Texas Winter 2025-2026

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wxman57
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2461 Postby wxman57 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:38 am

Tireman4 wrote:I am not buying it just quite yet ( for SE Texas). First, it is very hard to get frozen P Type moisture down here. Second, it is even harder to predict it down here. Third, so many variables have to go into it for frozen P type to verify. That being said, the trend is your friend. If the models ( for me) show frozen P Type Thursday onwards, I start buying. Also, Wxman57 and I have generators. Big smile.


Yes, no power outage for us. I've plotted all available models (operational, ensembles, and AI) for Sat-Mon. UKMET and GFS-AI are 30-40 degrees warmer than other models for Saturday (70s vs. mid 30s). Canadian is bonkers cold again, with 10F for Monday while all models are clustered in the 26-29 deg range. Have to throw out the Canadian, for sure. UKMET and GFS-AI match the other models by Sunday. They're both too slow with FROPA.

I see the Fort Worth NWS office is saying a 40% chance of precip? Huh? How about 100%. Unless every single model is wrong, there will be precip Sat/Sun. Only question is the precip type. Current models favor snow staying north of the D-FW area, with most of the precip across Texas falling as freezing rain and sleet. Kind of similar to that big ice storm of 2021, though not as severe.

For the Houston area, I'd expect some freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday, making roads slick. I think the GFS is too heavy with the ZR/sleet amounts (I hope it is). Temps hovering a bit above freezing Saturday afternoon/evening and around 30F for Sunday morning. Above freezing Sunday PM then maybe 25-28 Monday morning.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2462 Postby BAY29 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:40 am

Is there any chance of snow in Houston or just ice and sleet
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2463 Postby Stratton23 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:47 am

This setup looks mainly ice/ sleet, snow looks to stay in north texas as the most likely outcome, though thats subject to change
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2464 Postby Lagreeneyes03 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:48 am

This model run or seems to shunt everything east of Texas and we barely get anything. BAM Weather on X.

https://x.com/i/status/2013272214498361466
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2465 Postby JayDT » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:51 am

The higher than normal confidence in the forecast is starting to remind me a bit of the Christmas Eve 09 storm. From what I can remember the confidence was higher than normal for that one too.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2466 Postby Ntxw » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:51 am

Lagreeneyes03 wrote:This model run or seems to shunt everything east of Texas and we barely get anything. BAM Weather on X.

https://x.com/i/status/2013272214498361466


Their precip shield is too wide, it doesn't look realistic resolution issues with the AI. AND the big one, these runs give NYC and Boston major nor'easter snow, clients and clicks! Personally I think suppression is an issue out east and it's more likely the southern mid-Atlantic like Virginia and NC more likely.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2467 Postby txtwister78 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:58 am

Basically what we need to watch is the strength of our arctic high. Stronger argues for colder deeper into Texas and a bit more suppression regarding axis of QPF. That will push the ice threat further south.

Euro ironically (not its AI btw) has been on the stronger end of that with a 1048. Still a few days here to watch trends.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2468 Postby Brent » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:58 am

The GFS AI is apparently already way different than last run so I dunno how much I would trust it. Seeing posts about it elsewhere
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2469 Postby Gotwood » Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:58 am

Lagreeneyes03 wrote:This model run or seems to shunt everything east of Texas and we barely get anything. BAM Weather on X.

https://x.com/i/status/2013272214498361466

I agree it’s been that way all winter. I could definitely see our hearts being ripped out in a couple of days once models begin to shove everything east.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2470 Postby Cpv17 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:00 am

BAY29 wrote:Is there any chance of snow in Houston or just ice and sleet


As of right now it looks like just a cold rain for Houston with a chance for maybe a slight glazing of ice.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2471 Postby Ntxw » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:00 am

Man what a bulldozer high. If the trajectory was a little more west, even without snow and ice many of us would probably approach single digits anyway. This was looking like a bit of cold a week ago, now a ton of cold, how models can miss it by that much, but of course we were on top of it here! Kudos to the pattern recognizers!

Image
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2472 Postby wxman57 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:02 am

BAY29 wrote:Is there any chance of snow in Houston or just ice and sleet


No indication of anything but freezing rain mixed with sleet. Models have snow line generally north of Dallas. That could shift southward later this week, but snow here in Houston looks unlikely.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2473 Postby Brent » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:03 am

Ntxw wrote:Man what a bulldozer high. If the trajectory was a little more west, even without snow and ice many of us would probably approach single digits anyway. This was looking like a bit of cold a week ago, now a ton of cold, how models can miss it by that much, but of course we were on top of it here! Kudos to the pattern recognizers!

https://i.imgur.com/Hx3mFFa.png


I do recall the Euro had a couple runs showing a very brutal cold shot on and off last week...

To me it's been leaving the GFS in the dust here

It's also way colder than the GFS is here
Last edited by Brent on Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2474 Postby TheAustinMan » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:03 am

Keeping tabs on the modeling of the lagging shortwave trough over the SW US / eastern Pacific that helps direct moisture over Texas for the weekend. Currently, the more amplified ensemble members (which are correlated with colder temperatures and higher precip over Texas) form a slight majority of ensemble members. However, even with that in mind, the chances for wintry precipitation are very sensitive to the trough position. While it looks less likely now, if the trough comes too quickly then the forcing could arrive before the cold does and lead to more widespread liquid rain. Too slow and too far out, and the supply of moisture drops.

That said, there are some ensemble signals potentially towards increasing confidence in the colder/more precip outcomes. We see below that stronger ridging midweek over northwestern Canada/Alaska/Beaufort Sea are correlated with stronger troughing this weekend over the southwestern US:
Image

And, for the time being, ensembles have trended in that direction:
Image
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2475 Postby Stratton23 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:04 am

Cpv17 I dont know about that, models are extremely close to showing significant icing in the houston metro, id probably prepare for freezing rain on saturday, closer to the coast it might be just all cold rain
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2476 Postby iorange55 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:05 am

Ready to report from Austin!
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2477 Postby Iceresistance » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:05 am

Okay yeah, KWTV and KFOR are all in. KFOR is way more aggressive :eek: :cold: :froze:

Image
https://s12.gifyu.com/images/bkzeS.png

Image
https://s12.gifyu.com/images/bkzey.jpg
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2478 Postby Ntxw » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:06 am

GFS coming in a little colder, it's moving towards the ensembles in terms of QPF.
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2479 Postby gpsnowman » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:08 am

Ntxw wrote:GFS coming in a little colder, it's moving towards the ensembles in terms of QPF.

Man the next four days are going to be looooong. I'm ready for it!!!! :froze:
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Re: Texas Winter 2025-2026

#2480 Postby Cpv17 » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:11 am

Stratton23 wrote:Cpv17 I dont know about that, models are extremely close to showing significant icing in the houston metro, id probably prepare for freezing rain on saturday, closer to the coast it might be just all cold rain


I’m just saying as of right now I’m not seeing much of an event for the Houston area. Could easily change.
Last edited by Cpv17 on Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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