16-23, esp. north & central TX –19-26

lornajarrettblanchard February 1, 1956

–19-26 Blanchard tally from NM and TX breakouts below.

New Mexico 3
–3 Blanchard tally – 3 exposure deaths
There were also 2 asphyxiation deaths possibly linked to deep cold, but this is not clear.
–2 Albuquerque area. AP. “New Mexico Digs Out of Snow.” El Paso Herald-Post, TX, 2-3-1956, 25.
–1 Exposure. Sylvan P. Greenwall, 41, left his car after an accident; died seeking shelter.
–1 Rio Puerco area. Exposure. George Sanchez, 60, sheepherder, found dead in snowdrift.
–2 Carlsbad. Asphyxiation. Bodies found on Feb 5; gas heater on high in one-room house.
–1 Truchas area canyon. Apparent exposure; body found Feb 3; Esquipulo Rodriquez, 40.

Texas 16-23
— 23 Cox, Mike. Texas Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy…Survival. 2006, p.163 (cites NWS).
–>20 AP. “Residents Start Digging Out of 30-Inch Snow.” Wichita Falls Times, TX. 2-6-1956. 17.
— 20 Cox, Mike. Texas Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. 2006, p. 163 (cites AP).
–>16 AP. “Plains Area Paralyzed By Worst Storm in 50 Years. Big Spring Daily Herald, TX, 2-5-1956, p1.
— 15 Blanchard tally of identified deaths.
Breakout of reported Texas winter weather-related fatalities by locality, where noted.
–1 Austin, US 81. Traffic accident. Josephine Hart, 23, Lubbock Avalanche. “Storm…” 2-3-1956, 10.
–1 Big Spring. Fire blamed on storm. Lubbock Morning Avalanche. “Storm Spreads…” 2-3-1956, 10.
–1 Big Spring area, US 87 18 miles north of, Feb 3. Traffic accident; Robert J. Oldroyd, ~30.
–1 Dallas. Traffic accident. Lubbock Morning Avalanche. “Storm Spreads Misery…” 2-3-1956, p. 10.
–1 El Paso. Heart attack shoveling snow. Hal G. Stacy, 71. Lubbock Avalanche. “Storm…” 2-3-1956, 10
–1 Fort Worth. Traffic accident. Mrs. Ben Tatum, 34. Lubbock Avalanche. “Storm…” 2-3-1956, p. 10.
–1 Fort Worth. Sledding accident; sled pulled by car runs into parked car; Larry Gonzales, 16.
–1 Hale County farm. Woman “died in childbirth because an ambulance could not reach her.”
–1 Hempstead area. Traffic accident, icy bridge, car spun out of control. Arlan Price, 31.
–1 Hobson. Traffic accident. Lubbock Morning Avalanche. “Storm Spreads Misery…” 2-3-1956, p. 10.
–1 Kyle. Traffic accident. Lubbock Morning Avalanche. “Storm Spreads Misery…” 2-3-1956, p. 10.
–1 Mineola, Feb 3. Car overturns on ice-slick Highway 80; Jesse Davis Jr., 34.
–1 Sweetwater, west of on US Hwy. 30, Feb 2. Traffic accident. Mrs. J. E. Ketchum, 29.
–2 Sweetwater. Asphyxiation, fire burning in bedroom all night “consumed all the oxygen.”

Narrative Information

Cox: “….Of Texas’s five standing snowfall record categories, the 1956 blizzard still a held four of them a half century later: greatest snowfall in a twenty-four-hour period (24 inches in Plainview, February 3 and 4); greatest maximum depth at time of observation (33 inches at Hale Center, south of Plainview in Hale County, Feb 5); greatest snowfall in a single storm (61 inches at Vega, west of Amarillo in Oldham County, February 1 through 8); and greatest snowfall in one month (61 inches at Vega, February)….” (Cox. “Record-Setting Snowfall. Panhandle Blizzard 1956.” Texas Disasters. 2006, pp. 164-165.)

