Texas Winter 2010-2011

[CaptinCrunch]

That is amazing, considering what you described. It's just that Texas has seen a population explosion over the past 15 years or so, & I don't know if the current grid or infrastructure grew along with that. Hopefully, we will never find out.

I'll readily admit that the population of Grayson County is semi-rural compared to the Metroplex.

But even in the early 1980s, Denison and Sherman were in the same neighborhood of their current population numbers (35,000 for Sherman; 22,000 for Denison). Grayson County has 120,000 or so people living in it today, the county had 89,000 in 1980.

So while the population has grown, Grayson County wasn't the back side of nowhere 30 years ago either when the Dec. 1983 cold wave hit.

And again, cold or not, life went on.

I was in 9th grade in 83 and I remember Arlington ISD shutdown for 4 days that week due to not enought heating for the buildings. I don't recall any snow or ice but I do remember sleeping in the livingroom for a few nights next to the old wall furnace. I'm sure it will be hard to get that 295 hrs below 32 again with all the growth and concreate that has been poured over the last 28 yrs adding to the heat island effect.

[southerngale]

I still can't believe 20" of snow fell in Houston in 1899. Has that ever happened anywhere along the Gulf Coast? Has New Orleans ever seen anything like that? Pensacola?

According to the Beaumont Enterprise and other news sources, Beaumont got 31 inches of snow in 24 hours in 1895. 4 years later in 1899, more brutal cold. Sabine Pass was frozen over!

Interesting read:

EARLY WEATHER IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS: ICE SKATERS ONCE GLIDED ON SABINE LAKE

[txagwxman]

I was a senior in high school when the 1983 arctic outbreak took place.

A record 295 consecutive hours below freezing, some days lows were in the 5-10 degree range. Lots of burst water mains, frozen and broken pipes, and some minor travel disruption from the one or two snowfalls that took place. There were some power distribution issues (some plants BRIEFLY shut down a day or two, power companies prioritized power supply to homes and hospitals), but nothing major.

With all due respect, there was no collapse of the economy, not even a slowdown (especially amazing considering it began a few days before Christmas).

People still got out and lived. I still got out and duck hunted. Life, while certainly cold for a few days, went on.

That is amazing, considering what you described. It's just that Texas has seen a population explosion over the past 15 years or so, & I don't know if the current grid or infrastructure grew along with that. Hopefully, we will never find out.

1989 was even colder, but didn't last as long...it was 7F in Houston that year, and we almost broke the all-time low. -4F in Waco.

[txagwxman]

I still can't believe 20" of snow fell in Houston in 1899. Has that ever happened anywhere along the Gulf Coast? Has New Orleans ever seen anything like that? Pensacola?

According to the Beaumont Enterprise and other news sources, Beaumont got 31 inches of snow in 24 hours in 1895. 4 years later in 1899, more brutal cold. Sabine Pass was frozen over!

Interesting read:

EARLY WEATHER IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS: ICE SKATERS ONCE GLIDED ON SABINE LAKE

2004 it snowed 13" in Victoria, TX (Christmas).

[Rgv20]

Corpus Discussion

MODELS SHOW WARMING TREND IN THE WAKE OF THE UPR TROUGH SUN AND MON
W/ THE NEXT FRONT ARRIVING ON TUE. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF A BIT ON
THE STRENGTH OF THIS FRONT AND HOLD BACK THE BULK OF THE ARCTIC AIR
FOR THE NEXT FROPA LATER IN THE WEEK. SOME OF COLDEST AIR OF THE
SEASON IS PROGGED TO BUILD ACROSS WRN CANADA AND ALASKA THROUGH NEXT
WEEK...SO COULD BE INTERESTING.

[Snowman67]

I was a senior in high school when the 1983 arctic outbreak took place.

A record 295 consecutive hours below freezing, some days lows were in the 5-10 degree range. Lots of burst water mains, frozen and broken pipes, and some minor travel disruption from the one or two snowfalls that took place. There were some power distribution issues (some plants BRIEFLY shut down a day or two, power companies prioritized power supply to homes and hospitals), but nothing major.

With all due respect, there was no collapse of the economy, not even a slowdown (especially amazing considering it began a few days before Christmas).

People still got out and lived. I still got out and duck hunted. Life, while certainly cold for a few days, went on.

That is amazing, considering what you described. It's just that Texas has seen a population explosion over the past 15 years or so, & I don't know if the current grid or infrastructure grew along with that. Hopefully, we will never find out.

