Blog

Dalhart experiences a semiarid climate (Köppen BSk) with cool, dry winters and hot summers. The average annual rainfall of less than 17 inches or 430 millimetres strongly influences both Dalhart’s ecological climate and agricultural practices, especially center-pivot irrigation.Dalhart is a city in Dallam and Hartley counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and the county seat of Dallam County. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.

Dalhart was in the center of the Dust Bowl, an area adversely affected by a long period of drought and dust storms during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Here, Tex Thornton, operating on the now debunked concussion theory, coaxed today’s inflation-adjusted equivalent of $1 million from the locals on claims he could fire rocket-powered explosives into the clouds and cause rain.The Dalhart Independent School District serves the city of Dalhart. The district has an elementary school, intermediate school, junior high school, and high school. Students attend Dalhart High School, which competes athletically and scholastically in District 1 Division 3A of Texas’ University Interscholastic League. In 2012, Frank Phillips College opened a branch in Dalhart, offering both credit and community-education classes.

Since records began in 1948, the hottest temperature in Dalhart has been 110 °F (43.3 °C) on June 26, 2011, and the coldest −21 °F (−29.4 °C) on January 4, 1959. On average, 65 afternoons each year will reach or top 90 °F or 32.2 °C, 133.8 mornings will fall to or below freezing, 10.1 afternoons will fail to top freezing, and two mornings will fall to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C). The hottest complete month has been July 2011 with a mean maximum of 99.81 °F or 37.7 °C and the coldest January 1963 with a mean minimum of 7.55 °F or −13.6 °C. The wettest calendar year has been 1985 with 28.03 inches (712.0 mm) and the driest 2011 with only 6.04 inches (153.4 mm).In the mid-2000s, a combination of tax incentives, Texas’ relatively unrestricted environmental regulations, and Dalhart’s existing agricultural infrastructure attracted industrial dairy farms to the area. In 2007, Hilmar Cheese Company of California capitalized on the resulting milk availability, opening a major production plant in Dalhart. Texas Governor Rick Perry visited Dalhart to speak at the company’s official welcoming ceremony, reiterating the company’s projection that 2000 new jobs would be created in the region by the emerging dairy product production industry. This factory and the surrounding dairies are a significant emerging subsector of Dalhart’s established agribusiness culture.

In December 2015, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer voted Dalhart number eight of the 10 “most conservative” cities in the United States in regard to campaign contributions. Other West Texas communities in the most conservative lineup are Hereford (number one), Monahans (number five), and Childress (number nine). In contrast, Vashon Island, Washington, was named the “most liberal” city in the nation regarding political donations.

Census data showed that 84.0% of the population identified as White, while 1.2% identified as Black/African American, 0.7% identified as Asian, 0.9% identified as Native American, and 0.1% were Pacific Islander. About 10.5% of the remaining population identified themselves as some other race, while 2.5% considered themselves to be of two or more races, and 34.0% of the population identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino of any race.Dalhart sits at the intersection of U.S. Highways 54, 87 and 385. Two miles south of Dalhart is the former Rita Blanca State Park, site of Rita Blanca Canyon, now maintained by the City of Dalhart. It is 1,680 acres, plus the 160 acres of Lake Rita Blanca, on Rita Blanca Creek. The park has playground equipment and hiking/biking/riding trails. The city has added a Lake Center at which guests can check-out various items such as bicycles, board games, fishing poles and tackle, golf discs, and more.

As the crow flies, Dalhart is 491 miles (790 km) from Austin, but 201 miles (323 km) from Santa Fe, 281 miles (452 km) from Oklahoma City, 289 miles (465 km) from Denver, 375 miles (604 km) from Cheyenne, 434 miles (698 km) from Topeka, and 458 miles (737 km) from Lincoln.

Over the 4-year period between 2007 and 2011, the median household income was $53,210, with a larger mean (average) household income of $69,190. The median per-capita income was $24,979. The census showed that 6.4% of the population lived below the federal poverty line, and 3.4% of the population was unemployed. Around 71.1% of Dalhart residents owned a home, with the median home value being $91,800. As of 2010, 829 businesses were registered in the city.

