The first half of December 1929 was remarkably warm across North Texas, most days featuring highs in the 60s and 70s. However, the mild weather came to an abrupt end on December 17 when an arctic front blew through the region. Within 24 hours, temperatures had fallen some 40 degrees. The mercury struggled to top the freezing mark on December 18 despite abundant sunshine. In the Panhandle, where temperatures were plunging to near 0°F, a strong storm system was invading. By the morning of December 19, 1 to 2 inches of snow had fallen across portions of the Panhandle.
The system dug slowly southeastward. Snow began falling in western portions of North Texas during the afternoon hours of December 20. Lightning and thunder accompanied the snow throughout the following night. By daybreak on December 21, several inches of snow had fallen across Central Texas from Junction to Lampasas, northeastward to Palestine and Athens. Clifton and Hillsboro had already accumulated 16 inches of snow by daylight that morning. The heavy snow continued through much of the day, before tapering off during the late afternoon and evening hours. By late evening on December 21, the snow was confined to far East Texas.
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Monthly Weather Review, March 1930
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