1989 was even colder, but didn't last as long...it was 7F in Houston that year, and we almost broke the all-time low. -4F in Waco.

I was in Waco attending Baylor when it hit -4F in 1989. I left early that morning for Dallas. When I got there, I had to walk through a parking garage to get to where I was going. I remember my ears hurting so bad from the cold, I thought they were going to break off

[txagwxman]

Canadian model only model that has snow flakes tomorrow...rest of the models too dry.

[Portastorm]

Canadian model only model that has snow flakes tomorrow...rest of the models too dry.

Unless our surface layer moistens considerably ... there won't be any flakes or freezing drizzle here in AUS. Dew point is at 14 degrees. Bone dry. But surface temps at or just below freezing across the metro area with a thick blanket of clouds above us.

[TeamPlayersBlue]

why are none of the models showing this activity coming out of AZ and NM? Clouds are seeping into the mid layer here in houston

[downsouthman1]

why are none of the models showing this activity coming out of AZ and NM? Clouds are seeping into the mid layer here in houston

I don't know, but there's definitely some mid-level moisture out there. Based on the cloud deck I've observed in Bell County today, I would say that it appears to be thickening here.

[gpsnowman]

A couple of the Dallas stations had been forecasting flurries for tonight but now have backed off. I am no pro but it is way too dry at the surface for anything to fall to the ground. Certainly cold enough though.

[gboudx]

A couple of the Dallas stations had been forecasting flurries for tonight but now have backed off. I am no pro but it is way too dry at the surface for anything to fall to the ground. Certainly cold enough though.

Dewpoint is 11 out here in Rockwall, so yeah bone dry.

[Tireman4]

Houston Intercontinental Airport
Lat: 29.97 Lon: -95.35 Elev: 95
Last Update on Jan 12, 9:53 am CST


A Few Clouds

36 °F
(2 °C) Humidity: 44 %
Wind Speed: N 12 MPH
Barometer: 30.78" (1042.3 mb)
Dewpoint: 16 °F (-9 °C)
Wind Chill: 28 °F (-2 °C)
Visibility: 10.00 mi.


Bone dry here too...

[TeamPlayersBlue]

Its very dry here, hardly felt cold coming into work but it was 31F at the house. Could something come out of this system over there? Never know how moisture could pop up over SA/AUS area and bring us an event. Wouldnt be the first time

[gpsnowman]

I remember the Valentines Day snow(in 2005 maybe) might have been one of those instances where moisture popped up from out of nowhere and covered the ground with 5 inches of snow. It was not predicted to fall.

[downsouthman1]

I remember the Valentines Day snow(in 2005 maybe) might have been one of those instances where moisture popped up from out of nowhere and covered the ground with 5 inches of snow. It was not predicted to fall.

I remember that event. We got 5 inches in Killeen, but it was forecast to happen, though it wasn't inserted into the forecast (if I remember correctly) until 12-24 hours prior. But we were only supposed to get <1 inch.

[Turtle]

Wow, I don't remember it being this cold for this. There are still some snow on the ground and roofs!

It's also still in the 20s at 11:00 AM @ Longview, TX with a dewpoint of 7!

[vbhoutex]

Its very dry here, hardly felt cold coming into work but it was 31F at the house. Could something come out of this system over there? Never know how moisture could pop up over SA/AUS area and bring us an event. Wouldnt be the first time

Some local OCMs in Houston are saying a possibility of snow flurries overnight. The air is so dry right now it will be tough for anything that might form to make it to the ground, much less an accumulating event. I am not about to say it won't happen, because as you said we have seen it before, but anything significant would be a surprise at this point. However it is clouding over here and that will keep the temps down, maybe not even getting out of the 30s. Currently 37f at my location in West Houston.

[Tireman4]

Its very dry here, hardly felt cold coming into work but it was 31F at the house. Could something come out of this system over there? Never know how moisture could pop up over SA/AUS area and bring us an event. Wouldnt be the first time

Some local OCMs in Houston are saying a possibility of snow flurries overnight. The air is so dry right now it will be tough for anything that migh t form to make it to the ground, much less an accumulating event. I am not about to say it won't happen, because as you said we have seen it before, but anything significant would be a surprise at this point.

I told my history class last night...if you see flurries, consider yourself extremely lucky. The air is sooo dry I just do not see it.

[srainhoutx]

The Canadian (GEM) continues to advertize some light qpf over Central TX. That model has remained very consistent concerning any chance of flurries. We shall see.