The Muscle Car Party Weekend is held each year in May, and includes a classic car show, bicycle drag races, and dinner and dance. The events are sponsored by the Dalhart Cruzers Car Club, and each year, the club raffles a classic car.Dalhart is located closer to six other state capitals than to Texas’ capital of Austin. In surface mileage (over major highways), Dalhart is 570 miles (920 km) from Austin, but is 261 miles (420 km) from Santa Fe, New Mexico, 313 miles (504 km) from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 348 miles (560 km) from Denver, Colorado, 448 miles (721 km) from Cheyenne, Wyoming, 461 miles (742 km) from Topeka, Kansas, and 544 miles (875 km) from Lincoln, Nebraska.

In 2010, 9.9% of the population identified as being foreign-born, with 25.4% of households in Dalhart speaking a primary language other than English at home. Data demonstrated that 79.6% of residents over 25 had earned at least a high-school diploma, while 16.4% had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.During the peak operating period of the XIT Ranch, the land was in native grass. Some land was diverted into dry farmland, but the rain was insufficient to make it productive. A few irrigation wells were drilled in areas where the soil was not sandy and was level enough for row irrigation. Later, center pivot irrigation, credited to Colorado farmer Frank Zybach in 1949, was introduced and was found to be ideal for the area’s rolling sandy soils. About the same time, large feedlots were built due to the low-humidity climate. This created a good market for corn, which is the major crop grown by farmers in the area.Dalhart is known as the “XIT City” because of its relationship with the historic XIT Ranch. The ranch was a 3,000,000-acre (12,000 km) plot of land traded in exchange for the construction of the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The ranch was dissolved in 1912, but its history is celebrated with the city’s XIT Museum and the XIT Rodeo and Reunion. Held annually on the first full Thursday through Sunday weekend of August, the event includes the world’s largest free barbecue, junior rodeo, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events, and three nights of live music.

As of the 2010 Census, Dalhart had a population of 7,930 living in 2,957 housing locations; 50.3% of the population was male, with 49.7% being female. The census revealed that 28.9% of the population was under the age of 18, while 12.4% of citizens were over the age of 65. With an area of 4.78 square miles, the City of Dalhart has a population density of 1659.0 persons/square mile.These are approximate driving times in a radius from Dalhart, Texas. Search for vacation spots within driving distance for a day trip or weekend getaway. There are many towns within the total area, so if you’re looking for closer places, try a smaller radius like 1 hour. If you’re willing to drive farther, try 2 hours.

Not sure where to go? Take a day trip from Dalhart, or if you have more time you can explore weekend trips from Dalhart, but make sure you also check road conditions around Dalhart. Looking for small towns or communities around Dalhart, Texas? Get a full list of up to 500 cities nearby Dalhart.

The XIT Museum in Dalhart, Texas is a museum of the history of Dallam and Hartley counties in the Texas Panhandle, with particular focus on the history and culture of one of the best-known ranches of the American West, the XIT, which at its peak encompassed parts of ten Texas counties along a 200 mi stretch of acreage in the late 19th century. The ranch operated from 1885–1912. The museum exhibits include a model of an XIT division headquarters. The museum also displays period artifacts: an early kitchen, parlor, bedroom, an inspirational chapel (which can accommodate small wedding parties), dozens of historic photographs, and collections of guns, hats, and cameras.Greyhound is a leading bus company based in Dallas, Texas, serving over 3800 destinations across North America, Mexico and Canada. Greyhound carries around 18 million passengers a year who travel 5.4 billion miles (8.6 billion km) a year on their fleet of around 1700 vehicles. For travel flexibility, you can board or get off a Greyhound bus at official Greyhound stations, partner stations and curbside stops. There are around 230 Greyhound stations across the US where you can both catch your bus and buy tickets, that are also available on the official website and via the mobile app.

Rome2Rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Find all the transport options for your trip from Amarillo to Dalhart right here. Rome2Rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. Rome2Rio also offers online bookings for selected operators, making reservations easy and straightforward.

There is no direct connection from Amarillo to Dalhart. However, you can take the night bus to Dumas Bus Stop then take the taxi to Dalhart. Alternatively, you can take the drive to Dalhart.Rome2Rio’s Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions – such as ‘How do I buy a ticket?’, ‘Should I book online before I travel? ‘, ‘How much should I expect to pay?’, ‘Do the trains and buses have Wifi?’ – to help you get the most out of your next trip.

