© Big Bend National ParkBig Bend National Park received 12 to 18 inches of snow on New Year's Eve. The park shared this photo of a snow man and the blanket of snow it experienced.
On New Year's Day, Big Bend National Park — usually concerned with heat stroke or bears — warned visitors help would not be forthcoming if they got stuck in the snow that had blanketed the park the night before.
"Roads in Big Bend National Park are currently impassable," officials wrote on Facebook. "We received between 12-18 inches of snow last night and it's still snowing. Please do not attempt to enter the park."
Snowfall total maps released by the National Weather Service confirm 12 to 18 inches of snow were dumped on the West Texas park. The holiday storm stranded drivers on interstates, including one Trump bus tour destined for the Alamo in San Antonio.
Crews worked to clear Big Bend's roads over the following days. On Monday, all of the roads — including the steep climb to the Chisos Basin — were free of snow and ice.
Park officials shared a photo of the road from Persimmon Gap to Panther Junction.
"By the end of the day, the snow you see in the foreground was gone, but the Chisos Mountains are still covered in a blanket of white!" officials wrote.
Alas, even with the snow gone, the road to the famed Chisos Basin will close intermittently again on Tuesday. Construction has shut the road down for several hours each day since before the holidays.
The Texas record for snowfall over a 24-hour period belongs to Hillsboro. The city between Dallas and Waco received 26 inches of snow on December 20, 1929.
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