Ice Storm, Houston
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Houston forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.318, -95.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Texas, January 12 to 13, 1997
Freezing rain/sleet event occured on the 12th-13th. Trees, powerlines and roadways were all effected.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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
- 3
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 23
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 HGX wrote it up.
Freezing rain/sleet event occured on the 12th-13th. Trees, powerlines and roadways were all effected. The weight of the ice caused trees and powerlines to snap/fall. Glazed roadways posed hazardous driving conditions. Over 1100 traffic accidents were reported in Southeast Texas which accounted for 3 deaths. Estimated damage was set at $800,000.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
23 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, Trinity
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Trinity forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 31.089, -95.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Madison
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 30.966, -95.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Walker
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Walker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.739, -95.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, San Jacinto
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- San Jacinto forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.580, -95.167 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Polk
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.793, -94.830 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Burleson
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Burleson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.493, -96.621 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Brazos
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Brazos forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.661, -96.302 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Washington
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.215, -96.403 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Grimes
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Grimes forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.544, -95.985 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Montgomery
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.300, -95.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Liberty
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Liberty forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.152, -94.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Colorado
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Colorado forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.621, -96.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Austin
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Austin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.887, -96.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Waller
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Waller forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 30.011, -95.988 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Harris
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Harris forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.857, -95.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Chambers
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Chambers forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.708, -94.671 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Wharton
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Wharton forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 29.278, -96.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Fort Bend
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Fort Bend forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.528, -95.771 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Jackson
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 28.954, -96.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Matagorda
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Matagorda forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 28.786, -96.004 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Brazoria
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Brazoria forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.168, -95.434 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Galveston
- When
- January 12, 6:00 AM CST to January 13, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Galveston forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 29.298, -94.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm, Madison | 1997-01-12 | 32 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Ice Storm, Wharton | 1997-01-13 | 34 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Ice Storm, Jackson | 1997-01-13 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
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 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
- Ice Storm in Texas, January 12 to 15, 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: 5594994, 5594995, 5595150, 5595151, 5595152, 5595153, 5595154, 5595155, 5595156, 5595157, 5595158, 5595159, 5595160, 5595161, 5595162, 5595163, 5595164, 5595165, 5595166, 5595167, 5595168, 5595169, 5595170.