Ice Storm, Smith
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Smith forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 32.375, -95.269 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Texas, January 12 to 15, 1997
Freezing rain with sleet accumulated to depths of 1/4 to 1/2 inch across the region. Several highways were closed and numerous traffic accidents occurred.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 11
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS SHV wrote it up.
Freezing rain with sleet accumulated to depths of 1/4 to 1/2 inch across the region. Several highways were closed and numerous traffic accidents occurred. Isolated power outages from fallen power lines also occurred.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, Gregg
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Gregg forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 32.481, -94.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Harrison
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Harrison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 32.548, -94.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Cherokee
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Cherokee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.837, -95.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Rusk
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Rusk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 32.108, -94.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Panola
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Panola forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 32.162, -94.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Nacogdoches
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Nacogdoches forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.616, -94.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Shelby
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Shelby forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.792, -94.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Angelina
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Angelina forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.255, -94.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, San Augustine
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- San Augustine forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.394, -94.168 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Sabine
- When
- January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 15, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Sabine forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.343, -93.852 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Ice Storm
- Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Arizona, January 12 to 14, 1997
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, January 12 to 14, 1997
- Ice Storm in Texas, January 12 to 13, 1997
- Ice Storm in Texas, January 12 to 14, 1997
- Cold in Illinois, January 12, 1997
- Winter Weather in Texas, January 12 to 13, 1997
- Winter Storm in California, January 12 to 13, 1997
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, January 12 to 15, 1997
- Winter Storm in California, January 12 to 13, 1997
- Cold in Nebraska, January 12, 1997
- Cold in Wyoming, January 12 to 13, 1997
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 12 to 14, 1997
More
Every storm in Texas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5587664, 5587665, 5587666, 5587667, 5587668, 5587669, 5587670, 5587671, 5587672, 5587673, 5587674.