USA TODAY Winter Storm Watch

USA Winter Storm Watches remain in effect for all of our counties until 1 p.m. USA Monday afternoon due to the impending winter storm on the way this weekend. USA Significant amounts of sleet and freezing rain are expected along with frigid temperatures that will likely stick around through USA next week.

As for USA tonight and your Friday, mostly cloudy skies are expected tonight, along with low temperatures that will be dipping down into the upper 30s. USA Friday will have more clouds and the potential for some scattered showers with highs that will be in the mid-40s across the Carolinas.

When it comes to the USA winter storm this weekend, it is helpful to talk about the storm when it comes to the three Ts: Timing, Types, and Totals.

USA Timing: Wintry weather will move into the region starting during the afternoon hours on USA Saturday, with the storm not fully clearing out of the region until overnight Sunday and early Monday. It is becoming apparent that this storm will be broken up into two separate waves of icy conditions, with the first being later Saturday through the mid-morning on Sunday, and the second wave being Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening.

Types of USA Wintry Weather: This is basically looking like an all-sleet and freezing rain event for the Carolinas, with some possible snow right at the start of the storm up in the mountains. Right now, sleet is expected for USA Charlotte and points Saturday evening and overnight, with sleet and freezing rain farther to the south. For the second wave of the storm, mostly freezing rain is expected later Sunday with a slight chance of the storm ending as light rain Sunday night.

Totals: Significant sleet accumulations are possible north of Charlotte, with USA some places potentially picking up as much as 3 inches of sleet alone. Farther south, more of a mix of sleet and freezing, and some spots, including Charlotte, could see upwards of a half inch of freezing rain, making power outages a distinct possibility.

Please make sure you are prepared for this storm, and we will keep ahead of the USA impacts on-air and online with the latest updates. Have a great night and stay safe this weekend!

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Hoboken from 3 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. on Monday. Anywhere from 6-10 inches may fall Sunday, with more possible Monday before noon, the NWS says.

Forecasters expect coastal areas like Hoboken to get a bit more snow than points west.

Due to USA Winter Storm Fern, the tipoff time for Saturday's Kentucky basketball game against Ole Miss has been changed.

Instead of its previously scheduled noon start time, the game has been rescheduled for an 11 a.m. tipoff at Rupp Arena.

USA Winter weather related Warnings, Watches and Advisories are issued by your local National Weather Service office. Each office knows the local area and will issue Warnings, Watches or Advisories based on local criteria. For example, the amount of snow that triggers a “Winter Storm Warning” in the Northern Plains is typically much higher than the amount needed to trigger a “Winter Storm Warning” in the Southeast.

Here are some more key terms to understand:

Freezing Rain: Rain that freezes when it hits the ground; creating a coating of ice on USA roads, walkways, trees and USA power lines.
Sleet: Rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes moisture on roads to freeze and become slippery.
Wind Chill: A measure of how cold people feel due to the combined effect of wind and cold temperatures; the Wind Chill Index is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin. Both cold temperatures and wind remove heat from the body; as the wind speed increases during cold conditions, a body loses heat more quickly. Eventually, the internal body temperature also falls and hypothermia can develop. Animals also feel the effects of wind chill; but inanimate objects, such as vehicles and buildings, do not. They will only cool to the actual air temperature, although much faster during windy conditions.

Normally, a Winter Storm Watch will be issued in advance of the storm (usually at least 24 hours). It indicates the risk of a hazardous winter weather event has increased (at least a 50% chance of it occurring), but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so you can make plans to stay safe. While rare for our area, a Blizzard Watch may be issued instead.

As the event becomes imminent, a watch will normally be upgraded to either a warning or an advisory (which indicates an 80% or greater probability of occurence). A Warning indicates that conditions pose a threat to life or property, and that travel will become difficult to impossible. An Advisory indicates conditions pose a significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property.

Most of the Texas Panhandle is under a winter storm warning and parts under an extreme cold warning as Winter Storm Fern approaches, with the National Weather Service forecasting heavy snow, hazardous travel and dangerously low wind chills beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday.

The National Weather Service offices in Amarillo and Lubbock upgraded their alerts Thursday afternoon, signaling increased confidence in the storm’s impacts. Forecasters originally projected widespread snowfall of 4 to 12 inches across much of the region, including Potter and Randall counties. There is a 90% chance Amarillo will receive at least 1 inch of snow and nearly a 70% chance of 5 inches or more by Sunday, with isolated higher totals possible east and north of the city.