We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. Every dollar helps.During the drought years of the 1930s Dalhart was notorious for its “black dusters” (see DUST BOWL). R. S. (Uncle Dick) Coon, a wealthy businessman who owned the DeSoto Hotel, became legendary for his generosity to depression-stricken farmers and cowboys. In August 1934 Dalhart became the site of one of the first three erosion-control demonstration projects in Texas, sponsored by the federal land bank, and the first to be devoted specifically to wind erosion. The Work Projects Administration and National Youth Administration also had chapters in Dalhart. Dalhart Army Air Field was established about two miles southwest of town.

Cordia Sloan Duke and Joe B. Frantz, 6,000 Miles of Fence: Life on the XIT Ranch of Texas (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1961). David B. Gracy II, “Selling the Future: A Biography of William Pulver Soash,” Panhandle-Plains Historical Review 50 (1977). Lillie Mae Hunter, The Book of Years: A History of Dallam and Hartley Counties (Hereford, Texas: Pioneer, 1969). F. Stanley [Stanley F. L. Crocchiola], The Dalhart, Texas, Story (Nazareth, Texas, 1975).We need your support because we are a non-profit that relies upon contributions from our community in order to record and preserve the history of our state. Every dollar helps.

Dalhart, the county seat of Dallam County, straddles the border of Dallam and Hartley counties in the northwest corner of the Texas Panhandle. The original settlement was platted early in 1901 by W. J. Blair and Charles W. Thornton when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway built west from Liberal, Kansas, and crossed the Fort Worth and Denver City line. The site of the crossing was known for a time as Twist Junction. J. H. Conlen supervised the laying of the Rock Island tracks and made an old boxcar into a section house on the site. Later the settlement was named Denrock, a combination of the names of the two railroads; in 1901 Robert B. Edgell named his new newspaper the Denrock Sun. But when postal authorities objected, the town adopted the name Dalhart, combining the first syllables of the names of the two counties in which it is located. On June 11, 1901, Ora D. Atkinson and other promoters incorporated the Dalhart Town Company, and the first and only sale of lots was held on July 20. Dalhart was incorporated as a town on May 6, 1902, and as a city on April 6, 1904. It replaced Texline as Dallam county seat, as a result of an election on February 21, 1903. From that time on, Dalhart quickly grew as a shipping center for the XIT Ranch and other area ranches. The activities of the W. P. Soash Land Company also contributed significantly to Dalhart’s progress. C. E. Williams, a noted well driller, built the town’s first water tower in 1906. Previously, it had been necessary to buy water at twenty cents a barrel from barrels lining the railroad tracks.By 1912 Dalhart had a population of 3,500. The two railroad lines, which erected machine shops, roundhouses, and a lever control tower, contributed to the town’s prosperity, and Dalhart played a major role in establishing the Enid, Ochiltree and Western and other small railways. In addition, it had three banks, a flour mill, a large grain elevator, a planing mill, a modern utilities system, a hospital, an ice plant, several hotels and churches, and a high school athletic program serving an ever-expanding agricultural area. When oil companies began drilling in the Panhandle, Dalhart was among the first towns to sell oil leases. The Dallam County Public Library, the first county library in Texas, opened for circulation in January 1921. Dalhart’s population was further increased with the development of its East Heights addition in 1928.

Travelmath helps you find driving distances based on actual directions for your road trip. You can get the distance between cities, airports, states, countries, or zip codes to figure out the best route to travel to your destination. Combine this information with the fuel cost tool to find out how much it will cost you to drive the distance, or compare the results to the straight line distance to determine whether it’s better to drive or fly. You can print out pages with a travel map.You can also calculate the cost of driving from Dalhart, TX to Amarillo, TX based on current local fuel prices and an estimate of your car’s best gas mileage. View a map with driving directions using your preferred map provider: Google Maps, Bing Maps, or MapQuest. You can use DriveDistance.com to get the full driving distance from Dalhart to Amarillo with directions. Now let’s assume you have a private jet and you can fly in the fastest possible straight line between Amarillo, Texas and Dalhart, Texas. Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest distance is actually the “great circle” distance, or “as the crow flies” which is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula.

The distance is the same either way if you’re flying a straight line (or driving the same roads back and forth). But for a real trip, there can be plenty of differences so go ahead and check the reverse directions to get the distance from Dalhart (Texas) to Amarillo, or go to the main page to calculate the distance between cities.

