Lift over a cold layer of air at the surface resulted in a glazing of light freezing rain. Even though the layer of ice was thin, numerous wrecks resulted with a few injuries.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS FWD wrote it up.
Lift over a cold layer of air at the surface resulted in a glazing of light freezing rain. Even though the layer of ice was thin, numerous wrecks resulted with a few injuries. Indirect damages are estimated at $150,000.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 5:17 AM CST, 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 517 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2008 .AVIATION... CIGS AROUND 1000FT WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS. EXPECT PERIODS OF IFR AND LIFR THROUGH 18Z. MVFR CIGS WILL PREVAIL UNTIL AROUND 05Z WED. BEYOND THAT TIME...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. SOUTH WINDS AROUND 15KTS WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT TO THE WEST NEAR SUNRISE WEDNESDAY AND TO THE NORTHWEST BY 16Z. ANY PRECIPITATION THAT DEVELOPS ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING WILL BE LIGHT IN NATURE AND NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS MAY OCCUR LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. ONLY LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED AND UNCERTAINTY IS TOO HIGH TO INCLUDE IN TAFS AT THIS TIME. SCHULTZ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 352 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2008/ TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO SLOWLY WARM ACROSS NORTH TEXAS EARLY THIS MORNING AS WARM AIR ADVECTION INCREASES. MOST LOCATIONS HAVE WARMED ABOVE FREEZING AS OF 3 AM. RADAR CURRENTLY SHOWS SOME LIGHT SHOWERS/FREEZING RAIN OVER EAST TEXAS IN THE AREA OF BEST ISENTROPIC LIFT. SOME LIGHT RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS THROUGH THE MORNING...GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. IF PRECIP DOES DEVELOP...TEMPERATURES SHOULD FALL A COUPLE OF DEGREES AS EVAPORATIVE COOLING TAKES PLACE IN THE LOWEST 1000 FT. EVEN IF PRECIP DOES NOT DEVELOP...JUST INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD CAUSE A SLIGHT DROP IN TEMPERATURE DUE TO EVAPORATIVE COOLING. THEREFORE...SOME LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IS STILL POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...ANY FREEZING PRECIP THAT OCCURS SHOULD BE VERY LIGHT AND VERY BRIEF WITH FEW IF ANY TRAVEL IMPACTS. WE WILL DROP THE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FOR ALL AREAS BUT KEEP THE MENTION OF A LIGHT RAIN OR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN THROUGH ABOUT 15Z. RAIN CHANCES WILL DECREASE SLIGHTLY FROM WEST TO EAST THIS AFTERNOON/TONIGHT AS THE UPPER TROUGH LIFTS NORTHEAST. THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL ALLOW A COLD FRONT TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY WITH DRIER AND COOLER AIR EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. MODELS FORECAST A QUICK RETURN OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CHRISTMAS DAY AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEEPENS OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON THURSDAY. SOME RAIN CHANCES WILL LINGER THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS SWINGS THROUGH THE REGION. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL FOLLOW THE UPPER TROUGH AND MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS SATURDAY. DRY AND SEASONABLY COOL AIR WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY. 79 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 51 47 61 39 63 / 20 10 10 5 20 WACO, TX 52 51 66 40 62 / 30 20 30 5 20 PARIS, TX 44 44 57 34 57 / 50 30 20 5 20 DENTON, TX 50 42 60 37 58 / 20 10 10 5 20 MCKINNEY, TX 46 46 61 35 61 / 40 20 10 5 20 DALLAS, TX 50 48 63 39 62 / 30 20 10 5 20 TERRELL, TX 47 47 63 38 61 / 40 30 20 5 20 CORSICANA, TX 49 49 66 39 61 / 40 30 30 5 20 TEMPLE, TX 54 51 71 42 61 / 30 20 30 5 20 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 354 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2008 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-241200- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 354 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR. LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SCHULTZ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Accidents were reported along Loop 820 and Camp Bowie West and at Loop 820 and I-30. Significant icing was reported along overpasses in Mansfield, with a few accidents reported.
Icy bridges were reported on Highway 75. A few accidents were attributed to ice, with one major accident on South Walton Walker Road in Cockrell Hill.
Ice was reported on Highway 67 in Midlothian, Highway 287 from Midlothian to Waxahachie, and the I-35 East overpass between Milford and Red Oak.
I-30 East was closed due to ice.
Ice was reported on Highways 287/81, 380, and 114 throughout the county.
Ice was reported on numerous bridges in the county.
Ice was reported on numerous bridges in the county, as well as Highway 82.
Ice was reported at Highway 190 and Preston Road.
Ice was reported on Highway 82 throughout the county.
At least a dozen accidents occurred due to icy roadways. Four of the accidents caused injuries. Highway 172 nad Highway 24 were especially treacherous.
Five weather-related accidents occurred on icy streets and bridges across the county. There were no injuries.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2008
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: 145850, 145852, 145854, 145855, 145856, 145857, 145858, 145860, 145861, 145576, 145575.