six active breaks as of Sunday, Jan. 25, with work continuing into Monday despite harsh conditions.
Breaks were reported near 34th Avenue and Teckla, the 6100 block of Adirondack Trail, 1510 S. Van Buren St., 2001 Fannin St., and 5518 SW 34th Ave. Earlier issues, including a break in the 1900 block of South Manhattan Street, were repaired Saturday evening and restored service to about 60 customers. A second break was discovered nearby during follow-up work near Interstate 40 and South Nelson Street.
City officials said crews were working to restore service “as quickly as possible.” Impacts remained localized, and no citywide boil-water notice was issued. Residents experiencing outages or low pressure were urged to report problems to city utilities.
Closures and Travel Disruptions
Schools and city offices across much of the Texas Panhandle closed Monday due to lingering slick roads and continued cold overnight temperatures. Amarillo ISD, Canyon ISD, and dozens of other districts canceled classes. Some businesses also closed temporarily, including the Better Business Bureau of Amarillo & the Texas Panhandle.
Medical facilities in the region reduced services or temporarily shut down, and some flights at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport were canceled or delayed. The Texas Department of Transportation reported that crews worked overnight to plow and treat highways, urging drivers to avoid crowding snowplows and to remain cautious during cleanup operations.
Power Grid Performance Under Pressure
Despite the severe weather, Texas’ power grid performed far differently than it did during the catastrophic winter storm of 2021. Arctic air spread across West Texas and much of the state, bringing snow, sleet, and ice that caused some localized outages. However, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the grid for about 90 percent of the state, did not issue any conservation requests and reported no shortage of capacity.
“The time that was anticipated to be the tightest time for the grid was at 8:00 this morning,” Gov. Greg Abbott said during a radio interview Monday. “We have passed that, and the grid has held once again, works absolutely flawlessly, and that’s because of everything we’ve done over the past five years to make sure that the grid is stronger than it’s ever been.”
ERCOT reported that at the projected peak around 8 a.m. Monday, the system had 90,989 megawatts of committed capacity compared to demand of 75,713 megawatts, indicating a sizable margin.
To ensure reliability during the storm, ERCOT and grid operators in other regions were granted emergency waivers from the U.S. Department of Energy, allowing certain environmental regulations to be temporarily bypassed and requiring large energy users, such as data centers, to rely on backup generators. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote that the actions were intended to prevent tragedies like Winter Storm Uri, which caused billions of dollars in damage and more than 200 deaths.
Changes Since 2021
Since the 2021 disaster, Texas lawmakers and regulators have implemented a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the grid. The Legislature passed physical weatherization requirements for power generators in 2021, followed by market reforms in 2023 designed to encourage growth in the state’s thermal power fleet. Additional legislation signed last year requires large-load customers to contribute to infrastructure costs and gives ERCOT authority to manage or curtail usage during emergencies.
Will McAdams, a former commissioner of the Texas Public Utility Commission, described the grid’s performance during this storm as “a very successful event in terms of low forced outage rates among our generators.” He noted that wind turbines in West Texas, a concern going into the storm, largely remained operational.
McAdams also pointed to the growing role of battery storage. He said grid stability benefited from “15 gigawatts worth of batteries,” explaining that widespread battery capacity helped smooth prices and balance supply and demand during peak periods.
“That’s really the story of the grid of today versus the grid of five years ago,” he said.
While solar generation contributed during daylight hours, natural gas–fired power plants carried much of the load during early morning and evening demand. Not all parts of Texas fall under ERCOT’s management; areas such as El Paso, parts of the Panhandle, and regions of East Texas operate on different grid systems.
Human Toll and Outlook
Although the grid largely held, the storm was not without tragedy. One man found near a gas station in Austin reportedly died of hypothermia, and a teenager was killed in a sledding accident in Denton County. As of Monday, no deaths had been reported as a result of power outages.
By Monday afternoon, outages across major population centers were relatively limited. In the Houston area, CenterPoint reported fewer than 1,000 customers without power, while utilities in North and East Texas cited scattered outages tied to local conditions.
Looking ahead, forecasters expect a rapid improvement in weather. Temperatures across the Panhandle are forecast to climb steadily through the week, reaching the upper 50s by Friday and near 60 by the weekend. Overnight lows are also expected to moderate, rising to near or above freezing by Sunday. No additional precipitation or wintry weather is expected through early February, and above-normal temperatures are likely to persist.
Officials cautioned that drivers should remain alert for lingering ice on untreated roads, bridges, and overpasses early in the week. Residents are encouraged to monitor local updates, particularly regarding water service, as communities fully recover from the storm.
Overall, the weekend storm highlighted both the vulnerability of local infrastructure to extreme cold and the significant changes made to Texas’ energy system since 2021—changes that appear, at least in this instance, to have reduced the risk of widespread power failure during severe winter weather.