Even though you can drive this distance straight through, it might be more interesting to stop along the way. You can scroll down to calculate how many hours it would take if you drive with stops.The Potter County Courthouse is a government building for Potter County, located in the county seat of Amarillo, Texas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 22, 1996.Rome2Rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Find all the transport options for your trip from Dalhart to Amarillo right here. Rome2Rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. Rome2Rio also offers online bookings for selected operators, making reservations easy and straightforward.There is no direct connection from Dalhart to Amarillo. However, you can take the taxi to Dumas Bus Stop then take the night bus to Amarillo Bus Station. Alternatively, you can take the drive to Amarillo.Amarillo is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is also the largest city in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The estimated population was 199,924 as of 2018. The Amarillo metropolitan area has an estimated population of 276,020 in four counties as of 2017. The metro population is projected to surpass 310,000 in 2020. – Wikipedia The Big Texan Steak Ranch is a steakhouse restaurant and motel located in Amarillo, Texas, United States which opened on the previous U.S. Route 66 in the 4500 block of East Amarillo Boulevard in 1960. It relocated to its present location on Interstate 40 in 1970. Fire gutted the west wing of the restaurant in 1976 and destroyed $100,000 in antiques. The restaurant reopened as a larger facility in 1977. The building is painted a bright yellow, with blue trim. A large bull statue advertises their “free” 72 oz. steak (see below). The now-closed Texas Tornado Museum resided off in a far corner of the parking lot on the property. Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas, USA. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm. It consists of what were (when originally installed during 1974) either older running used or junk Cadillac automobiles, representing a number of evolutions of the car line (most notably the birth and death of the defining feature of mid twentieth century Cadillacs: the tailfins) from 1949 to 1963, half-buried nose-first in the ground, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.The Santa Fe Building is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Amarillo, Texas, U.S.A.. It was completed on January 18, 1930 and had the regional offices of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway company. The Amarillo office of the railroad company supervised more than 5,800 miles (9,334 km) of railroads. Brenna
n Construction Company of Amarillo and Dallas built the building from 1928 to 1930 with an original construction cost of US$1.5 million.

Being at the junction of Interstates 40 and 27, and on the historic Route 66, the citycommunity benefits from both commerce and tourism. AmarilloAmarilloThe city offers a diverse range of job opportunities, thanks to the diversification of its economy.There is something for everyone in town, whether they are nature lovers, baseball fans, or history nerds. You can start your vacation off right by going camping, mountain biking, and hiking in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. IFor instance, in August, you can attend the Center City Block Party. The downtown district of Amarillo hosts the festival, which features a wide variety of exciting events and activities. Across the street is the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show, showcasing the town’s historic Texan heritage. Because of its location, the citymetro is easily accessible from both the east-west Interstate 40 and the north-south Interstate 27. It is because of the town loop route 335 that the city does not have extremely bad traffic.Living expenses in Amarillo are low compared to similar cities. Its score of 80.1 is significantly lower than the national average. Costs for basic foodstuffs are lower than average because of the abundance of farmer’s markets and the robust ranching business.Amarillo’s ability to provide affordable housing for patients and their loved ones is arguably the city’s greatest asset. Patients’ families can stay at the Ronald McDonald House of Amarillo (RMHA) while their children receive treatment at nearby hospitals.If you are a newcomer to this lovely community, your neighbor may welcome you with a delicious casserole. If you want to experience true American warmth and southern hospitalitya good time, look no further than Amarillo, Texas.Public schools in Amarillo are some of the best in the state. The local government and schools are well recognized at the state and federal levels. Fifty-five schools make up the Amarillo Independent Schools District, which serves the public school needs of the greater Amarillo area.

If you want to live out your inner adventurer, Wonderland Amusement Park is a great place to start. The Cadillac Ranch is also notable as an unusual tourist attraction. It was one of the hallmarks of the old Route 66. The Amarillo Zoo is a great place to see animals up close, and the Amarillo Botanical Garden is a lovely place to stroll through and admire the plants.Both the BSA Health System and the Northwest Texas Healthcare System, which are based in the city, are nationally recognized for the quality of their heart and pediatric treatment, respectively. On the other hand, the Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation is widely recognized as an excellent medical center.

The Amarillo Civic Center is home to the World Championship Ranch Rodeo. At the same time, Amarillo’s Livestock Auction and the World Championship Chuckwagon Roundup draw visitors interested in cowboy culture from all across the United States.Amarillo is widely known for its high crime rate. Both the property and violent crime rates there are twice as high as the national average. As you can see, the crime rate in this area is quite high and requires extra caution.

