TX winter wx thread: Spring-like pattern

[serenata09]

Still have some flurries flying around. Glad I got to see something!

[Extremeweatherguy]

The mist I have been getting for the last couple of hours is beginning to turn over to flurries here in my area! It still isn't true "snow" IMO, but these "flurries" are definitely bigger than normal mist droplets.

[PineyWoods]

Snowing here in Tyler at 6am.

Though at 34° not sticking, but still pretty none the less. Radar looks like we might still get some for a couple of more hours too.

[gboudx]

Well, I'll be. The snow gods weren't too unkind to us it appears. Waking up to about an inch of snow on the ground. The kids will be excited. Too bad school isn't closed or delayed.

[Portastorm]

Nothing here in north Austin but clouds and cold. No flurries at all.

There are some radar returns showing precip but I suspect a lot of it is evaporating before it reaches the ground.

[Extremeweatherguy]

http://www.opentopia.com/showcam.php?camid=2880
^^Live webcam shows snow falling near College Station^^

Wow! It is pretty heavy right now! (7:04am)

[AggieSpirit]

1 inch overnight here in Cedar Hill. Kids got to see something at least!

[jasons2k]

[jasons2k]

That was a present for EWG.

[jasons2k]

Still nothing here yet, but it does "look" like snow to the north (cold, dark blue clouds) moving this way.

[jasons2k]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this:

From Jeff Lindner:

Winter Weather advisory has been issued along and N of a line from Columbus to Waller to Livingston…including Austin, Waller, and Montgomery counties and points north and west.

Getting numerous reports of snow accumulation around KCLL at this time and CLL PD was reporting as much as .5-1” of accumulation on grassy surfaces. Brazos County sheriff was reporting roads in the northern part of the county were getting slushy and hence the winter weather advisory is issued as heavier snow is still W and N of the region. Probably have 2-3” inches on the ground just N of Brazos County where heavy snow band is showing on radar.

Impressive upper trough moving across the state with significant snows yesterday and overnight over N TX and tornadoes in the CRP area yesterday afternoon. Snowfall totals overnight have averaged 3-8” N and W of DFW with snow all the way to northern Austin along I-35.

Will cover the snow band approaching and moving into SE TX currently. Radar shows a well developed band of snow with some moderate to maybe even heavy snow extending from Paris TX to Georgetown TX and then ENE from 50-70 miles to just west of Huntsville. Band is in associated with strong secondary vort on backside of deep upper trough over N TX. Critical thickness values are met for snow generation…but surface temps. remain at or above freezing at all locations this morning. Hence it is just a very thin layer of 32+ near the surface and the snow is falling and for once not melting before reaching the ground. Per radar trends out or Granger, Austin, and HGX southern extent of snow should be along and N of a line from just N of I-10 across Fayette and Austin counties to central Waller County and NW Harris and then across southern Montgomery County. It will be a very close call for metro Houston and Harris County…but at this minute feel the snow will remain just north of the metro populations….close call on this one.

Accumulations:

Given warm ground temps. and temps. still above freezing only minor accumulations are likely on grassy and elevated surfaces…most roads should be just wet. Where the snow falls heavy enough some quick 1-2” accumulations will be possible. Given 35dbz on Granger radar over Robertson County moving toward Madison and Brazos counties expect snowfall rates in this reflectivity to be at or above 1’ in an hour.

This afternoon:

Yet another vort will crash down through the backside of the upper low with very steep lapse rates with very cold mid level air. Feel sun should break out and warm the surface layer just a little after about noon with cumulus clouds developing. May see a highly unusual event of thundersnow/thundersleet/ hail showers develop over N TX and move toward the SE toward our northern and northeastern counties this afternoon. Given the intensity of updrafts and convective nature of the activity quick bursts of sleet/snow may be possible with some accumulation. This is very unusual weather and rarely happens in other colder locations much less TX…but I would not rule it out given the depth and dynamics with this upper trough.

[pwrdog]

Thundersnow is cool...

The last time I remember thundersnow in livingston was in 1984 or 85 in a freak march event much like this one but no one predicted that one... It ended up being snow pellets or graupel and was awesome while it lasted....

The temps warmed into the upper 40's and a few thunderstorms developed and as the precip started falling the temp fell 10+ degrees in just a few minutes.... Wild stuff for se texas..

[TexLady]

It's been snowing steadily here in New Waverly (half-way between Huntsville & Conroe) for about an hour. The flakes are fairly large (by Southeast Texas standard ) It's very pretty to see the snow against the pines! No accumulation, at all...I keep watching my black Avalanche, and so far it's still black.

[KatDaddy]

An extremely rare event for SE TX AND its March 7th! Lets hope the 2008 hurricane season does not have this many ups and downs. Quite a weather rollercoaster ride for the last few weeks.....from almost hot with severe weather to cold windy and snowy in a matter of a few days.

[JenBayles]

The last time I remember a sleet/snow event in March in the Houston area was about 1983/84. (Yeah, I'm an old-timer.) I walked out on my apartment balcony thinking I was going to work because the pavement just looked wet. Turned out that wet was ice. I pulled a 3 Stooges move as soon as my high heels hit the landing of the staircase. Whoo woo woo woo! Both legs went up in the air resulting in a 3-point-landing and I nearly slid down the stairs. I'm certain that anyone watching about laughed themselves silly. And thus began my lifelong battle with tailbone trauma...

[southerngale]

Glad to see some of you are getting snow. NWS has a 50% chance of rain/snow for me, but unless I missed some flurries overnight that have since melted, no snow here.

