Central Texas Buried Under Record Snowfall in 1929
Hillsboro, Texas — When considering record snowfall events across Texas, one might typically think of North Texas or the Panhandle. However, the state’s all-time 24-hour snowfall record was actually set in Hillsboro, with a remarkable 26 inches recorded in December 1929.
A record 26″ of snow fell in Hillsboro Texas over a 24 hour period in December of 1969(KWTX)
Historic Snowfall Blankets Central Texas
A very heavy band of snow began developing during the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 20, 1929, and continued to fall steadily until the late afternoon and evening hours of Saturday, Dec. 21, 1929. Once the snow finally stopped, several locations in Central Texas measured more than a foot of snow, with the most extreme totals observed across parts of Bosque and Hill counties. Clifton recorded 24 inches of snow, just slightly below Hillsboro’s record amount.
December 21 1929 Snowfall Totals from the National Weather Service(KWTX)
This thick blanket of snow contributed to bitterly cold temperatures in Central Texas for several days. In Waco, where 13 inches of snow was reported, morning lows dipped into the single digits for multiple days. The temperatures were so cold in Hillsboro that Katy Lake, a pond on the north side of town, froze over. Tom Bullock, who was seven years old and living in Hillsboro during the 1929 snowstorm, later told the Oral History Program at Baylor about watching his father skate across the frozen lake.
“He got his old ice skates out and skated on Katy Lake. People came out to watch him. He was that New Yorker. Others were out there with their Model T’s driving on top of the ice,” Bullock recalled.
A record 26″ of snow fell in Hillsboro Texas over a 24 hour period in December of 1969(KWTX)Widespread Impact and Agricultural Concerns
While Central Texas experienced the heaviest snow totals from this storm, the snowy and cold conditions extended well into South Texas. Most of Texas had a relatively mild start to December, and this extreme cold blast, combined with the snow, threatened citrus crops in South Texas.
Most farmers in Central Texas welcomed the snow, anticipating that the slow-melting moisture would provide much-needed hydration for spring crops. Ranchers, however, expressed concerns about the cold weather’s impact on livestock.
A Snowy Championship Game in Waco
In the midst of this historic snowstorm, Waco hosted the Texas high school state championship football game between Port Arthur and Breckenridge at Cotton Palace Stadium. The two teams struggled while playing on a field covered with 11 inches of snow, all while snow continued to fall. The game ended in a zero-zero tie. The Breckenridge American Newspaper summarized the sloppy and rather boring game by stating, “It was just too bad that they didn’t stage a real furious snowball fight which no doubt would have entertained the crowds that attended with decidedly more interest.”
Hopes for a White Christmas Melt Away
With all the snow and cold temperatures, many people in Central Texas hoped for a beautiful white Christmas. However, temperatures rose back above freezing by Christmas Eve. As the Meridian Tribune put it, the warmer temperatures turned the “promised white Christmas into an old fashioned muddy Yuletide.”
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