BTRN, LLC and IntroLend by Home & Money, LLC are separate operating subsidiaries of BoomTown ROI, LLC. Each company is a separate legal entity operated and managed through its own management and governance structure as required by its state of incorporation and applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Products not available in all states.

If you have to commute to work, you probably want to live somewhere that gets you to work quickly. Commute times in Amarillo are among the shortest of all major U.S. cities.

Despite these attractions, Amarillo has much more to offer. Likewise, the city has its not-so-great aspects too. Keep reading as we discover 10 pros and cons of living in Amarillo, TX!

Amarillo ticks all the boxes for a good and ideal city; a low cost of living, a vibrant economy, availability of excellent schools, and many fun things to do. However, it’s also important to consider the drawbacks that come with living in this city, such as the high tax burdens and high rate of crime.

Real estate referral services from MyAgentFinder by Home & Money | MyAgentFinder is a registered Service Mark of BTRN, LLC, a licensed Real Estate Office. SC Lic #23668. 1505 King St Ext #101, Charleston, SC 29405. Equal Housing Opportunity.Taxes in Amarillo are quite high, in contrast to the city’s cheap cost of living. There may be no income tax in the city, but you still could have to pay other types of taxes, such as sales taxthose on purchases and property taxor ownership of property.

Additionally, the city is a center for the aviation and aerospace sectors. It hasThey have companies like Bell, which focuses on vertical takeoffs and landings, and TACAir, which provides services for aircraft. The city of Amarillo, Tyson Foods, Pantex, Owens Corning, and Baptist St. Anthony Health Care System are some of the largest employers in the city.Amarillo, a picturesque city in the Texas Panhandle, is well-known for its cowboy heritage. Amarillo earned the names “Helium Capital of the World” and “Bomb City” due to its proximity to a nuclear weapons manufacturing and disassembly plant and helium fields. Don’t worry though; it’s not as bad as it sounds at first. Surprisingly, there are four relatively mild seasons in the city. The summers are warm without being unbearable, while the winters are cool without being frigid. Temperatures in the summer, especially in July, can reach 91 degrees F, and the average annual rainfall is 21 inches. In comparison to the national average of 26.4 minutes, the average commute time in Amarillo is just 17.7 minutes. Amarillo City Transit provides a reliable bus service that makes getting aroundabout the city a breeze.

Amarillo is in the center of the Texas Panhandle, a 26-county area that is bordered by New Mexico and Oklahoma. Here, the southern plains meet the desert. Founded in 1887 at the intersection of two railroads, today the city is the intersection of Interstates 40 and 27. The city received its name, which means yellow in Spanish, from the yellow sub-soil and the yellow flowers blooming here.

Amarillo is at an altitude 3,671 ft. and receives about 19.5 inches of precipitation annually. The altitude and constant breeze are responsible for the clean air and low humidity. There are four distinct seasons in the city, yet the temperatures remain comfortable for most of the year. Each year there are over 270 sunny days.

If you want to meet halfway between Dalhart, TX and Amarillo, TX or just make a stop in the middle of your trip, the exact coordinates of the halfway point of this route are 35.522358 and -102.259605, or 35º 31′ 20.4888″ N, 102º 15′ 34.578″ W. This location is 40.25 miles away from Dalhart, TX and Amarillo, TX and it would take approximately 38 minutes to reach the halfway point from both locations.

In addition to oil, farming, and ranching, the city has a large copper refinery and ordnance and helicopter factories. Helium is found in large quantities in the area, and Amarillo is the site of a major helium plant; the six-story stainless steel Helium Time Column Monument was erected in 1968 to commemorate the element. Another unusual monument, lying just west of town, is the Cadillac Ranch, where 10 vintage Cadillac automobiles stand upright, their noses encased in concrete.Amarillo, city, seat (1887) of Potter county (and partly in Randall county), on the high plains of northern Texas, U.S. The chief city of the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo is located on a sandy playa, or dry lake bed, and the tawny colour of its soil lends the city its name (Spanish: Yellow). Amarillo (junior) College, with the Amarillo Art Center on its campus, was founded in 1929. The city has a notable medical centre, holds a large livestock auction, and is the headquarters of the American Quarter Horse Association, which has a noteworthy museum. West Texas A&M University (1909) is at nearby Canyon. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is 16 miles (26 km) southeast, and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the wintering ground for thousands of waterfowl, is southwest. Inc. 1899. Pop. (2010) 190,695; Amarillo Metro Area, 249,881; (2020) 200,393; Amarillo Metro Area, 268,691. At first called Oneida, the city originated in 1887 as a railroad construction camp and in the 1890s grew to become one of the world’s busiest cattle-shipping centres. Its importance as an entrepôt was further enhanced after 1900, when wheat cultivation and ranching took hold in the region. The discovery of petroleum and natural gas deposits in the 1920s promoted the community’s development as a regional and industrial centre, though growth in the 1930s was limited by the general economic depression and prolonged drought. After 1940, however, extensive irrigation from underground water increased agricultural output.Precise satellite coordinates of highways were used for this calculation. The start and finish points are the centers of Amarillo and Dalhart respectively.The distance from Amarillo to Dalhart is 81 miles by road. Road takes approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes and goes through Bishop Hills, Channing and Hartley.

