Texas Winter 2013-2014

[gpsnowman]

The radar out west is starting to fill in quickly.

[funster]

There is some wind this morning. That amps the ice storm ugliness factor according to Sperry-Piltz http://www.spia-index.com/images/indexIce.jpg

[ndale]

Driving to Austin today, my concern is, i wont have an opportunity to get back to Houston. I dont mind staying till about Sat morning in Austin as i have many friends there, but i dont want to be stuck till monday

If you believe the nws forcast you will be fine, they are still predicting no accumulations here.

[cheezyWXguy]

Driving to Austin today, my concern is, i wont have an opportunity to get back to Houston. I dont mind staying till about Sat morning in Austin as i have many friends there, but i dont want to be stuck till monday

If you believe the nws forcast you will be fine, they are still predicting no accumulations here.

In houston thats true, but austin is under an advisory.

[Rgv20]

NWS Brownsville morning discussion..

COLD AIR ADVECTION TO PEAK SATURDAY WITH A STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL
INVERSION. SOUTHERLY FLOW ABOVE THE INVERSION STRENGTHENS AS A
THE POSITIVELY TILTED UPPER TROUGH OVER THE ROCKIES DEEPENS. ISENTROPIC
LIFT MAXIMIZES SATURDAY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN AND PREDOMINATE
DRIZZLE. POINT SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW A SATURATED LAYER OF
AROUND 1500 FEET DEEP DIPPING BELOW FREEZING ACROSS THE NORTHERN
RANCHLANDS. THIS SUGGEST THAT A MIX OF SLEET WITH THE RAIN IS
POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. HAVE NOT
INDICATED THIS IN THE GRIDS JUST YET AND WILL WAIT ANOTHER PERIOD
OR TWO TO SEE HOW MUCH COLD DOES MAKE IT THIS FAR SOUTH. IN ANY
CASE SURFACE TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING WHICH WILL
ALLOW FOR ANY SLEET TO MELT RATHER QUICKLY ON CONTACT. OTHER WISE
WITH NO SUN AND THE LOW OVERCAST AND PRECIP TEMPERATURES WILL
STRUGGLE TO BREAK 40 DEGREES IN THE NORTH AND 45 AT THE COAST.
FINALLY WITH THE STRONG NORTH WINDS WIND CHILL ADVISORIES ARE
LOOKING MORE PROBABLE FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

[gboudx]

Here's Steve McCauley's latest FB post:

The arctic front has cleared north Texas, and now we will be stuck in the 30s for the rest of the day. Every now and then a passing cold rain shower will be possible throughout the morning and afternoon. There is a possibility of some freezing rain showers developing late in the day with highest chances NW of the Metroplex. The frozen precip will increase in coverage tonight as an upper-air disturbance passes overhead.

Freezing rain and sleet will be widespread after midnight into early Friday morning. Ice accumulations will range from 0.20" to 0.50" with additional sleet accumulations of 0.20" to 0.50". Of concern will be the wind. The winds will slacken a little bit later this afternoon, but as our disturbance passes overhead tonight, the winds will kick up again. Where ice accumulations exceed 0.25" ice-laden trees may succomb to the added weight with branches breaking off and falling on to power lines leading to power outages. Highest ice accumulations - both sleet and freezing rain - will be across the Red River Counties of north Texas into SE Oklahoma where greater than 0.50" of ice is expected. However, most of north Texas will see some ice accumulations, so no area will be completely immune to this possibility.

And finally, I would not be complete in my discussion if I did not include a mention of seemingly everyone's favorite computer model: the Texas Tech Weather Forecast Model. And yes, it remains resolute calling for just mainly a rain event for the Metroplex because it thinks most of the rain will stop before it drops to 32 °F locally. But with the overwhelming consensus of all other data going against this solution, we must throw out its forecast (but secretly hope it is true).

Now I am off for the last day of class ... updates to follow.

[Tejas89]

Andrews, TX reporting 24 and rain. Yikes. Radar is REALLY filling in from Childress down into the big bend.

[ndale]

Driving to Austin today, my concern is, i wont have an opportunity to get back to Houston. I dont mind staying till about Sat morning in Austin as i have many friends there, but i dont want to be stuck till monday

If you believe the nws forcast you will be fine, they are still predicting no accumulations here.

In houston thats true, but austin is under an advisory.

Even with the advisory they are predicting no accumulations, I think that will change as the event unfolds, just have to stay alert.

[ThunderSleetDreams]

I just checked 3 data points within 10 miles of each other.

74 at Beltway 8 and 290

60 at Telge and 290

53 at Mason and 290.


I walked outside and felt the winds change and my temp dropped a quick 5-10 degrees.

[TheProfessor]

With my temperature already at 32 I'm starting to think that precipitation may start off as freezing rain here.

[Texashawk]

FWiW, Weather Underground (a site I generally trust) just updated to show a 90% chance of show showers for Katy on Friday morning at least. Katy is only 30 miles or so west of downtown Houston. Interesting...

[South Texas Storms]

Man it's cold here in College Station already. Temps in the 40s and dropping. The wind is just brutal. I think freezing rain chances are possibly increasing for central and southeast Texas this weekend. I see that some Aggies on campus (wearing shorts) this morning didn't know that winter was returning today.

[Portastorm]

Man it's cold here in College Station already. Temps in the 40s and dropping. The wind is just brutal. I think freezing rain chances are possibly increasing for central and southeast Texas this weekend. I see that some Aggies on campus (wearing shorts) this morning didn't know that winter was returning today.

Oh, that's too easy. (Insert Aggie joke here).

We've fallen 30 degrees in just four hours here in Austin. 72 to 42 from 5 am to 9 am.

[Texashawk]

It is bizarro world seeing Katy almost in the 40's and here in Sienna Plantation (about 30 min away) in the mid-70's. Almost makes me want to stand outside and wait for the blast wave for this one.

[Portastorm]

Driving to Austin today, my concern is, i wont have an opportunity to get back to Houston. I dont mind staying till about Sat morning in Austin as i have many friends there, but i dont want to be stuck till monday

You should be fine up until midnight tonight or maybe even a little after that ... but starting in the early morning hours tomorrow (Friday), our bridges and overpasses may start to ice a bit. And then on Saturday it could get much worse based on what we're seeing.

[ThunderSleetDreams]

I can wear shorts and a fleece in 40 degree weather. I really don't get cold until you get down in the low to mid 20s with wind.

I'll ski in jeans and a t shirt in 25 degree weather up in Wolf Creek.

[TeamPlayersBlue]

Weather underground says the front is just outside Sugar Land. Running to the cleaners now. Front should blow through any moment

[Portastorm]

Lubbock-area media reporting that the road conditions in that area are starting to quickly deteriorate due to sleet/freezing rain.

[Rgv20]

12zGFS just went a tad colder of Saturday for my area...Drizzle with highs in the upper 30s!

[david30]

Through my part of NW MS 71 down to 50 per wunderground in the last 1 1/2 hour.