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

[JenBayles]

It appears the Houston metro area was under the spreading protection of the Bear Creek Dome overnight. Yankee - how many times have we seen this "sandwich" or "donut-hole" effect with weather systems?! I have to laugh looking at the current sat loop. That slightly drier sandwich area that we've been in seems to go all the way to west Texas. How much you wanna bet it STAYS that way? <consulting the Great All-Knowing Brass Monkey>

[wxman57]

Take a look at the latest GFS precip projection. It shows 1/4 to 1/2 inch precip across southeast Texas starting this afternoon and ending tomorrow morning wheh that disturbance to our west moves across.

http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod ... 6_036l.gif

[Portastorm]

Btw, the report below is from the Austin American-Statesman website and a good example of why people should stay off the dang roads when told to!

One person killed in accident near Buda
Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 08:33 AM
Authorities are on the scene of a fatal accident this morning on Interstate 35 south near Buda (map) Hays County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

The accident involved two 18-wheelers and a passenger car, officials said.

The highway has been reduced to one lane.

Officials said the interstate is backed up to Slaughter Lane and that cars are beginning to get stuck in the ice and unable to move.

[double D]

It is really sleeting here in Fredeicksburg and it is starting to accumulate on the ground. I'm still hoping it will switch over to snow later this afternoon.

[cctxhurricanewatcher]

Btw, the report below is from the Austin American-Statesman website and a good example of why people should stay off the dang roads when told to!

One person killed in accident near Buda
Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 08:33 AM
Authorities are on the scene of a fatal accident this morning on Interstate 35 south near Buda (map) Hays County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

The accident involved two 18-wheelers and a passenger car, officials said.

The highway has been reduced to one lane.

Officials said the interstate is backed up to Slaughter Lane and that cars are beginning to get stuck in the ice and unable to move.

On a normal day, I- 35 between Austin and San Antonio can be a headache. Please stay off the highways up there. Maybe you know how to drive in winter conditions, but the guy behind or in front of you probaly does not.

[Portastorm]

It is really sleeting here in Fredeicksburg and it is starting to accumulate on the ground. I'm still hoping it will switch over to snow later this afternoon.

I guess I'm one step behind you double D ... I would take sleet over this freezing rain! I'm concerned that if we get too much more freezing rain, the major tree limbs will start crashing down and power outages will expand dramatically.

See that batch on radar and looks heavy out there (and heading our way).

EDIT/UPDATE: It now appears to be sleeting outside here as well, as of 9:30 a.m. Interesting.

[double D]

It is really sleeting here in Fredeicksburg and it is starting to accumulate on the ground. I'm still hoping it will switch over to snow later this afternoon.

I guess I'm one step behind you double D ... I would take sleet over this freezing rain! I'm concerned that if we get too much more freezing rain, the major tree limbs will start crashing down and power outages will expand dramatically.

See that batch on radar and looks heavy out there (and heading our way).

EDIT/UPDATE: It now appears to be sleeting outside here as well, as of 9:30 a.m. Interesting.

Yeah it looks awful in Austin this morning, I hope it also switches over to sleet and snow for you too.

I'm starting to get a little more concerned about this weekend too....it looks like the latest NAM wants to bring the 0c line near central Texas with some pretty decent QPF. Does anybody else see this as well?

[gboudx]

Ya'll stay safe. On my commute there was no ice on the roads or bridges. Forecast is calling for some snow flurries today and tomorrow, but nothing major. And then some more wintry precip this weekend, but again nothing major. Yet.

[Johnny]

Dang Porta, what's wrong with you? Lucy had the ball perfectly placed with snoopy holding a high powered pellet gun to her butt just in case she tried to yank it. You dug your back heel in, started to trot, yanked your foot back and fell on your arse?? I had $100 on ya man....you let me down!

[gboudx]

Porta is the Tony Romo of kickers.

[Tamora]

Ya'll stay safe. On my commute there was no ice on the roads or bridges. Forecast is calling for some snow flurries today and tomorrow, but nothing major. And then some more wintry precip this weekend, but again nothing major. Yet.