This distance is calculated using the Haversine formula as a great-circle distance between two points on the surface of a sphere. The start and finish points are the centers of Amarillo and Dalhart respectively. Actual distance between airports may be different.

View a map with driving directions using your preferred map provider: Google Maps, Bing Maps, or MapQuest. You can use DriveDistance.com to find out how far is it to drive from Dalhart to Amarillo with full directions.

Travelmath helps you find the driving time based on actual directions for your road trip. You can find out how long it will take to drive between any two cities, airports, states, countries, or zip codes. This can also help you plan the best route to travel to your destination. Compare the results with the flight time calculator to see how much longer it might take to drive the distance instead of flying. You can also print out pages with a travel map.

Let’s say you’re actually planning a road trip to Amarillo, and you want to stop on the way to explore. If it’s a real road trip, you might want to check out interesting places along the way, or maybe eat at a great restaurant. That’s what Trippy is perfect for, helping you figure out travel plans in detail.Now let’s assume you have a private jet and you can fly in the fastest possible straight line between Dalhart, Texas and Amarillo, Texas. Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest distance is actually the “great circle” distance, or “as the crow flies” which is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula.

The first inch falls in October on average about once per decade (but has not happened since 1996). The first inch of snow falls by November 30 about 40% of the time. However, the decade of the 2000s had 5 first snows in November which is more than any other decade. In fact, half of all early November snowfalls (4 of 8 total) have occurred since 1990. The first inch of snow falls after January 1 only about 23% of the time. Snow has also fallen at Kenton, OK a few other times in September, but was not recorded in any other location in the Panhandles. The September dates that snow was only measured in Kenton, OK are September 21, 1995 (0.5 inches) and September 18, 1971 (3.0 inches). The latest measurable snowfall in the Oklahoma Panhandle occurred on May 20-21, 1931 in Kenton when 1.2 inches fell. Other May snowfalls have occurred across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and are listed in the table below.The Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on average receive much more snowfall than areas further to the east. This is mainly a factor of the higher terrain. Amarillo sits at about 3700 feet above sea level, while Oklahoma City is only about 1300 feet above sea level. The higher elevation keeps temperatures cooler and allows snow to fall during a wider range of months. On this page you will find answers to several commonly asked questions about snowfall in the Panhandles.

Snowfall in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles varies greatly and is highly dependent upon elevation. Generally snowfall on the higher terrain of the Llano Estacado to the west of the Caprock Escarpment is greater than areas farther east due to the availability of colder air. However, other factors like the availability of moisture also impact the annual snowfall. Areas further east generally are more moist and can produce heavy snowfall totals if enough cold air is also available. Amarillo averages 17.9 inches of snow annually. Below is a map of average annual snowfall based on the period 1971-2000. Observations were taken primarily by volunteer cooperative weather observers.

If the first inch of snow has not fallen by March 1, 33% of seasons did not receive an inch of snow at all (1901-02, 1949-50). However, the other 67% of these seasons endured heavy March snowfalls or blizzards with total snowfall accumulations of at least 11.0 inches (12.5 March 1909, 21.5 March 1934, 11.1 March 1957, 12.6 March 2009).In Amarillo, the average date of the first inch of snowfall in a season is December 5. It has occurred as early as October 8 (2.9 inches in 1970). Since 1893 there have only been two seasons which did not record a day of 1.0 inches of snowfall or higher (1901-02 and 1949-50). Not surprisingly, the snowiest seasons in Amarillo all tend to have early snow events. For the snowiest 10% of seasons, all received the first inch of snow by December 19. The dates of the first inch of snow are displayed in the chart below.