The Plains and Rockies were being whipped by a large winter storm to end 2006 on this date.
The storm developed in New Mexico the day before, but wound up as it moved eastward, then northeastward slowly through the Plains. By New Year's Eve, the storm would be in the Midwest.
The storm had the whole kitchen sink: Blizzard warnings from Colorado to the Texas Panhandle, freezing rain advisories in the Midwest, tornado and flood watches for the southern Mississippi Valley.
It was probably most notable for its heavy snow and some ice from New Mexico to Southwest Kansas. More than 2 feet of snow fell in parts of New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle and Colorado.
Portions of far Southwestern Kansas picked up32 inches of snow. Furthermore, up to 2 ½" of ice accreted in Finney County, located in Western Kansas. Some 10,000 power poles were downed and 60,000 people lost power in the state.
(WATCH:Winter Storm Types Explained)
Road closures were widespread, especially across New Mexico and Texas. Interstate 40 was closed between Amarillo and Albuquerque and every road in northeastern New Mexico was closed.
Jonathan Belleshas been a digital meteorologist forweather.comfor 9 years. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He's a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.
