MICHAEL SCHUMACHER / AMARILLO GLOBE NEWS
Amarillo emergency personnel assisted a stranded motorist on Monday on the I-40 service road in Amarillo. A blizzard packing 50 mph wind gusts and more than 11 inches of snow blasted Amarillo and Texas Panhandle Monday, making travel nearly impossible. Interstate 40 and many major highways in the Panhandle have been closed.
AMARILLO — Airports in the Texas Panhandle are closed and National Guard units are mobilizing to assist stranded motorists as a winter storm blankets the region with a foot of snow in some places.
State troopers are unable to respond to calls for assistance as roads are impassable Monday throughout much of the region.
The National Weather Service forecasts as much as 12 to 18 inches of snow in Amarillo, with the rest of the area between 6 to 14 inches. Wind gusts of more than 50 mph are creating whiteout conditions.
Authorities closed Interstate 40 from New Mexico to Oklahoma, and portions of Interstate 27 between Amarillo and Lubbock.
The airport in Lubbock suspended flights for the day and the Amarillo airport is closed until at least 6 a.m. Tuesday.
