While most of Texas won't see snow from the storm that's hit West Texas and the Panhandle, parts of North and Central Texas are already getting wind gusts that may top 50 mph.
The wind is forecast to pick up Monday afternoon and evening and North Texas is under a wind advisory until 4 a.m. Tuesday. In a wind advisory, sustained winds of at least 20 mph to 30 mph are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult while other lightweight objects may be blown around.
The National Weather Service reports a wind gust up to 70 mph in Amarillo, 55 mph in Pampa and wind gusts exceeding 40 mph near Austin Monday. In North Texas, as of 6 pm, peak wind speeds of 35 mph were recorded at DFW International Airport and as high as 51 mph in Hamilton County. Wind speeds of 54 mph were recorded near Killeen.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer Dunn says the storm that has left several inches of snow in Amarillo and Lubbock is gradually moving east.
North and Central Texas could get thunderstorms from the weather system. And some areas near the Oklahoma border could receive a small amount of snow.
Storm Could Prove Harmful to Dwindling Cattle Herd
The blizzard walloping parts of West Texas could further diminish a cattle herd already at a 60-year low.
The National Weather Service says more than a foot of snow will fall Monday on parts of the Panhandle. Snowfall totals could reach 18 inches in some places. Flights are cancelled, roads are impassable and schools shuttered.
Amarillo rancher Jay O'Brien says the blizzard could prove deadly for cattle out grazing in pastures, particularly calves born in recent days. Gusts of more than 50 mph will push animals into a fenced corner where they could suffocate in snow drifts. He says cattle in feedlots can lose up to 40 pounds in a storm like this.
The nation's cattle herd is already at its lowest number since 1952.