TX Winter Wx Threat # 8--- TX Ice Storm

[Portastorm]

Graupel—Heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except for the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm.
Sometimes distinguished by shape into conical, hexagonal, and lump (irregular) graupel.

[Johnny]

Wxman57, I'm at work right now in the Spring area but I live just south of Lake Conroe Dam. I'm trying to get checks out to my employees (I run a personel service) so I can get home. What's the timeline before it's starts getting icy in central Montgomery County (8 miles west of I-45)?


jsclitz, congrats on the baby my man!! Prayers continue for you and your family.

[JenBayles]

New word for me also Wx57....Argentina? They really get that cold down there. wow

Take a look at a map and see how close the tip of Argentina is to Antarctica. Yeah, it gets COLD down there!

[Johnny]

Hey Portastorm, have you kicked that football yet?

[Portastorm]

Hey Portastorm, have you kicked that football yet?

Not yet! Haven't seen snow or sleet fall ... but I'm darn close! I'll say that I have planted my left foot and pulled my right foot back to kick the ball ... Lucy shows no signs of pulling away yet!

Stay safe over there ...

[Extremeweatherguy]

Temps. really dropping off right now across the area. Many in NW Houston are already falling into the middle 30s...

http://www.wunderground.com/stationmaps ... &wmo=99999

Based on the trends (dewpoints and temps. steadily falling), I wouldn't be surprised if NW Houston sees it's first freezing rain or sleet this afternoon or early evening instead of late evening.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Camp Mabry / Austin City
Last Update on Jan 15, 8:51 am CST

Freezing Rain

31°F
(-1°C)

[Portastorm]

Camp Mabry / Austin City
Last Update on Jan 15, 8:51 am CST

Freezing Rain

31°F
(-1°C)

Yup and it's actually colder just north and west of that ob which is pretty much in west central Austin. I live 13 miles north-northwest of downtown and I'm now at 28.8 degrees! Temps continue to slowly fall ... you're next EWG!

[Extremeweatherguy]

Camp Mabry / Austin City
Last Update on Jan 15, 8:51 am CST

Freezing Rain

31°F
(-1°C)

Yup and it's actually colder just north and west of that ob which is pretty much in west central Austin. I live 13 miles north-northwest of downtown and I'm now at 28.8 degrees! Temps continue to slowly fall ... you're next EWG!

Any icing problems for you yet portastorm (roads/trees etc)?

[Portastorm]

Camp Mabry / Austin City
Last Update on Jan 15, 8:51 am CST

Freezing Rain

31°F
(-1°C)

Yup and it's actually colder just north and west of that ob which is pretty much in west central Austin. I live 13 miles north-northwest of downtown and I'm now at 28.8 degrees! Temps continue to slowly fall ... you're next EWG!

Any icing problems for you yet portastorm (roads/trees etc)?

I would say it has worsened in my part of the town in the last 2 hours or so. Clearly surface objects (outdoor grills, tree limbs, etc.) are frozen and there are some piles of "slush" around trees and on roofs. The roads are ok at the moment but the bridges are iced now. Closer to downtown they just went below freezing so I would expect it to worsen there in the next few hours.

[gboudx]

Looks like the ice on the sidewalks, street and my driveway are starting to melt or evaporate. Things will probably be much better later today if the sun can come out for a long enough period of time.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Camp Mabry / Austin City
Last Update on Jan 15, 8:51 am CST

Freezing Rain

31°F
(-1°C)

Yup and it's actually colder just north and west of that ob which is pretty much in west central Austin. I live 13 miles north-northwest of downtown and I'm now at 28.8 degrees! Temps continue to slowly fall ... you're next EWG!

Any icing problems for you yet portastorm (roads/trees etc)?

I would say it has worsened in my part of the town in the last 2 hours or so. Clearly surface objects (outdoor grills, tree limbs, etc.) are frozen and there are some piles of "slush" around trees and on roofs. The roads are ok at the moment but the bridges are iced now. Closer to downtown they just went below freezing so I would expect it to worsen there in the next few hours.

ok, thanks for the report, sounds like things are going downhill quickly. Stay safe out there!

[Portastorm]

Two interesting developments for weather in the Austin metro area based on the NWS' mid-morning forecast update:

1) Predicted high of 35 has been dropped to upper 20s and holding steady today, tonight, into tomorrow. In other words, we won't go above freezing now for at least 24 hours. That is a big change!

2) Precip forecast now is for snow and sleet with no mention of freezing drizzle or rain. Perhaps the freezing column in the atmosphere is deepening?? However, it appears after lunch today we won't see much precip until late tonight.

[double D]

Camp Mabry / Austin City
Last Update on Jan 15, 8:51 am CST

Freezing Rain

31°F
(-1°C)

Yup and it's actually colder just north and west of that ob which is pretty much in west central Austin. I live 13 miles north-northwest of downtown and I'm now at 28.8 degrees! Temps continue to slowly fall ... you're next EWG!

It's 24.2 degrees here in Fredericksburg with ice on many surfaces. I guess the cold air came after all (and with a vengeance too).

[Shoshana]

We had sleet earlier today - and now it's doing some kind of frozen drizzle thing. The roofs were getting white a little while ago but now they have a layer of ice on top of the sleet.

The yard has white patches.

I'm in NE Austin, near Pflugerville.

