Winter Storm in Texas, January 12 to 14, 1997

Name: Winter Storm in Texas, January 12 to 14, 1997
Start: 1997-01-12T12:00
End: 1997-01-14T08:00
Location: Texas

January 12 to 14, 1997 · NWS SJT · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Cold arctic air settled over west central Texas on the 11th. Warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moved northwest above the frigid air on the night of the 11th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 SJT wrote it up.

Cold arctic air settled over west central Texas on the 11th. Warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moved northwest above the frigid air on the night of the 11th. This combination produced snow, sleet, temperatures in the teens, and wind chills to 15 below over the area on the 12th, 13th, and morning of the 14th.Two to three inches of snow fell over most of the northwest Hill Country and the southern Heartland. This was followed by about one inch of sleet on top of the snow. The sleet and snow formed a thick ice cover on roads and highways which caused many wrecks. On the afternoon of the 13th, Interstate 10 was closed for 200 miles from Junction to Fort Stockton and not reopened until the next day.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, McCulloch

When: January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where: McCulloch forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.199, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, San Saba

When: January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where: San Saba forecast zone
Coordinates: 31.155, -98.818 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Menard

When: January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Menard forecast zone
Coordinates: 30.890, -99.821 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kimble

When: January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Kimble forecast zone
Coordinates: 30.487, -99.749 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mason

When: January 12, 12:00 PM CST to January 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Coordinates: 30.718, -99.226 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5587623, 5587624, 5587625, 5587626, 5587627.