I hadn't seen this... wow... It is really seeming like winter for a change in TEXAS.

[gboudx]

Ya'll stay safe. On my commute there was no ice on the roads or bridges. Forecast is calling for some snow flurries today and tomorrow, but nothing major. And then some more wintry precip this weekend, but again nothing major. Yet.

I hadn't seen this... wow... It is really seeming like winter for a change in TEXAS.

Here's the forecast for Rockwall from the NWS. I suspect it will change before then.

Friday Night: A slight chance of freezing rain or rain. Cloudy, with a low around 29. North northeast wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A chance of rain, snow, or freezing rain. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

[wxman57]

Here's a level 2 radar image showing precipitation from two disturbances over Texas. Note that the individual precipitation elements are all moving to the northeast while the two areas are drifting eastward. I've circled two areas to watch, one is a building area of precip around the Corpus Christi area. This area is growing fast and moving NE. That's the region to watch for precip here in Houston over the next 3-5 hours.

Farther west, some heavy snow/sleet is occurring just southwest of SAT/AUS. It's moving northeast toward those two cities. That big area of frozen precip will drift eastward today, reaching southeast Texas this evening as freezing rain and sleet.

[Johnny]

Precip is fixing to move in Montgomery County from the west. I might have to cut my time here at the office short because more is developing behind it. What do you thing wxman57?


http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid= ... 1&loop=yes

[Portastorm]

Porta is the Tony Romo of kickers.

Hey!

I will try again this afternoon to kick the ball, especially with this sleet falling steadily since 9:30!

[wxman57]

Here's a level 2 Houston radar. Precip is increasing to the southwest.

[double D]

Well the sleet is now mixing with snow in Fredericsburg. I'm still waiting for the switch to all snow....I think the NWS busted by saying that it would not snow today.

[JenBayles]

wxman57, nice graphics - thanks! What I see are 2 "blobs". One will go north of the Bear Creek Dome and one will pass to the south.

[weatherrabbit_tx]

was looking at Corpus dopplar on weatherunderground composite I also see what wxman57 is talking about an increasing field of precip near victoria and its very much expanding and moving northeast......

http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radbl ... ightning=0

could it be? please some feedback

[JenBayles]

Temps have gone up 2 degrees under the BC Dome this morning...

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1015 AM CST TUE JAN 16 2007

.DISCUSSION...
AREA OBS INDICATE TEMPERATURES ARE SLIGHTLY WARMER WITH FREEZING OR
BELOW FREEZING READINGS GENERALLY WEST THROUGH NORTH OF THE HOUSTON
AREA. AS FOR PRECIP...RADAR TRENDS INDICATE LIGHT RAINS OFF THE COAST
WITH THE HEAVIER STUFF NOW OFF INTO LOUISIANA. INLAND...IT APPEARS
THAT MOST OF THE PRECIP IS NOT REACHING THE GROUND AND WHAT IS REACHING
THE GROUND IS VERY LIGHT. WITH AREA TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN
PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED...THINK THAT ALL BUT OR NORTHERN COUNTIES WILL HAVE
A CHANCE OF JUST RAIN TODAY AND WHAT FROZEN PRECIP THAT DOES FALL UP
NORTH WILL BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. THE BULK OF THE STRONGER ECHOES APPEAR
TO BE REMAINING NORTH AND WEST OF OUR COUNTY WARNING AREA AT THIS TIME.
THE THREAT FOR HEAVIER FROZEN PRECIP MAY OCCUR TONIGHT...AND THAT IS
WHY OUR ICE STORM WARNING (WSWHGX) IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF INLAND
SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEGINNING AT 6 PM THIS EVENING AND LASTING INTO TOMORROW
MORNING.

WE`LL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION UP NORTH THIS MORNING.
IF CONDITIONS DETERIORATE...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL LIKELY
BE NEEDED.

&&