[vbhoutex]

Temps. really dropping off right now across the area. Many in NW Houston are already falling into the middle 30s...

http://www.wunderground.com/stationmaps ... &wmo=99999

Based on the trends (dewpoints and temps. steadily falling), I wouldn't be surprised if NW Houston sees it's first freezing rain or sleet this afternoon or early evening instead of late evening.

We have to have the moisture coming through the freezing layer first and it doesn't look like we will have that till later this evening. If the radar returns were a little bit different I would have to agree with you. We are at 36º and falling slowly here in the Galleria area, but everything is dry, at least for now. If the rains we had earlier had persisted we could have had a horrible mess earlier than expected. Fortunately for now we are doing ok, just too cold for my liking!

[southerngale]

Looking at radar, it looks like most of the precip will be out of Texas sometime this afternoon. There's definitely less activity than there was overnight. When is the next disturbance supposed to arrive and where is it now?

[jeff]

Ice Storm Warning remains in effect for the NW 2/3rds of SE TX from Waller and Montgomery counties N and W

Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for Liberty, Harris, Fort Bend, and Wharton counties.

Ice Storm ongoing across a large part of TX including Dallas and Austin metro areas.

Discussion:

Current:

Freezing line extends from Madisonville to just N of CLL to Brenham to Giddings to just south of Austin. Freezing rain has coasted bridge in Austin resulting in the closing of HWY 183 with a 10 car pile up. Around Dallas the entire I-30 corridor is has been closed due to heavy icing of .75 to 1.25 inches between Dallas and Rockwall. Icing is reported on I-45 N of Centerville and numerous sections of I-35 from Austin to Fort Worth. Sanding operations are in progress on major interstate bridges and overpasses...however travel conditions are extremely difficult and will only worsen as the day progresses.

Forecast:

Freezing line make slow progress through SE TX with freezing rain being reported at Brenham, Caldwell, and Giddings. So far no ice accumulation on bridges in SE TX although I suspect there is icing of trees and power lines across Washington, Brazos, Burleson, Madison, and Houston counties.

Freezing line should reach Montgomery County by early evening and I-10 corridor by midnight. Next short wave noted in water vapor images over S CA. will eject ENE across TX on Tuesday will strong sub-tropical tap noted over Baja. Moisture will overspread the sub-freezing surface layer resulting in freezing rain and icing.

Glazing should begin late this afternoon and early evening N and W and then gradually spread SE tonight and Tuesday. Will likely need to upgraded to Ice Storm Warning for Winter Storm Watch area and include Jackson and Matagorda counties. May need a winter weather advisory for the coastal counties..but this is a tough call where the freezing line stops.

Should see the onset of icing of exposed surface (trees, power lines, bridges, and overpasses) across Harris County between midnight and 300am with freezing rain and icing continuing through Tuesday.

Accumulations:

Have cut back on accumulations a tad and want to emphasize the exposed surfaces such as trees, power lines, bridges, overpasses, rooftops, cars, ect are at most risk. Most surface streets, sidewalks, and freeway main lanes should remain just wet as the ground temp. will remain above freezing. Expected widespread 1/4 to 1/2 inch accumulation N of US 59 with less than 1/10th of an inch SE of US 59. With that said even a trace of freezing rain can create very dangerous driving conditions and the expected totals could cause downed tree limbs and power lines with the forecast winds of 10-25mph.

Travel:

Travel will be extremely difficult Tuesday as bridges and overpasses become glazed and slushy. Extreme caution should be used when crossing bridges and overpasses or steep inclined ramps. Pavement may look wet...but in fact may be coated with black ice. Unless absolutely necessary travel should be avoided Tuesday and Wednesday across the area.

Forecast for Harris and Surrounding Counties:

Ice Storm Warning in effect

Winter Storm Watch in effect

Today: cloudy and very cold with temps. falling into the mid 30's. A 70% chance of morning rainfall changing to freezing rain late. N winds 15-25mph

Tonight: Ice Storm Conditions. Cloudy and very cold with temps falling into the upper 20's. A 70% chance of freezing rain and sleet. N winds 10-15mph. Ice accumulation of 1/10 to 1/4 of an inch.

Tuesday: Ice Storm Conditions. Cloudy and very cold with temps steady in the upper 20's to low 30's. A 70% chance of freezing rain and sleet. N winds 10-15mph. New ice accumulation of 1/10 to 1/4 of an inch.

Tuesday night: Ice Storm Conditions. Cloudy and very cold with a 40% chance of sleet and freezing rain. Temps. steady in the upper 20's. N winds 10-15mph. New ice accumulation of 1/10 th 1/4 of an inch.

Wednesday: Ice Storm Conditions. Cloudy and very cold with a 40% chance of freezing rain and sleet before noon. Temps. rising to near 34 by afternoon. Morning ice accumulation of less than 1/10 of an inch.

Thursday: Cloudy and very cold with a 30% chance of rain. Lows near 31 and highs near 38.

Friday: cloudy and very cold with a 30% chance of rain. Lows near 33 and highs near 42.

[double D]

Hey Portastorm, the 100% of snow for Austin is sure interesting to look at. How often do we ever see that?

[Portastorm]

Hey Portastorm, the 100% of snow for Austin is sure interesting to look at. How often do we ever see that?

Definitely! I should probably do a screenshot save on that image, eh?

Unfortunately... it seems like now that we have the temps where they need to be ... the precip is stopping? I hope there's another upper level disturbance on the way or something, you know?