The Special Weather Statement issed a couple of hours ago says that it should switch over to all snow by this afternoon, but it looks like all of the precipitation will be moving east of here before too long (and it's just north of here at the moment).


Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
700 AM CST FRI MAR 7 2008

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-072100-
VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD-ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-
CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA-LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-
CAMERON-VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY-LOWER ST. MARTIN-TYLER-JASPER-
NEWTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LEESVILLE...ALEXANDRIA...MARKSVILLE...
DERIDDER...OAKDALE...VILLE PLATTE...OPELOUSAS...LAKE CHARLES...
JENNINGS...CROWLEY...LAFAYETTE...ST. MARTINVILLE...CAMERON...
ABBEVILLE...NEW IBERIA...MORGAN CITY...WOODVILLE...JASPER...
NEWTON...LUMBERTON...BEAUMONT/PORT ARTHUR...ORANGE
700 AM CST FRI MAR 7 2008

...LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE NORTH OF I-10 TODAY...

A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT MOVED ACROSS THE AREA LAST NIGHT IS
USHERING A MUCH COLDER AIRMASS INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES IN
THE 40S THIS MORNING WILL SLOWLY FALL INTO THE 30S BY THIS
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL CREATE A POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW TO
OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.

AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION
EARLY TODAY. BY LATER THIS MORNING...THE LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE
MAY BEGIN MIXING WITH LIGHT SNOW AS FAR SOUTH AS THE I-10
CORRIDOR.

AREAS MOST LIKELY TO SEE ANY LIGHT SNOW WILL BE ACROSS INTERIOR
SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH
OF A KOUNTZE TO MARKSVILLE LINE. IN THESE AREAS...LIGHT RAIN AND
DRIZZLE MAY BEGIN MIXING WITH LIGHT SNOW LATER THIS MORNING...BEFORE
POTENTIALLY CHANGING OVER TO ALL LIGHT SNOW BY THIS AFTERNOON.

SHOULD SNOW OCCUR...LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE
ANTICIPATED. SOME LIGHT DUSTINGS OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ON ELEVATED
SURFACES AND GRASSY AREAS IN INTERIOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND CENTRAL
LOUISIANA.

TRAVEL IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE IMPACTED AS GROUND TEMPERATURES
REMAIN TOO WARM FOR ANY SNOW TO ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIAL WINTER WEATHER SITUATION.

$$

SHAMBURGER/CARBONI

[weatherrabbit_tx]

driving to work from montgomery side of lake conroe to here in spring, as I left the house its started flurrying, man it was a sight, this was about 8:20am, at least got to see some

[Ed Mahmoud]

Radar looking less encouraging than an hour ago...

[zaqxsw75050]

you guys are lucky. northern grand prairie only got flurries last night and got nothing. first wave i was a few block south of the snow line and the second wave just a bit north and west...

[serenata09]

[quote="jasons"]Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this:

From Jeff Lindner:

[quote]Winter Weather advisory has been issued along and N of a line from Columbus to Waller to Livingston…including Austin, Waller, and Montgomery counties and points north and west.

Getting numerous reports of snow accumulation around KCLL at this time and CLL PD was reporting as much as .5-1” of accumulation on grassy surfaces. Brazos County sheriff was reporting roads in the northern part of the county were getting slushy and hence the winter weather advisory is issued as heavier snow is still W and N of the region. Probably have 2-3” inches on the ground just N of Brazos County where heavy snow band is showing on radar.

Impressive upper trough moving across the state with significant snows yesterday and overnight over N TX and tornadoes in the CRP area yesterday afternoon. Snowfall totals overnight have averaged 3-8” N and W of DFW with snow all the way to northern Austin along I-35.

Will cover the snow band approaching and moving into SE TX currently. Radar shows a well developed band of snow with some moderate to maybe even heavy snow extending from Paris TX to Georgetown TX and then ENE from 50-70 miles to just west of Huntsville. Band is in associated with strong secondary vort on backside of deep upper trough over N TX. Critical thickness values are met for snow generation…but surface temps. remain at or above freezing at all locations this morning. Hence it is just a very thin layer of 32+ near the surface and the snow is falling and for once not melting before reaching the ground. Per radar trends out or Granger, Austin, and HGX southern extent of snow should be along and N of a line from just N of I-10 across Fayette and Austin counties to central Waller County and NW Harris and then across southern Montgomery County. It will be a very close call for metro Houston and Harris County…but at this minute feel the snow will remain just north of the metro populations….close call on this one.

Accumulations:

Given warm ground temps. and temps. still above freezing only minor accumulations are likely on grassy and elevated surfaces…most roads should be just wet. Where the snow falls heavy enough some quick 1-2” accumulations will be possible. Given 35dbz on Granger radar over Robertson County moving toward Madison and Brazos counties expect snowfall rates in this reflectivity to be at or above 1’ in an hour.

This afternoon:

[b][color=#0000BF]Yet another vort will crash down through the backside of the upper low with very steep lapse rates with very cold mid level air. Feel sun should break out and warm the surface layer just a little after about noon with cumulus clouds developing. May see a highly unusual event of thundersnow/thundersleet/ hail showers develop over N TX and move toward the SE toward our northern and northeastern counties this afternoon. Given the intensity of updrafts and convective nature of the activity quick bursts of sleet/snow may be possible with some accumulation. This is very unusual weather and rarely happens in other colder locations much less TX…but I would not rule it out given the depth and dynamics with this upper trough.



Could someone explain this new vort of energy that is supposed to come down? Where is it starting and where will it go?