Slaton, area hit with cold blast, freezing temps

From Staff Reports

The snow was so nice, it happened thrice. The downside for the area? – This time it also brought below freezing temperatures and ice.

The Great Plains Arctic Blast of 2021, termed by the National Weather Service, began last Wednesday (Feb. 10), where moisture froze on trees, creating ice adorned branches.

The temperatures continued throughout the weekend, including several inches of snow all day Sunday (Feb. 14) and again part of the day Tuesday (Feb. 16).

Slaton had between four and eight inches of snow fall by Sunday, with drifts of at least a foot or more.

Temperatures were already in the teens as early as Friday, and continued to drop to below zero on Sunday and under 10 degrees Monday (Feb. 15).The area set records held since 1951.

Xcel had to start rolling blackouts Tuesday (Feb. 16) to reduce use.

The Slaton Police Department responded to multiple wrecks over the past few days. “Please use extreme caution as roadways are extremely slick,” said the department in a Facebook post.

“Limit as much travel as possible for the next few days.”

SPD also set up a warming station to offer safety and warmth for travelers and others who may have been stuck outside in cold weather over the weekend.

The site was set up at First Baptist Church of Slaton. It was not used as of press time Tuesday (Feb. 16).