Newspaper

Feb 5: “The worst blizzard in 50 years paralyzed much of the Texas Panhandle and South Plains Saturday with snow 29 or more inches deep and drifts 9 feet high. At least 16 deaths were attributed to weather conditions in the four-day storm.

“At nightfall, the Weather Bureau said additional snow was falling at Amarillo and Lubbock also, and freezing drizzle fell at Wichita Falls. Latest snowfall totals reported included Plainview 29, Hereford 24, Amarillo 16, Borger 14, Lubbock 11½ Dumas 3½ and Childress 3. Official U.S. Weather Bureau forecasts gave no hope of a letup in the snow at least through early Sunday. Temperatures early Sunday morning are expected to range as low as 5 degrees above zero if skies clear. Otherwise, the lows are expected to range from 12 to 22 degrees. Freezing rain or snow also was forecast for the upper part of North-Central and East Texas. Skies were clearing in a large part of Southwest Texas.

“The South Plains and parts of the Panhandle were the hardest hit by the storm of snow. Most inter-city buses quit running after a number were stranded and passengers had to be rescued by tractor. Many stores closed and some main streets were blocked in Plainview, Hereford, Amarillo, Canyon and Borger. Amarillo and Lubbock city buses had quit running Friday….The new snow, possibly the tag-end of a storm that has spread snow, sleet and freezing rain over most of Texas since Wednesday, was heaviest in the area from the Canadian River, which cuts across the Panhandle, and south into the Lubbock area. Snow drifted to the eaves of homes in Plainview. Six and eight-foot drifts blocked streets….Most Texas cities do not have adequate snow-removal equipment….” (Associated Press. “Plains Area Paralyzed By Worst Storm in 50 Years. Big Spring Daily Herald, TX, 2-5-1956, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “New Mexico Digs Out of Snow.” El Paso Herald-Post, TX, 2-3-1956, p. 25. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/el-paso-herald-post-feb-03-1956-p-48/

Associated Press. “Plains Area Paralyzed By Worst Storm in 50 Years. Big Spring Daily Herald, TX, 2-5-1956, p. 1. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/big-spring-daily-herald-feb-05-1956-p-1/

Associated Press. “Residents Start Digging Out of 30-Inch Snow.” Wichita Falls Times, TX. 2-6-1956. 17. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wichita-falls-times-feb-06-1956-p-17/

Corsicana Daily Sun. “Latest Weather Victims Listed.” 2-5-1956, p. 5. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/corsicana-daily-sun-feb-04-1956-p-5/

Cox, Mike. Texas Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 2006.

El Paso Herald-Post. “Sunshine Melts El Paso Snow.” 2-4-1956, p. 9. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/el-paso-herald-post-feb-04-1956-p-9/

Lubbock Morning Avalanche, TX. “16 Lose Lives As Icy Storm Grips Major Part of State.” 2-4-1956, p. 14. Accessed 12-31-2021 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/lubbock-morning-avalanche-feb-04-1956-p-14/

Lubbock Morning Avalanche. “Storm Spreads Misery Deep Into State; Schools, Roads Hard Hit.” 2-3-1956, p. 10. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lubbock-morning-avalanche-feb-03-1956-p-10/

RNS. “Crash on Ice Kills Abilene Woman.” Abilene-Reporter, TX, 2-3-1956, p. 1. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-feb-03-1956-p-21/

Snyder Daily News (AP), TX. “Sun is Beginning to Melt Icy Grip on Most of State.” 2-6-1956, p. 1. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/snyder-daily-news-feb-06-1956-p-1/

United Press. “Two Deaths at Carlsbad Blamed on Asphyxiation.” Las Vegas Daily Optic, NM, 2-6-1956, p. 2. Accessed 12-31-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/las-vegas-daily-optic-feb-06-1956-p-2/