26 Inches in 24 Hours: The Forgotten Texas Snowstorm That Still Holds the State Record

There is a saying here in Texas. If you don’t like the weather, give it a minute, because it will change. That is exactly what happened with the worst snowstorm in Texas history.  

December 17, 1929 

It wasn’t as though Texans didn’t already have a bad enough year. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed ushering in the Great Depression. No one was thinking about a winter storm in the beginning of December 1929 because in typical Texas fashion, the first part of the month had been unseasonably warm. Think about our Christmas a month ago and how some people were wearing shorts. On December 17, 1929, no one knew what they were in for. 

Record Breaking Snow in Central Texas 

According to TexasHillCountry.com, on December 17, 1929, Texans were experiencing what we are experiencing today: A massive arctic front moving southeastward from the Texas panhandle. While we will not see frigid temperatures until Sunday, Texans in 1929 saw an abrupt drop in temperature within 24 hours that would result in near zero temperatures. While the storm we are awaiting looks to dump a bunch of ice on central and east Texas, the storm of 1929 was loaded with snow. A lot of snow. 

Unbelievable Snow Totals 

One would assume that north Texas would be on the receiving end of a ton of snow, but that wasn’t the case. The Metroplex saw a dusting of snow, but 63 miles to the south, Hillsboro, Texas recorded 26 inches within 24 hours' time. Clifton, Texas recorded 24 inches. Waco recorded 13 inches at two degrees. No, that is not a typo. Several counties got the brunt of the snow and set a new state record for the amount of snow in a 24-hour period.