Texas Winter 2022-2023

[HockeyTx82]

Well Delkus is all in for Tuesday and really amps us Wednesday now.

Funny. Just a few days ago nothing to see here.

If anyone wants a giggle go to POW Ponder Facebook page and watch the Delkus clip.

https://m.facebook.com/powponder/



Ok, so who from this board trolled Delkus.......

[dpep4]

Could be overreacting too early, but San Antonio geography strikes again. Too far south.

Been hovering at 32, VERY light glazing on metallic handrails. I know we weren’t expected to get anything more than cold rain, but it has been one boring winter down here. Also, what’s with the forecasts showing a slight warmup overnight?

Warmup? Looks to me like that's just the SA airport continually trending 2 degrees below the N. Denial Service's forecast line so far. Same for Boerne. 33 and 30 respectively at the moment, 35 and 32 were the hourly forecast bottoms.

Gonna be close, but sure feels like we could have big power problems for the northern SA area, not just the surrounding counties.

[Ralph's Weather]

This has potential to be catastrophic for the I-35 corridor. Still hard to pin down exact locations but I'll stick to my guns on Waco to Canton to Paris being the worst hit. Central Texas does look tomjoin the party though. DFW is a very hard call but I'd prepare like a major ice storm is coming.
Power outages will be widespread, likely numbering 100k plus and a lot more if it hits Austin or DFW directly.

[dpep4]

Doesn't help that it looks like the San Antonio city owned power company, Crappy Public Service Energy, avoids doing even basic minimal line maintenance to keep trees branches clear. Doesn't do much good to bury lines the last mile when the feeder are above ground and run through trees:

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5992848,-98.5993526,3a,45.6y,126.55h,95.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-S8DGzErPj2MdYZcs7xXCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5992848,-98.5993526,3a,31.6y,17.64h,91.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-S8DGzErPj2MdYZcs7xXCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5490932,-98.5437842,3a,20.2y,60.48h,95.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbeR6Uxc9Slnj1WeLVlFovw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

Now maybe those are just cable tv lines (Spectrum sucks), but it sure looks like some kind of electric transformer on some of those poles.

[Texas Snow]

Doesn't help that it looks like the San Antonio city owned power company, Crappy Public Service Energy, avoids doing even basic minimal line maintenance to keep trees branches clear. Doesn't do much good to bury lines the last mile when the feeder are above ground and run through trees:

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5992848,-98.5993526,3a,45.6y,126.55h,95.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-S8DGzErPj2MdYZcs7xXCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5992848,-98.5993526,3a,31.6y,17.64h,91.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-S8DGzErPj2MdYZcs7xXCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.5490932,-98.5437842,3a,20.2y,60.48h,95.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbeR6Uxc9Slnj1WeLVlFovw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

Now maybe those are just cable tv lines (Spectrum sucks), but it sure looks like some kind of electric transformer on some of those poles.

If it provides any comfort, the higher lines up top are electricity, the bottom lines that would likely get taken out by those trees in an ice storm are phone, internet etc.

[dpep4]

But would trees/heavy branches falling on the lower lines pull down the actual poles? Even if those lower lines are designed to break away from the poles, there are still large trees right next to the them that if they fell right could hit the poles pretty hard. Maybe I didn't notice before, but all the power lines I'm familiar with in DFW and Houston had the entire poles and lines cleared of nearby vegetation, not just the top.

[utweather]

This has potential to be catastrophic for the I-35 corridor. Still hard to pin down exact locations but I'll stick to my guns on Waco to Canton to Paris being the worst hit. Central Texas does look tomjoin the party though. DFW is a very hard call but I'd prepare like a major ice storm is coming.
Power outages will be widespread, likely numbering 100k plus and a lot more if it hits Austin or DFW directly.

Yeah I'm not liking the look of this for the Austin area. The local tv stations I caught during the evening newscasts didnt emphasize power outages. The weather channel this morning showed what a level 3 ice storm could do.

[Texas Snow]

But would trees/heavy branches falling on the lower lines pull down the actual poles? Even if those lower lines are designed to break away from the poles, there are still large trees right next to the them that if they fell right could hit the poles pretty hard. Maybe I didn't notice before, but all the power lines I'm familiar with in DFW and Houston had the entire poles and lines cleared of nearby vegetation, not just the top.

Yes that could possible happen although those lower cables of copper and fiber are at least somewhat more likely to snap before bringing down the entire pole along with the heavier gauge electrical. But yes you are correct most utilities try to clean off any wires probably for the reason you mentioned.

Good luck!

[txtwister78]

San Antonio metro has now been added to the Winter Storm Warning. Winter Weather advisories now extended further south and west of the Warning.

 https://twitter.com/iembot_ewx/status/1620320407915220992

[Ghost0321]

Winter storm warning extended until Thursday 6am for DFW

[Ralph's Weather]

Models showing warming to above freezing this morning for me. I'm at 28 now. I do not believe I warm above 30. That will have a big impact today.

[WacoWx]

Unfortunately my love for weather is stronger than my love for sleep. I’m up.

25.9 here. The radar is blossoming already.

[Gotwood]

Unfortunately my love for weather is stronger than my love for sleep. I’m up.

25.9 here. The radar is blossoming already.

It’s a good thing lol

[WacoWx]

I am just crossing my fingers for sleet and not frz rain.

[Ralph's Weather]

Unfortunately my love for weather is stronger than my love for sleep. I’m up.

25.9 here. The radar is blossoming already.

I feel you on that.

[WacoWx]

Lightning now showing up on radar south of Dallas.

[HockeyTx82]

Getting a quick burst over my place right now.

Our dog is going crazy like when we have a Thunderstorm.

[cycloneye]

In Austin is very dangerous to drive.

 https://twitter.com/AustinFireInfo/status/1620397888760328193

[Gotwood]

Can confirm that despite radar signatures over here near Weatherford barely anything is reaching the ground.

[UTSARoadrunner4]

According to NWS EWX, Freeze Line is between Downtown San Antonio and 410 on the Southside. Finally slid down to 28ish° overnight IMBY. Morning commute is going to be interesting from the Northside, if I can make it to 281.

Sounds like Austin Metro is having really dicey time with the ice this morning.