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

[Extremeweatherguy]

thank god there is no power flickering in Houston yet. However, if we see a few more rounds of freezing rain tonight, then things may change. Going to be interesting to see what it looks like in the morning.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Looks like NW Houston's heaviest batch of precip. yet is coming in..

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid= ... 11&loop=no

Wouldn't be surprised if this also brings us a burst of sleet too.

[TexHorn06]

I just went outside, it's by far the worst icing on the power lines, sidewalks and roads I've seen yet, and we're still getting just rain, this, I'd imagine, cannot be good.

[Shoshana]

If your power goes out call 322-9100 (Austin Energy). You might want to find a bill and put it by the phone because there's an id number to key in so you don't have to hold.

If y'all are getting the icing we are, those power lines and limbs are either sagging or are going to. It's really bad out there - much worse than last night.

[hriverajr]

Have you all looked at the infrared sat picture.. I doubt much sun this week at all.. probably more cold rain.... ... GEESH I rent a poorly insulated house. The only thing i am happy about is the snow we got here.

[TexHorn06]

yeah I've got the number and bill ready, sitting next to a flashlight, thanks for the info though. I just hope it doesn't go out as this apartment gets very cold, very fast.

[JQ Public]

Our power was flickering last night.

I just went outside and it's raining. Not drizzle, but rain!

And freezing on impact. The trees are really showing ice now, especially the neighbor's Bradford Pears. Our driveway is ice covered by a thin layer of water.

The white car in my earlier slideshow now has icicles all the way down to the ground.

Good riddance those are the worst excuse for trees in the world. Most over 10-15 years of age break during any severe weather. Watch and see! Lol sorry about that but i hate those trees

[Shoshana]

^ No, Hackberries are the worst. I have some in the far back yard and they break if anyone sneezes. Here's a pic from this afternoon - before it started raining -



If you look closely, you can see the broken limbs.

Oh - the pear trees next door are about 5 years old. We normally don't get ice storms this bad here - the hackberrys break in thunderstorms.

[Extremeweatherguy]

latest band in Houston has produced a period of moderate freezing rain mixed with slightly more sleet than previous bands. Still primarily just freezing rain though.

[Wren]

Well I hope none of us loses power, but if that happens be prepared. Easier to gather supplies in one place before it goes out rather than look for stuff by flashlight. I cooked some pintos today for tomorrow, and decided after the flickering power to bake cornbread too just in case power goes out overnight, and we wake to no power tomorrow.

[Shoshana]

Good idea. We have underground utilities but it still can't hurt to be prepared.

[TexHorn06]

gotta understand Wren, I'm in basically a studio apt in the campus area, it's darn easy to find anything by flashlight, nothing's more than a few steps away.

[TexasSam]

I was looking at radar loops, and the showers (or whatever) are moving fast! I'm guessing about 70mph.

[JQ Public]

looks like the precip is moving north. Into the dallas metro area and points south and west?

[southerngale]

I don't live anywhere near the airport. The airport isn't even in Beaumont, but much closer to Port Arthur, although everyone assumes it's Beaumont because that's our "official" reporting station. I'm actually between Beaumont and Lumberton. Here are the closest Instaweather stations to me:

http://www.kfdm.com/sections/weather/instaweather/ - 29°

http://www.kfdm.com/sections/weather/instaweather/ - 30°

and there are others in the area reporting 29° - 32° so I feel confident the temperature is correct.

Here's the whole list...all of the ones in Beaumont are below freezing. http://www.kfdm.com/sections/weather/instaweather/

Click on: Show a list of all stations within the KFDM coverage area below the map

Well, the only logical conclusion is that you have some hybrid/mutant raindrops there in Beaumont that resist freezing at temperatures that would freeze a normal raindrop.

Ok, off to bed. Enjoy your ice everyone. I like mine in my freezer.

I think those hybrid/mutant raindrops are only in my yard because there have been many reports of sleet and freezing rain in the area...north, south, east, and west of me!

Anyway, it was really bugging me so I asked a local met (greg_kfdm_tv on here) as I couldn't believe that THAT many Instaweather stations could be wrong, and I live just to the north and south of two that are 29° and 30°.
Here's my message to him and his reply:

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: Greg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All of the Instaweather stations in Beaumont and the one in Lumberton show temperatures from 29° to 31.5° and yet, only light rain falls. There aren't even icicles forming on anything. Could they ALL be off? This doesn't make sense. I'm between Beaumont and Lumberton and it should be cold enough to get some frozen precip. It's hard to believe they could all be wrong, but I can't think of any other explanation.

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:30 pm Post subject:

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We have ice on our cars now at Channel 6.

I was becoming concerned as well about the calibrations on the weather stations and was also wondering how over 50 stations could all be wrong. These stations are professional grade and have an accuracy of plus or minus 1 degree which is typical of electronic thermometers.

I think what was happening is that the water drops are falling from temperatures in the clouds which are well above freezing in the 40's and 50's. It just takes a while for the rain to freeze especially in some of the heavier rainfall. The freezing on the cars only started when the rain diminished.

Hope that helps.
_________________
Greg Bostwick
Chief Meteorologist
KFDM-TV

Still no ice here though, and KFDM, where there was already ice on cars 4 hours ago, is 6 or 7 miles south of here.

Snow is what I really want, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. However, the weather enthusiast in me wanted to see something. Oh well...it just wasn't in the cards.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Through 5am Hooks airport has recieved about 0.13" of freezing rain during this event. Since 5am it has also continued to rain through the current time, so the total is likely up to near 0.15". I am pretty sure that I have a similar total here right now..everything is glazed but no visible tree or powerline damage yet. All it will take though are a few more rounds of freezing rain to bring us up to that damaging 0.25" amount and with an Ice Storm Warning until noon and a new forecast only calling for a high of 33-degrees today...it is possible.

I will be watching this one closely.

[Dr. Jonah Rainwater]

Just woke up to moderate sleet here on the northern edge of Plano in the DFW area.

I went to sleep 6 hours ago with a "20% chance of snow/sleet changing to rain by noon", and now.... "80% chance snow" is all the NWS says now.

[Tamora]

School is canceled in Mansfield! Snow and sleet accumulations are light. I am shocked! I let the dog out at 545a and was completely shocked! I left my computer cord at school, my cell phone.... I am not prepared to be at home today!
But what a treat for my girls

[Extremeweatherguy]

Looks like yet another round of freezing rain/sleet is in store for the Houston area within the next hour:

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid= ... 11&loop=no

This band will likely push my ice accumulation up to nearly 0.20".

Also, check out all the precip. still out there: http://sirocco.accuweather.com/nx_mosai ... aSIRSC.gif

I am really starting to get skeptical on whether or not I will rise above freezing today since dewpoints are still at 27F (lower than the air temp. of 31F) which would mean good evaporative cooling would continue.

[KatDaddy]

Just spoke with family in the Dallas area. The snow is coming down all across the city. It is currently sticking on the roads and driveways due to freezing temp over the last few days.