Texas Winter 2013-2014

[Portastorm]

Does anyone know if the last model run has anything for North Texas to worry about this weekend?

You mean beyond the crippling ice storm you're getting now??!! I would think that's enough to worry about ... but well, as far as this weekend for y'all, nothing compared to last night and this morning. But there should be a chance of some light wintry mix Saturday into Sunday morning.

The models are struggling with capturing the energy and potency of these shortwaves as they round the base of the full latitude trough in which we're in. There could be some surprises this weekend in terms of forecasts so best to stay up on the latest. From NWS and, of course, Storm2k!

[iorange55]

Power going on and off in my part of Cedar Hill. Things were alright when I went to bed around 1:30, but it looks totally different outside now. Sleet/ice has covered everything outside, and the tree limbs are starting to weigh down.

[SouthernMet]

We weren't exaggerating when we said "crippling".. You can hear police sirens going to respond to wrecks, & literally see the sky light up with transformers blowing up...

Btw that band along a Mineral Wells to Stephenville line, reportedly thundersleet & this is heading straight for the dfw metro as it strengthens.

Oh, it's going to be nothing ... no big deal, remember?! At least that is what some in the DFW area media were saying a few days ago.

Good, warm thoughts going out from the PWC to our friends in North Texas being impacted by this crippling storm. Please be safe! Oh, and it's 32 and "misting" here at the PWC. We're doing what we can to bring some real winter wx to south central Texas this weekend.

As much as I've been rooting for you to get some Winter Weather- Porta, believe me, you do not want it in this way, its miserable & dangerous up here..

[Portastorm]

Power going on and off in my part of Cedar Hill. Things were alright when I went to bed around 1:30, but it looks totally different outside now. Sleet/ice has covered everything outside, and the tree limbs are starting to weigh down.

Heads up ... there are some convectively enhanced cells coming your way. Wouldn't surprise me if you get thundersleet mixed with freezing rain.

[weatherdude1108]

My wife's and my work are two hours delayed this morning (open at 10am). Been drizzling all night and hovered at 32 degrees here at the Weatherdude Center. There is a thin coating of ice on the patio furniture, but not the patio itself.

[iorange55]

Power going on and off in my part of Cedar Hill. Things were alright when I went to bed around 1:30, but it looks totally different outside now. Sleet/ice has covered everything outside, and the tree limbs are starting to weigh down.

Heads up ... there are some convectively enhanced cells coming your way. Wouldn't surprise me if you get thundersleet mixed with freezing rain.

Looks that way...yikes. I'm trying to get some of my work done just in case the power goes out for good. Going to be a long morning.

[Portastorm]

Hey SouthernMet, I hear ya and no, I do NOT want that kind of weather. Ice storms are the worst! I'd just hoping for a little sleet mixed in with freezing drizzle to give us a little winter "drama" down here. Nothing major.

Good luck to you ... stay safe and warm!

Unfortunately it does look like our worst fears shared in this forum for the last few days have been realized in North Texas. Considering that many areas won't rise above freezing for a few days, this could be a prolonged and miserable event for a large population.

[somethingfunny]

I still have power but standing outside it's a cacophony of nightmares. Cracking ice, crashing trees, sirens. It's giving me flashbacks to living in Jersey.

We only have about 1/4" of ice accumulation on the trees, but they're all sagging to the ground. It's still raining.

[Portastorm]

APD reporting some icy spots starting to show up on bridges/overpasses on the larger arterials here in town, mostly in the outskirts (State Toll Road 45/Mopac, Hwy 183, etc.).

[katheria]

good morning, well not so much................

got woke up this morning around 4:45am with a HUGE CRASH.......

what i was worried about has happened...... my 60 year old Arizona ash tree is toast it seems like

had 5 other crashes after the first one. looked out the window but cant see much...
not even going to take a chance of going out in the front yard.

[img][/img]

[somethingfunny]

I'm so sorry about your Arizona Ash.

So far my trees are doing alright. The big sugargum (the big red one I posted a photo of a few weeks ago) has lost a couple of 2-3 inch diameter branches, but nothing major. Another tree has a limb blocking my neighbor's driveway...hanging about two feet off the ground, it's normally 15 feet above the ground. My live oak has sagged so much it's creating an igloo around the trunk. I keep hearing the crashes of larger limbs around the neighborhood though.

