'Potentially Historic' Blizzard Burying West Texas

WEST TEXAS - As the Dallas area cleans up from devastating tornadoes and mourns the 11 people killed there, residents on the other side of the state were battling a rare and potentially devastating snow storm with winds gusting to blizzard levels.

The National Weather Service reported that up to 15 inches of snow will have fallen by Monday morning in West Texas and large swaths of New Mexico. New Mexico and Oklahoma governors declared a state of emergency.

• Also See: Death Toll Increases From Texas Tornadoes

Snow drifts several feet high were forecast for the Texas Panhandle, which forecasters said could get a foot of snow or more.

The snow was the latest of deadly weather to hit the Plains, Midwest and Southeast.

From the National Weather Service:

... BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM CST MONDAY...

THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM CST MONDAY FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

* WINDS AND VISIBILITY... NORTH WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. VISIBILITIES FROM FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DROP TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES... CAUSING WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... 2 TO 8 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL SNOW ARE POSSIBLE. HIGHEST AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY BE IN THE FAR SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE.

* WIND CHILLS... THE COMBINATION OF STRONG NORTH WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE WIND CHILLS NEAR OR JUST BELOW ZERO THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS... TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST... HAVE A WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.