Texas Winter 2016-2017

[Texas Snow]

Long time lurker, first time poster. As I sit here on this foggy Christmas Eve, I just wanted to use this warm and extra slow period to wish everyone on here a Merry Christmas. I have been following these Texas threads for a couple years now. Officially signed up last year, but the winter was too depressing to post. Its odd for me because I feel like a know some of you, or at least your online personas. You all keep me entertained and hopeful that a winter wonderland can still happen.

I grew up in Denton. Was probably influenced by a couple early ice and snow storms as well as some awesome thunderstorms. Remember my the top of my neighbors 40ft pine trees touching the ground due to wicked ice (late 70's) and playing football in the snow many times. Also remember running for cover from a tornado that luckily never hit our neighborhood.

To add to some of your winter extremes some stories from last week, I once had an 80+ degree day in very early March (high school so spring 89 or 90 maybe) where I was doing some yard work. Sweated my butt off that afternoon. Finished up and headed west to Bridgeport for a youth group retreat and got there about midnight. It was still warm when I went to bed. Heard thunder shortly after falling asleep. Then clanking on the window some time after that. Woke to the ground completely white with sleet. I had been so busy I had no idea, and no warm clothes. Freezing cold that day and cloudy, seems like low 20's. Went to bed again Saturday night after a dance and woke to 6" of snow on top of the sleet. Crazy Texas weather. Stubbornly drove home against counselor wishes (still in shorts) where only maybe 2" had fallen and heard even less in Dallas (Maybe this why this event isn't a more popular story as the Metroplex didn't get hit quite as hard). Now that was an extreme weather system, and I loved it.

When I was young I would listed to the weather radio my granddad gave me, praying for Snow and calling the local bank's time and temperature number repeatedly to see if we had made it to freezing. I took some weather classes at A&M, but my one regret was it was at a time when I was a little study-lazy and was having too much fun in college, plus I hated my math classes. I have a good life now and probably make more money than I would have otherwise, but that may be the one thing I would change. I could "weather" everyday. Heck, I even had my family sit outside at Holiday in the Park at Six Flags for lunch last weekend because I knew from looking on here exactly when the arctic front would come through, and it did, and we put on our coats by the time lunch was done.

OK, memory lane is done.

Here is to a Merry Christmas and a very Wintery 2017 (early and/or late year) Don't let the Heat Miser get you down. While I love his spirit for cycling, there are enough warm months to get it in, believe me. And remember in the end, the Heat Miser loses and Santa and the cold weather win. Sure, he has the worst month of all, August, but that's when I head to the high country of Colorado to escape his treacherous grasps. Enjoy the Holidays with your families, and get ready for the winter yet to come...

[Golf7070]

Guess u fixed it already lol

[Portastorm]

Porta，that looks like the same image for both. Just wanted to tell you it looked identical

Thanks. Yeah it was ... I fixed it. Not enough coffee yet.

[Portastorm]

Nice introduction Texas Snow! Thanks for sharing yet another amazing tale of temperature extremes. Gotta love our weather.

Join in as much as you'd like as we try and drum up a Winter of Wxman57's Discontent. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[aggiecutter]

4.5" of rain since last night and more on the way. On this date back in 1989, Texarkana recorded a low of -1F.

[aggiecutter]

Also, on Christmas Day back in 2012, Texarkana received 4" of snow:

[wxman57]

Texas Snow - I remember that ice storm in the late 70s. I was going to school at A&M but living with my father on the east side of Fort Worth. Those were some cold winters. Got up one morning and it looked like snow was covering the ground, but it was about an inch of sleet all stuck together. We'd had thundersleet that night. At the time, my old Opel Manta was missing a driver's side window so I had to drive around with the heater on full. That same Opel would develop a brake issue when the temperature dropped below 15F. I had to go out in the cold and bleed the brakes each morning to get the air out. We didn't have central heating and my stepmother wouldn't let me turn on the gas space heater at night, so my bedroom got really cold. Cold enough that icicles were hanging from the wood windowsill when I woke up. All good reasons why I hate the cold.

But then, there were also the good times, when I was roofing up in the D-FW area during the summer from 1977-1980. That was some pleasant weather...

OK, you can go back to lurking now, as we don't need more cold-mongerers around here!

[Portastorm]

Interesting ...

[orangeblood]

Yes, very impressive coast to coast cold pattern with the split Polar Vortex showing up on the long range Ensembles...could put a lot of pressure on the energy grid

[ThunderSleetDreams]

Like the long range cluster on that pattern.

Today is absolutely disgusting weather. So frustrating!

[Ntxw]

Hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas Eve with your friends and families on a good note. On a tougher note for those of us who enjoy some cold and snow for this magical holiday we will have to endure another warm one. But the horizon looks promising my friends like our much beloved Dallas Cowboys

Blocking over and near Alaska will send cold again in the near future. January on average is the coldest month of the year, perhaps it will have more staying power and many of us, will likely see the coldest air of the season in January to date.

[Texas Snowman]

At least it's a little bit cool outside on this Christmas Eve.

Everybody have a great day with family and friends - Merry Christmas everyone!!!

[ThunderSleetDreams]

It's a painful 79 here

[Brent]

Euro has a decent front next weekend now new years day lows in the 20s high lower 40s at DFW. Now the GFS is the warmer model

[weatherdude1108]

Sure doesn't feel like Christmas with the the thermometer at 75 right now, and humid and gross out. I am wearing shorts and a tshirt. In any case, have a great Christmas Eve and Christmas everyone! Here's to more Arctic air intrusions! Cheers!

[BrokenGlassRepublicn]

At least it's a little bit cool outside on this Christmas Eve.

Everybody have a great day with family and friends - Merry Christmas everyone!!!

72 degrees with 83% humidity at my house. Pretty gross out there.

[lrak]

Cloudy conditions with upper 70s and windy at the airport and lower 70s along the coast. Last night had to spray Off on to play B-Ball. Hopefully tonight it will be too windy for those blood suckers.

Merry Christmas

[Portastorm]

Yep, warm and humid here in Austin. Mid 70s. Cruddy Christmas weather for sure. But as Joe Bastardi says: enjoy the weather, it's the only weather you got.

Merry Christmas gang! Whatever you're doing and whomever you're with, hope it's all good and full of laughs, fun, and good stuff.

[ThunderSleetDreams]

Merry Christmas Porta and everyone.... even you wxman57

Enjoy this disgusting hell weather while it lasts... I'm brewing up some Thunder Sleet and Snow for January!

[TheProfessor]

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Hoping to here some Thunder here in Kansas tomorrow, might not get to hear Thunder again until Late March or April.