Every gust of wind or creaking noise has me diving for cover.

[iorange55]

Geez. I keep looking at the radar and it looks the storms flare up in Johnson county and move right over.

[Portastorm]

It appears at the moment that the northwestern outskirts of the AUS metro are seeing the worst of it in terms of icing. Police are starting to shut down portions of the 183A toll road due to several bridges being iced over.

[newtotex]

Just woke up and it's STILL sleeting! I would have thought it would have stopped by now. How much longer are we expecting this to last?

Still have power and all the trees in my immediate area look ok

[katheria]

I'm so sorry about your Arizona Ash.

So far my trees are doing alright. The big sugargum (the big red one I posted a photo of a few weeks ago) has lost a couple of 2-3 inch diameter branches, but nothing major. Another tree has a limb blocking my neighbor's driveway...hanging about two feet off the ground, it's normally 15 feet above the ground. My live oak has sagged so much it's creating an igloo around the trunk. I keep hearing the crashes of larger limbs around the neighborhood though.

Every gust of wind or creaking noise has me diving for cover.

i know exactly what you mean

i have the radio blaring, because i honestly dont care to hear anything else.....

[katheria]

Just woke up and it's STILL sleeting! I would have thought it would have stopped by now. How much longer are we expecting this to last?

Still have power and all the trees in my immediate area look ok

probably 10-11am maybe later before it stops

[iorange55]

Seems like the only thing keeping the trees and power safe in my area is the lack of wind. The wind seems to fairly calm in Cedar Hill, at least they have been for the past hour.

[srainhoutx]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
704 AM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

...PRELIMINARY SLEET / FREEZING RAIN ACCUMULATIONS AS OF 7 AM...

LITTLE ELM 3.5
DECATUR 2.5
SHERMAN2.0
DENISON2.0
KELLER1.8
GRANBURY1.5
HURST1.5
FORT WORTH1.5
RICHARDSON1.0

THIS DATA IS NOT COMPLETE AND WILL BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

[Ntxw]

It looks like the NTX PWC branch, no pun intended, has come down and offline for the weekend and will defer all model watching and teleconnection information to HQ in Austin

[Rgv20]

Not every winter we get a Wind Chill Advisory down here! Not looking forward to stepping out of the house this morning, currently 44 with mist

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
408 AM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

...FRIGID WIND CHILLS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...

.ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE TO CONTINUE PUSHING TEMPERATURES DOWN
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE COLD TEMPERATURES TO COMBINE WITH A
PERSISTENT NORTH WIND OF 10 TO 15 MPH LOWERING WIND CHILLS BETWEEN
20 AND 30 DEGREES.

TXZ248>257-061900-
/O.NEW.KBRO.WC.Y.0001.131207T0600Z-131207T1700Z/
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE...FALFURRIAS...
SARITA...RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA...MCALLEN...EDINBURG...PHARR...
MISSION...WESLACO...RAYMONDVILLE...BROWNSVILLE...HARLINGEN...
PORT MANSFIELD...PORT ISABEL...SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...
LAGUNA HEIGHTS...LAGUNA VISTA
408 AM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 11 AM
CST SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A WIND
CHILL ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO
11 AM CST SATURDAY.

* WIND CHILL VALUES...LOWER BETWEEN 20 AND 30 DEGREES.

* TIMING...MIDNIGHT TO 11 AM SATURDAY.

* IMPACT...PERSONS AND ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THE LOW
WIND CHILLS CAN BE SUBJECT TO HYPOTHERMIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RESIDENTS VENTURING OUT SHOULD DRESS WARMLY. SEVERAL LAYERS OF
CLOTHING WILL INSULATE YOU BETTER THAN A SINGLE COAT OR JACKET.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN WIND CHILL INDEX VALUES WILL
DROP TO 30 OR LOWER FOR 2 OR MORE HOURS FOR THE RIO GRAND VALLEY
AND 25 DEGREES OR LOWER FOR 2 OR MORE HOURS FOR THE RIO GRANDE
PLAINS AND NORTHERN RANCHLANDS...WITH WINDS OF 10 MPH OR GREATER.

&&

$$