Snow strands motorists in Clarendon

Old Man Winter snuck up on Donley County and those traveling through it last Thursday night when a brief but heavy snow blanketed the area.

The Donley County Sheriff’s Office logged one accident at 7:32 p.m. two miles east of Lelia Lake; but as the snow piled up, the traveling quickly became very treacherous. Another accident happened – this one north of Hedley – shortly after 8 p.m., and then numerous accidents and stranded vehicles were reported over the next several hours.

Local motels were full before the accidents started happening, the sheriff’s office reported, and stranded motorists were soon being cared for by local churches.

The First Baptist Church had 20 people come in to its Downtown Ministry Center between the hours of 10 p.m. and midnight, and the First United Methodist Church accommodated about 40 people in its Fellowship Hall between 10:45 and midnight.

One rollover was reported to the sheriff’s office at 1:18 a.m. six miles west of Clarendon on US 287, and another was reported at 4:16 a.m. west of Lelia Lake.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the accidents could have been much worse, but that one accident near FM 1260 east of Clarendon backed up traffic to Hedley and kept people from moving too fast.

“That kept people from speeding,” he said.

Despite the high number of accidents, the Associated Ambulance Authority only had to transport two people to the hospital in Amarillo.

National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Tommie Saye reported a total of three inches of snow in Clarendon.

Motorists left the Baptist and Methodist facilities by noon Friday, and Blackburn said roads in the area were generally wet but clear by 2 p.m.