Web Editor’s Note: Megan Moore and John Lee also contributed to this report.

A sudden snow storm blanketed the Amarillo, Canyon area Sunday night Feb. 24 and all day Monday Feb. 25. Schools and businesses were closed all over the panhandle area for the next two days, including WTAMU.

Though cancelled classes delighted many students, the decision to do so by WT took much longer than some students would have liked.

“I find it very disappointing that WT would wait until a couple of hours before classes are scheduled to meet to make a call.” Noah Littlejohn, senior music major, said.

While Amarillo College and Amarillo Independent School District made the announcement to cancel classes Sunday night, WT students waited anxiously for their classes to be cancelled the morning of.

“Every authority had urged them to make [the call] the day before, especially when a large number of students are commuting from surrounding areas,” Littlejohn said. “Every other area school district and college had already canceled their classes many hours before, and city emergency management had warned people to stay inside if at all possible.”

According to the National Weather Service, all Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle roads were closed on Feb. 25 and roads were so bad, Texas Department of Transportation crews were unable to work to keep the roads plowed.

Nevertheless some folks still decided to venture into the blizzard in their cars.

“Conditions were very poor during the blizzard and immediately afterwards,” Lieutenant Patrick Coggins, director of police operations said. “Many vehicles had to be left stranded, while their occupants were transported to safe shelter.”

The National Weather Service recorded a total of 19 inches of snow in Amarillo after the blizzard.