Texas Winter 2013-2014

[Portastorm]

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.....

Very sorry to hear about your tree, katheria. Unfortunately yours is a story bound to be repeated many times by others both on and off this board. Gonna be a long weekend. Stay warm and safe up there!

[Portastorm]

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

GACK!!!!

Now I know how General Lee felt when he learned that he wouldn't have Stonewall Jackson at his side anymore! Be safe, buddy. I'll do my best from downhill. I am fortunate in that my power is underground so I think I'll be ok this weekend.

[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.....

Very sorry to hear about your tree, katheria. Unfortunately yours is a story bound to be repeated many times by others both on and off this board. Gonna be a long weekend. Stay warm and safe up there!

yep i was kinda expecting it, but still a shock
took a peek out another window. looks like my popup rv is toast......

you should have invited me down there LOL

for u guys not in dfw a huge transformer downtown dallas blew up underground at like 3am. they are still fighting it and a 6 block area is out of power

[Portastorm]

This isn't directly related to the weather but it sort of is ... I saw a very funny tweet this morning about this transformer explosion. The person tweeting said: "I hope that wasn't Optimus Prime or Bumblebee."

Meanwhile officials in North Texas are saying at least a quarter of a million people, including Ntxw, are without power at the moment. And that number is increasing steadily.

[katheria]

LMAO!

thank you i needed that laugh porta

[Texas Snowman]

So much sleet I can't see the curbs on my street.

[Portastorm]

Law enforcement officials reporting that 40-50 cars are stuck due to ice at the flyover of US 183A/State Toll 45, in northwest Austin (actually Cedar Park).

You see it doesn't take much down here to create havoc.

[Portastorm]

For those in the general Austin metro area, roads in the central core and to the south and east are fine. Wet and cold out there. Conditions to the west and northwest of town are worse. Law enforcement officials just shut down Toll Road 183A due to numerous accidents and icing. Folks who make the long commute from Leander/Cedar Park down to Austin will need to take side roads, making for a loooong drive!

[katheria]

well just lost power... atleast have cell

portastorm, what do the latest models show for dfw sat/sun

[wxman57]

Some updated meteograms. As for Dallas-Ft. Worth - you're getting pounded by freezing rain and sleet through this morning.

Austin temps rose a couple of degrees over the past few hours but the area will see some ice on elevated bridges on the north side of the city. Surface roads should remain just wet. Very little precip today then the temperature plunges tonight to the mid 20s. Still not looking like a major event in Austin, Portastorm. No trees or power lines down and no icing on surface roads in the city.

Not as cold as predicted for Houston, just 39-42 with very light rain. Big rain event forecast for next Thursday (3-4"). Had to adjust the right scale of the meteogram to go up to 1" in 3hrs.

[wxman57]

well just lost power... atleast have cell

portastorm, what do the latest models show for dfw sat/sun

Lows in the teens, highs in the 20s with no precipitation.

[katheria]

well just lost power... atleast have cell

portastorm, what do the latest models show for dfw sat/sun

Lows in the teens, highs in the 20s with no precipitation.

thank you, we dont need anything else here thats for sure

[Portastorm]

Wxman57, I'm in line 100% with your thoughts for our Austin area. The only thing that concerns me for this weekend is that noisy STJ and how models are notoriously bad in picking up shortwaves sometimes. We shall see.

Meanwhile, I'm seeing reports now that the State Highway 45/Southbound Mopac interchange is being closed due to ice and numerous accidents.

[TexasF6]

NW AUSTIN: POWER WENT OUT, HEARD A BOOM OUTSIDE, CAME BACK ON....PRECIP FALLING OVER ME NOW.....

[iorange55]

Update from the hill...

Sleet still coming down, we just had a pretty heavy cell pass over us and the wind picked up a bit. It had me a little scared for a minute, but it looks like the rest of the precip from here on out should be light.

It looks I might come away from this storm without losing power! Party at my house tonight!

[joshskeety]

Quick update.. North Parker County.. Still sleeting seems like it is having a tough time stopping now.. Temp 22.3 degrees.. about 8 mph winds.. 3 inches of sleet on the ground this morning, working on the 4th...

Josh

[Tireman4]

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

GACK!!!!

Now I know how General Lee felt when he learned that he wouldn't have Stonewall Jackson at his side anymore! Be safe, buddy. I'll do my best from downhill. I am fortunate in that my power is underground so I think I'll be ok this weekend.

Dagummit. Well, I think that the PWC main branch will be working overtime this weekend. More Grey Goose fellas?

[WeatherGuesser]

News sites are claiming 250K without power. Probably more to come.

Y'all keep that stuff now ya'heah??

I was out for two weeks in our last ice storm. It ain't fun. So far, so good, but our worst potential seems to be Sunday/Monday according to the charts I'm seeing from PAH.

[katheria]

Update from the hill...

Sleet still coming down, we just had a pretty heavy cell pass over us and the wind picked up a bit. It had me a little scared for a minute, but it looks like the rest of the precip from here on out should be light.

It looks I might come away from this storm without losing power! Party at my house tonight!

powers back on here for who knows how long, heating the house up more just in case.

you gonna come and get me???? LOL no way im gonna drive in this

[TheProfessor]

We have a lot of the soft sleet on top of the ice. Now my whole neighboorhood looks like an ice rink. There are even some 3ft drifts.