Snow, Tornadoes, Giant Hail hit Texas

Snow fell across parts of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle on Monday, part of a storm system that produced at least two weekend tornadoes and hail as big as softballs.The National Weather Service posted a snow and blowing snow advisory for parts of Oklahoma, with 3 to 6 inches possible in eastern sections Monday. In the Texas Panhandle, ice and snow covered local roads in western areas of the Panhandle but no problems were reported. Up to 4 inches of rain had fallen by midday Monday in parts of Arkansas, the weather service said. The weather service forecast severe thunderstorms over parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning. A few strong tornadoes were possible in the area, with the greatest risk in much of Mississippi and parts of Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas, the weather service said. On Sunday, two tornadoes were spotted in rural areas of northwestern Oklahoma. Television footage showed one twister passing the communities of Carleton and Southard in northern Blaine County. The storm system also produced wind gusting up to 70 mph, lightning and hail as large as softballs that caused scattered damage, said weather service meteorologist Chris Sohl in Norman, Oklahoma.