Ice Storm in Texas, December 23 to 24, 1998

An arctic cold front combined with an upper level storm system to bring the second bout of winter weather this month to the area. A combination of freezing rain and sleet began during the afternoon of the 23rd and continued through the early morning hours of the 24th, making holiday travel nearly impossible across parts of West Central Texas. The Northwest Hill Country and the Heartland took the brunt of the storm, with ice accumulations up to one-half thick reported over much of McCulloch and Menard Counties, and between one-quarter and one-half thick across Brown, San Saba, Kimble, and Mason Counties. Although not quite as severe, areas farther north and west also saw some ice accumulations, with totals between a trace and a quarter-inch reported across sections of Coleman, Crockett, and Sutton Counties.