"New changes to the system have shifted snow totals slightly across the combined Panhandles," NWS Amarillo said in a Thursday evening Facebook update, which noted up to 8 inches was still possible in parts of the region. "Do not be surprised if there is only light snow on the ground by Saturday afternoon. Impactful snowfall is still expected, especially late Saturday into Sunday morning."

Precipitation is expected to begin early Friday as a wintry mix of rain, sleet and freezing rain before transitioning to heavy snow by Friday night. Accumulating snow is forecast to continue through much of Saturday, with scattered snow showers possibly lingering into Sunday. In some areas, a light glaze of ice is also possible. Gusty winds could produce blowing snow, sharply reduced visibility and blizzard-like conditions, particularly on bridges and overpasses.

An extreme cold warning heightens the risk, with wind chills expected to fall to minus 15 degrees or colder, especially early Saturday between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. Daytime highs are forecast to remain in the teens or single digits through the weekend, while overnight lows may dip below zero in some areas, increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia from even brief exposure.

What counties are included in the USA winter storm warning?

These are the Texas Panhandle counties now included in the NWS Amarillo and Lubbock winter storm warnings as of 12:58 p.m. Thursday:

Armstrong
Briscoe
Carson
Castro
Childress
Collingsworth
Deaf Smith
Donley
Gray
Hall
Hansford
Hemphill
Hutchinson
Lipscomb
Moore
Ochiltree
Oldham
Parmer
Potter
Randall
Roberts
Sherman
Swisher
Wheeler
as well as Palo Duro Canyon.

This includes the communities of Amarillo, Canyon, Borger, Dumas, Pampa, Perryton, Canadian, Shamrock, Wellington, Spearman, Booker, Clarendon, Claude, Panhandle and Guymon, as well as Dawn, Vega, Hereford, Wildorado, Boys Ranch, and Bootleg.

Dallam and Hartley counties remain under a winter weather advisory rather than a warning, with forecasters expecting lighter snow totals there compared with surrounding counties.

What USA counties are included in the extreme cold warning?

The Texas Panhandle counties included in the NWS Lubbock extreme cold warning as of 12:58 p.m. Thursday, are:

Parmer
Castro
Swisher
Briscoe
Hall
Childress

The extreme cold watch issued by NWS Amarillo continues for most of the rest of the Texas Panhandle through Saturday morning, as of 2 p.m. Thursday.

Forecast details also vary locally. In Oldham and Deaf Smith counties, including communities such as Hereford, Vega, Dawn and Wildorado, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning effective from noon Friday through 6 a.m. Sunday, with expected snowfall totals of 3 to 5 inches and a light glaze of ice possible. Forecasters warned that roads — especially bridges and overpasses — are likely to become slick and hazardous, with impacts expected to worsen during the Friday evening commute.

USA Disaster declarations issued ahead of storm, shelters opening

Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley declared a local state of disaster Wednesday to activate emergency resources, mobilize street crews and position the city to seek state or federal assistance if needed. The declaration remains in effect for up to seven days unless extended.

The city has activated USA cold-weather sheltering. The Guyon Saunders USA Resource Center will operate as a 24/7 USA warming station for the homeless and unsheltered from Friday through Sunday afternoon. Amarillo Public Libraries will also serve as daytime warming centers during regular operating hours. City officials urged residents, particularly those who are elderly or medically vulnerable, to seek shelter before conditions deteriorate.

At the state level, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration covering 134 counties, including all counties in the USA Panhandle, to expedite deployment of resources. Xcel Energy officials said the electric grid is stronger than during past winter events but cautioned that significant ice or strong winds could still result in outages in a USA worst-case scenario. The Texas Department of Transportation urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel once conditions w

Conditions were relatively mild Thursday afternoon, with temperatures in the low to mid-40s under breezy USA skies and highs potentially reaching the upper 50s before a sharp cold front moves into the region overnight.

Officials urged residents to prepare immediately by assembling emergency kits with food, water, medications, flashlights and blankets; charging phones and backup batteries; avoiding travel once precipitation begins; dressing in multiple layers; and checking on USA neighbors who may lack heat or transportation. Motorists are encouraged to carry winter supplies in vehicles and to monitor road conditions through TxDOT.

The storm is part of a massive winter system affecting more than 35 states from the Southwest to the Northeast, placing millions of people under winter weather alerts.

Forecasters said the most dangerous impacts may come after the snow ends, when prolonged subzero wind chills could quickly turn power outages, stalled vehicles or delayed travel into life-threatening USA emergencies.

Posted on 2026/01/23 09:19 AM