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I've always heard to throw a metal coffee can and some candles in your trunk when driving through a blizzard. Then you won't freeze to death if you get stranded.

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Don't forget the small dog...

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Add knife and skewer.

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I've always heard to throw a metal coffee can and some candles in your trunk when driving through a blizzard. Then you won't freeze to death if you get stranded.

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Don't forget the small dog...

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Add knife and skewer.

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Seems like parachute cord would be good to have, too.

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On the highway???

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From KAMR at 2:25pm Sunday 27 Dec:

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Stay off the roads -- that's the suggestion from the Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Transportation, New Mexico Department of Transporation, and others.
A DPS spokeswoman says several drivers are stranded around the Texas Panhandle. She says more than 20 drivers were stranded on US 60 and US 70 in Parmer County at one point because of eight-to ten-foot tall drifts in the road.
TXDoT and NMDoT are working on the roads, but blowing snow makes it difficult to keep the roads clear.
Here are closures in the area:
NEW MEXICO:
I-40 from the Texas state line at mile marker 373 to mile marker 272
US 64 from mile marker 334 to mile marker 413
New Mexico 30 from mile marker 0 to mile marker 47
New Mexico 406 from mile marker 0 to mile marker 35
New Mexico 402 from mile marker 31 to mile marker 62
New Mexico 209 from mile marker 36 to mile marker 82
New Mexico 268 from mile marker 19 to mile marker 27
New Mexico 252 to mile marker 13 to mile marker 43
New Mexico 469 from mile marker 0 to mile marker 23
New Mexico 209 from mile marker 3 to mile marker 35
New Mexico 267 from mile marker 0 to mile marker 32
US 70 from mile marker 230 to mile marker 422
New Mexico 206 from mile marker 46 to mile marker 83
US 380 from mile marker 155 to mile marker 241
US 60 from mile marker 272 to mile marker 381
All driving on Cannon Air Force Base, except for mission essential personnel, has been suspended until further notice.
For more information call 511 in New Mexico and 1-800-452-9292. You also can go to nmroads.com.
TEXAS:
I-40 at Soncy in Amarillo to New Mexico is closed in both direction

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I live in Artesia. All highways in east half of the state are closed. I have 4+ foot drifts in my back yard and it's still dumping snow. Midland is starting to get bad too. I get north and then go west. Hoping I can get out of here Tuesday for Red River. For now I'm loaded up on beer and waiting it out. Work is cancelled tomorrow already

Convinced a friend to come over for shelter just in case I run out of food

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I'd be dang careful with deciding to make that drive.

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That's why I'm here. I'm considering waiting until midday tomorrow before leaving, but I'm trying to perfectly calculate when they open the roads in the panhandle.

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Don't know where in CO you are headed...might consider 35 north to KS then heading west on I-70?

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We thought about that but if we left right now, it looks like we'd hit Oklahoma City about the time this mess gets there and it'd be no better. In fact, it might be worse because it's supposed to be more ice in Kansas and Oklahoma while its "just" snow in Texas. At this point, I think our best bet is to leave a little later tomorrow and go through the panhandle tomorrow afternoon as opposed to tomorrow morning.

This is my current stance, but differing opinions welcomed.

I40 east of Amarillo has just been shut down. I'm in the northern Panhandle and we are going to wait until Tuesday to travel.

I just took the trash out of the house and the wind has begun ripping shingles off of our house. A gas station in Spearman and Memphis have had their roofs above the gas pumps crash down with the wind.

Yeah, I-40 shutdown indefinitely.

I don't mind putting it off until Tuesday, but we've already paid for the trip so bumping it out to Spring Break isn't an alternative. At this point, it's just about what's the best way to get there, and when will the window open for us to head that way.

Not sure what you can do other than keep an eye on nmroads.com and wait it out. Will stay cold even down in south nm all week but no more snow that I've seen

Are you traveling with kids?

Chan 11 just reported that the Ranger Hill area on I 20 is expecting 1 to 3 inches. That should be fun. 4 plus inches west of there on 20. And that's just the first 1 1/2 hour of your trip

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I don't mind putting it off until Tuesday, but we've already paid for the trip so bumping it out to Spring Break isn't an alternative. At this point, it's just about what's the best way to get there, and when will the window open for us to head that way.

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It sucks, but eating the cost of the vacation may be preferable to being stranded on the highway in a blizzard.

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It's supposed to stop snowing tonight/early morning. We're not leaving DFW until at least tomorrow. I'm not getting caught in the blizzard.

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Drive north on 35 to 70 in Kansas and go west that way. It won't be much slower and the interstate will more likely be clear. The problem is that even if the interstate is when you have to get off to get gas or food you end up on side streets that aren't clear.

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We thought about that but everything on the weather map looks like that stretch (OKC to Wichita) is going to ice over at the least or get a lot of snow as well. If that's the case, would it still be a better bet? Or are you just thinking that's a better option now because it isn't snowed in yet?

Where in CO are you heading? We are in South Fork, CO now....been here a week. We are thinking of heading south to go home. Not traveling until Tuesday. Been stuck in Amarillo before & it was not fun finding an open hotel & restaurant.

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I know you don't want to eat trip, but I wouldn't do this with kids.

The trip from dalhart to raton could be dangerous.

If you do go be prepared.

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Clayton to Raton is not the stretch of highway to be stranded during a blizzard!

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No joke. That's a desolate stretch.

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Where in CO are you heading? We are in South Fork, CO now....been here a week. We are thinking of heading south to go home. Not traveling until Tuesday. Been stuck in Amarillo before & it was not fun finding an open hotel & restaurant.

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Headed to Salida to ski Monarch for the week.

I've had that same thought driving that route for hunting trips. Seems like one of the worst places to get stranded

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Clayton to Raton is not the stretch of highway to be stranded during a blizzard!

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No joke. That's a desolate stretch.

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Clayton to Raton over Johnson Mesa is amazing.....and closed in the winter. And yes, it is a desolate stretch, but geologically fascinating. You can probably see 100 different volcanoes along that stretch.

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Why do I get the feeling that you're going to keep asking the question until someone gives you the answer that you want?

My guess is that you're leaving tomorrow regardless of what anyone posts.

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My guess is that the roads won't begin to open until noon at the earliest. And then it will take 24-36 hours to unkink all the backed-up traffic.

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Why do I get the feeling that you're going to keep asking the question until someone gives you the answer that you want?

My guess is that you're leaving tomorrow regardless of what anyone posts.

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Nah....I'm just talking through it on a public forum (you know....Texagsing). I've already stated that I'm likely going to delay the departure at least a few hours (if not more). I've considered through Midland (someone here said it's likely worse than Amarillo), I've considered the Kansas route (maps don't look favorable, but I asked a previous poster if he thought that would be better), I've asked when the locals think the Panhandle roads will likely clear, etc.

You're right that I'm probably not cancelling the trip, but that wasn't what I came here and asked; I asked about road conditions and closures in my OP and haven't deviated from that.

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Convinced a friend to come over for shelter just in case I run out of food

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Donner party....table for one.

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I prefer the Alfred E. Packer Bar and Grill myself, just outside of Lake City, Colorado.