Texas Winter 2010-2011

[mysterymachinebl]

Today is bittersweet for me. I'm happy to see the snow and ice, regardless of how miniscule some people think it is. It makes me sad to think this will be the last event of the season. Do any of you think after our two week warm-up, the pattern might change again? Is there any indications that might happen, or is this truly "it"?

You never know, we could have a Spring surprise snow like last year. Chances are slim, but one can hope.

[rkbjunior]

Just went for a walk here in North Central Austin (Burnet & 183). The temp is 23 and there were only a few icy patches. Plenty of standing water though. Ground must have warmed up nicely the last few days. Did see a few flurries come down while I was out. Hope winter isn't quite yet over already. My motto has always been "I want it to be cold when it's supposed to be cold because it's going to be hot when it's supposed to be hot."

[jasons2k]

RUC soundings have temps well above freezing (mid 40s) just above the surface in Bellville and that above freezing layer extends all the way up to the top of the cloud deck. Forecast sounding has temps well above freezing aloft through early afternoon when the precip ends. Either the sounding is way off or it's not sleeting in Bellville. Unless the rain is freezing just before it hits the ground in that very shallow surface layer. Possible, I suppose.

I've seen this so many times now I don't trust the soundings any more. It's no fluke; it seems to be a very common occurrence.

A few weeks ago it was almost 50 degrees and sleeting. No sounding within 150 miles would have supported sleet....but it was sleeting. Last week the soundings showed it was going to snow...and it was ice.

Eyes don't lie - it is what it is

[txagwxman]

32F at my house...a little bit of freezing drizzle.

[wxman57]

I've seen this so many times now I don't trust the soundings any more. It's no fluke; it seems to be a very common occurrence.

A few weeks ago it was almost 50 degrees and sleeting. No sounding within 150 miles would have supported sleet....but it was sleeting. Last week the soundings showed it was going to snow...and it was ice.

Eyes don't lie - it is what it is

It just goes to show how badly the models are often initialized. There just are not enough data points to catch all passing weather features. Maybe one day we'll have the next generation (or the generation after) of GOES satellites up there that can perform atmospheric soundings through clouds and input that data into the models. That would really help.

In the case of the sleet in Bellville, I suspect that the sub-freezing air at the surface was just cold enough that the droplets of light rain/drizzle had time to freeze in the lower few hundred feet of the atmosphere before reaching the ground. That would make more sense than the soundings being off by over 10 degrees at 850mb.

[txagwxman]

RUC soundings have temps well above freezing (mid 40s) just above the surface in Bellville and that above freezing layer extends all the way up to the top of the cloud deck. Forecast sounding has temps well above freezing aloft through early afternoon when the precip ends. Either the sounding is way off or it's not sleeting in Bellville. Unless the rain is freezing just before it hits the ground in that very shallow surface layer. Possible, I suppose.

I've seen this so many times now I don't trust the soundings any more. It's no fluke; it seems to be a very common occurrence.

A few weeks ago it was almost 50 degrees and sleeting. No sounding within 150 miles would have supported sleet....but it was sleeting. Last week the soundings showed it was going to snow...and it was ice.

Eyes don't lie - it is what it is

Soundings don't lie either...now model soundings sometimes do.

[TeamPlayersBlue]

32 and rain in sugar Land according to a friend. Im in Friendswood right now. Think my commute will be messy on the way home?

[wxman57]

Soundings don't lie either...now model soundings sometimes do.

Yeah, but we're well over 100 miles from sounding sites in all directions here in Houston. And with these Arctic fronts there can be tremendous differences in the vertical air column over such distances. It would sure help to have a sounding in the Houston area.

[Tireman4]

Soundings don't lie either...now model soundings sometimes do.

Yeah, but we're well over 100 miles from sounding sites in all directions here in Houston. And with these Arctic fronts there can be tremendous differences in the vertical air column over such distances. It would sure help to have a sounding in the Houston area.

I second that emotion.

[Turtle]

Precipitation looks nearly done here. I think we had about 2 minutes of freezing rain/sleet in the past hour. Other then that just rain.

Can't complain though - this year we had 2.5" of snow. That is almost 1" above our average yearly snowfall.

Hopefully next winter will be more eventful.

[Ntxw]

Meanwhile we all can envy those along the Arkansas/Oklahoma border in terms of snow fallen. 18-24 in places and still snowing. What could've been!



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[iorange55]

Well....that was kind of disappointing! But we've already had a lot of snow so we can't complain. I heard people getting sleet but really after the first band when the cold front came through we got mostly snow...least when I woke up it was light snow. maybe it was sleet while I was asleep because the sidewalk does seem a bit sleety.

However it doesn't feel that slippery I guess there isn't any freezing rain on the bottom or else it would be. Maybe roads are different but my sidewalk is definitely better than last time.

[vbhoutex]

I am now at 31.6f and fallling in W Houston. Nothing falling frozen at my location yet, but we are still getting rain/ precipitation. I hope the wind can dry up the overpasses and bridges quickly or we are going to have problems again.

[Tireman4]

I am now at 31.6f and fallling in W Houston. Nothing falling frozen at my location yet, but we are still getting rain/ precipitation. I hope the wind can dry up the overpasses and bridges quickly or we are going to have problems again.

You and me both. I am thinking the wind will take care of this, but goodness.

[TwisterFanatic]

You guys wanna trade? Places in NW Arkansas has surpassed 30 inches.

[Tireman4]

You guys wanna trade? Places in NW Arkansas has surpassed 30 inches.

No thank you. Ice is not fun to drive in though.......especially with drivers that have (1) never seen (2) never driven or (3) both in ice and snow. It does not make for a fun commute.

[newtotex]

I thnk schools will be open tmrw. There's already been a lot of melting on the roads here

[Ntxw]

You guys wanna trade? Places in NW Arkansas has surpassed 30 inches.

Noo thank you lol. A foot is enough, beyond that is just nuts. We live in Texas for a reason!

The sun is out and dry winds are helping. Lets keep it up a few hours and we might be able to salvage spring break!!!

Edit: I wonder if this melting by the sun will make things worse. Being in the teens it would refreeze pretty quickly into black ice...hmm

[iorange55]

I wonder how the averages for February will play out since it has been so cold for the past 10 days, but now it's going to be warming up.

[chrisdanger76]

I wonder how the averages for February will play out since it has been so cold for the past 10 days, but now it's going to be warming up.

Im going to take a swing at it and say lower than normal...