Winter weather returns

The Permian Basin received more snow showers Sunday, although the precipitation didn’t cause much damage in the area.

Meteorologist Kat Hawley with the National Weather Service said only trace snowfall was reported in Midland, although she heard of reports of snow in both Andrews and southeastern New Mexico.

She said she wouldn’t rule out snow in the rest of the Permian Basin, as Odessa residents could see snowfall and snow piling on cars and buildings, but those reports wouldn’t be available until this morning.

Despite the cold Sunday, Hawley said she expects the temperatures to warm up around noon Monday and reach a high of about 57 degrees; a stark contrast to the high 20s reached Sunday.

“We’re still in winter, so these strong warm-ups are what we’d call rare,” she said. “It would be wrong to say that we didn’t have a chance for all these winter systems to move in. We’re still in February.”

A spokesman with the Odessa Police Department said nine weather-related accidents have occurred in the city since noon, with only one person transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

However, because police officers sometimes responded to several accidents in the vicinity, the spokesman said that number is low.

He said only a couple accidents were reported in the morning, but those didn’t appear to be weather-related.

Gene Powell, the spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation, said the department had crews treating roads during the day and would have them overnight treating roads in preparation for another freeze.

Hawley said she expects more precipitation, about 0.10 inches, until midnight, with temperatures remaining below freezing until about 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. Monday.

A spokeswoman with the Midland Police Department said only a few accidents happened in Midland throughout the day, including an afternoon rollover on Loop 250 at Thomason Drive.

She said she didn’t know of anyone transported to the hospital.

The Andrews Police Department also said they only had a few wrecks, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Hawley said the storm was moving east Sunday afternoon and the Permian Basin should see temperatures reaching the 60s and 70s through the rest of the week.

@OAcourts