Texas Winter 2014-2015

[Ntxw]

Check out this observation out of DFW last night (it wasn't showing up during the event, for whatever reason they didn't put out data)

04 23:53 N 21 G 35 0.00 Snow and Breezy (0.00) is visibility

From about 11pm and continued to 1pm.

The almost blizzard non-blizzard by criteria.

[TexasF6]

Porta, watch some Charlie Brown! It helps. Lucy gets punched good in Snoopy Come Home!!! #AustinSnowLessnessTherapy

[Ntxw]

Someone, I think WacoWx, asked about flying out of DFW today the other day. I don't think it's going to happen with 600-700+ flights canceled.

[TexasF6]

My side walk is still icy! 33 degrees @LHWC!

[Tammie]

So has Spring officially sprung after yesterday's storm, or are there other surprises in store in the next 10 days?

[Longhornmaniac8]

As much as I hate another bust, I think EWX ultimately did the right thing by issuing the WSW, and I was pleased to see that the school districts were proactive with their shutterings.

We were a degree or two away from a pretty considerable event here, and I think it's entirely unrealistic to expect a forecast office to be able to pinpoint an event this dynamic with that resolution. In this case, I'd much rather places err on the side of caution with protecting people.

As has been said by others, I don't envy those folks; they've been made to look like fools repeatedly this winter (and last winter, too, a couple of times), but we all know how nuanced these forecast packages are. They've tried over and over again to tightrope the forecast, understandably, and have somehow been burned every time.

For their sake, can't we just have a clear-cut winter event just once?

[orangeblood]

Someone, I think WacoWx, asked about flying out of DFW today the other day. I don't think it's going to happen with 600-700+ flights canceled.

Yep, DFW is a mess...currently stuck in Colorado waiting on a flight. Hated to miss the blizzard of 2015 but had almost 4 feet over the past week up here, got my snow fix in!!

[Portastorm]

As much as I hate another bust, I think EWX ultimately did the right thing by issuing the WSW, and I was pleased to see that the school districts were proactive with their shutterings.

We were a degree or two away from a pretty considerable event here, and I think it's entirely unrealistic to expect a forecast office to be able to pinpoint an event this dynamic with that resolution. In this case, I'd much rather places err on the side of caution with protecting people.

As has been said by others, I don't envy those folks; they've been made to look like fools repeatedly this winter (and last winter, too, a couple of times), but we all know how nuanced these forecast packages are. They've tried over and over again to tightrope the forecast, understandably, and have somehow been burned every time.

For their sake, can't we just have a clear-cut winter event just once?

I'm in complete agreement with you. If they hadn't pulled the trigger on a WS Warning and the event occurred, everyone would be screaming today for their heads on a pike. We all saw the tools they have access to ... outside of the NAM, everything showed a significant winter storm to occur. We should never lose our awe of nature and this just reminds those of us in Austin that the weather can be unpredictable.

[Ntxw]

I'm in complete agreement with you. If they hadn't pulled the trigger on a WS Warning and the event occurred, everyone would be screaming today for their heads on a pike. We all saw the tools they have access to ... outside of the NAM, everything showed a significant winter storm to occur. We should never lose our awe of nature and this just reminds those of us in Austin that the weather can be unpredictable.

It's very predictable, just call for freezing drizzle Just kidding. It's kind of becoming a staple that during every event it is automatic frz drizzle in Austin... Man I was pulling for you guys to get something, it was probably the last chance that way for the winter. Good news GFS is showing lots of rain in the long range with the blossoming El Nino. We continue to hammer down the drought. The holdouts in NW and NTX have been eating away at it since January.

[wxman57]

12Z GFS looks much more reasonable for next week. Reasonable meaning no Arctic front next Friday and well above-normal temps for Texas. I'm sure it's correct now.



Here is a comparison to the 6Z run valid for the same time. Just goes to show that you can't trust those "off-hour" runs.

[Ntxw]

12Z GFS looks much more reasonable for next week. Reasonable meaning no Arctic front next Friday and well above-normal temps for Texas. I'm sure it's correct now.

http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis ... _us_37.png

Here is a comparison to the 6Z run valid for the same time. Just goes to show that you can't trust those "off-hour" runs.

http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis ... _us_38.png

We'll give it to you till the 20th. Then we take over again for the Vernal Equinox to Easter.

So the RGEM has performed well the past several events. Apparently it is the Regional (mesoscale) version of the Canadian! Essentially it is like the NAM is to the GFS, interesting. I'll be curious how it performs with rainstorms qpf wise as the NAM frequently outperforms the GFS with qpf during those big rain events.

[Shoshana]

As much as I hate another bust, I think EWX ultimately did the right thing by issuing the WSW, and I was pleased to see that the school districts were proactive with their shutterings.

We were a degree or two away from a pretty considerable event here, and I think it's entirely unrealistic to expect a forecast office to be able to pinpoint an event this dynamic with that resolution. In this case, I'd much rather places err on the side of caution with protecting people.

As has been said by others, I don't envy those folks; they've been made to look like fools repeatedly this winter (and last winter, too, a couple of times), but we all know how nuanced these forecast packages are. They've tried over and over again to tightrope the forecast, understandably, and have somehow been burned every time.

For their sake, can't we just have a clear-cut winter event just once?

I'm in complete agreement with you. If they hadn't pulled the trigger on a WS Warning and the event occurred, everyone would be screaming today for their heads on a pike. We all saw the tools they have access to ... outside of the NAM, everything showed a significant winter storm to occur. We should never lose our awe of nature and this just reminds those of us in Austin that the weather can be unpredictable.

Yup. We wound up with pouring rain, thunder and 33f. It could have been really bad.

[WeatherGuesser]

Question:

Since there are Pros here and other in 'official' capacities, can't something be done to keep trucks off the roads that same way airports and other facilities are closed? There are all kinds of reports today of Interstates blocked by a large number of trucks bogged down in snow which is hampering snow removal efforts. This happens in every storm all over the country. Since they're 'regulated' by DOT as far as driver rules and hours among other things, can't they be ordered off the roads once a Winter Storm Warning is issued?

I know they can't do anything about passenger cars in most cases unless they close the roads completely, buts it's far easier to move a passenger car or SUV out of the way than a loaded semi.

[Brent]

The melting is so fast lol

[Ntxw]

March sun and clear blue skies doing the melting, spots in the shadows holding strong but exposed snow is melting good.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Yea, hard to believe last night was a winter wonderland in many places and today it's just muddy and wet with a few places in the shade still snowy. Its sad that winter is pretty much over even though it feels like it just started with the good last couple of weeks.

[aggiecutter]

Texarkana received 1" of sleet, with 2" of snow on top of that. That makes 3 significant winter weather events in the past 10 days, not bad for late February-early March. Props to JB for nailing the pattern. And, the Austin Omega Block still rules. Speaking of JB, "Enjoy the weather. It's the only weather you've got"(Joe Bastardi).

[Brent]

Yea, hard to believe last night was a winter wonderland in many places and today it's just muddy and wet with a few places in the shade still snowy. Its sad that winter is pretty much over even though it feels like it just started with the good last couple of weeks.

The difference is so stark. You couldn't even see the end of my street at the peak last night

[wxman57]

Snow is melting very fast in Texas. Quite a difference from this morning. Look at all the snow in eastern Arkansas:

From 10:15am CDT:


From 2:15pm CDT

[gboudx]

Amazing how quickly it's melting. Good riddance.