After an afternoon of record high temperatures near 80 degrees, an arctic front blasted through the area dropping temperatures down into the 30s by evening. An upper level disturbance moving through caused a few isolated thunderstorms that produced hail, sleet, and freezing rain.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 EWX wrote it up.
After an afternoon of record high temperatures near 80 degrees, an arctic front blasted through the area dropping temperatures down into the 30s by evening. An upper level disturbance moving through caused a few isolated thunderstorms that produced hail, sleet, and freezing rain.
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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 9, 5:55 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 555 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008 .AVIATION... TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT HAS DEVELOPED IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. NLY WINDS OF 15 TO 30 KTS WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 KTS CAN BE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN ON WED AND WINDS WILL DECREASE TO 15 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS POSSIBLE. AN AREA OF MAINLY -RA WITH EMBEDDED SHRA WILL PRECEDE AN UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT INTO WED MORNING. SOME -SHSN AND -PL IS POSSIBLE OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND ESCARPMENT AREAS LATER TONIGHT INTO WED MORNING. WILL NOT INCLUDE AT TAF SITES DUE UNCERTAINTY. VFR CIGS WILL PREVAIL OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AREAS WITH MVFR AND POSSIBLY IFR IN THE HILL COUNTRY. CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION WILL RAPIDLY END FROM W TO E LATE WED MORNING AS THE TROUGH MOVES E OF THE AREA. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 416 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008/ DISCUSSION... STRONG POLAR STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING OUR FIRST CHANCE TO SEE FROZEN PRECIPITATION OF SEASON LATE TONIGHT. THE PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM HAS BROUGHT AN EARLY FRONTAL PASSAGE AND COOLING AFTERNOON TEMPS, SUGGESTING A RAPID TEMPERATURE DECREASE CLOSER TO SUNSET. 330 PM FRONTAL POSITION WAS NEAR AN EAGLE PASS TO PEARSALL TO GONZALES LINE. AN AREA OF RAIN APPEARS TO HAVE A SNOWY APPEARANCE ALOFT OVER WEST CENTRAL TX WITH RAIN ONLY BEING REPORTED AT THE SURFACE. HOWEVER A MIX IS APPARENTLY BEING OBSERVED FARTHER NORTH OVER MIDLAND. WITH THE AGGRESSIVE COOLING NOT BEING WELL TRACKED BY THE GFS, THE DRIER AND COLDER NAM WAS FOLLOWED, ESPECIALLY FOR TEMPS. HOWEVER, THE PRECIP TRACKING OF THE NAM LOOKS UNDERDONE, SO A SPLIT WAS TAKEN ON POPS BETWEEN MET AND GFS. THIS MEANS THE AIR SHOULD BE COLD ENOUGH FOR RAIN TO MIX WITH AND IN SOME AREAS CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BEFORE ENDING WEDNESDAY MORNING OVER NORTHERN AREAS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND A QUICK LOOK AT BUFKIT SHOWED A QUICK TRANSITION FROM RAIN TO SNOW FOR NORTHERN AREAS HOWEVER, A SPLIT BETWEEN NAM AND GFS SOUNDINGS WOULD SUGGEST A WARMER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE PROFILE SUPPORTING MELTING, THEN FREEZING, TO SUGGEST SLEET IN THE MIX FARTHER SOUTH OVER THE HIGHWAY 90 CORRIDOR. THUS THERE COULD BE A MIX OF RAIN, SLEET, AND SNOW IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA. KEEP IN MIND THE AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY LIGHT SO AT THIS TIME NO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS EXPECTED. AN SPS WILL BE ISSUED (AND HWO UPDATED) SHORTLY TO ADDRESS ANY MINOR WINTER WEATHER THREATS. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH FREEZING OVER PARTS OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND AUSTIN METRO AREA, BUT THE VERY COLD AND DRY AIR LAYER SHOULD SUPPORT SNOW IN FAVOR OF FREEZING RAIN IN THE DAWN HOURS. THE CHANCE OF FROZEN PRECIP SHOULD END BY 10 AM. STRONG NORTH WINDS HAVE RACED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO WARRANT THE WIND ADVISORY INCREASE TO ALL AREAS TONIGHT. THE PROGRESSIVE TREND OF THE UPPER LOW SHOULD SUPPORT STRONG AFTERNOON WINDS WEDNESDAY, SO THE NPW MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED OR REISSUED FOR EASTERN COUNTIES. WITH SUCH STRONG POLAR TRANSPORT, THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON SHOULD BE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH MOST AREAS EXPECTED TO SEE A HARD FREEZE. ANOTHER, LIGHTER FREEZE SHOULD OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE TEMPS RETURN TO SEASONAL NORMALS FRIDAY. FOR THE WEEKEND, THE UPPER PATTERN FLATTENS OUT SOME AHEAD OF ANOTHER WEST COAST STORM SYSTEM WHICH MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL US BY WEDNESDAY. SLIGHT POPS WERE OFFERED, BUT SURFACE FEATURES ARE NOTED FOR THE 7-DAY FORECAST. FIRE WEATHER... THE AGGRESSIVE COOLING AND STRONG WINDS SUPPORT A CONTINUED THREAT FOR NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE THREAT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO THE FRONT BEING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. HOWEVER, A FEW SOUTHERN AREAS COULD SEE THE STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH RH VALUES DROPPING INTO THE 20S OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. THE WARMEST COUPLE HOURS OF WEDNESDAY COULD PROVIDE A MORE WIDESPREAD CRITICAL THREAT. LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED FOR THURSDAY, DUE TO THE EASTWARD ACCELERATION OF THE UPPER LOW. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 35 54 32 64 35 / 20 20 0 0 0 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 36 55 24 62 28 / 30 30 0 0 0 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 37 59 32 69 38 / 30 - 0 0 0 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 36 56 29 67 34 / 30 20 0 0 0 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: ATASCOSA...BANDERA...BASTROP...BEXAR...BLANCO...BURNET...CALDWELL... COMAL...DE WITT...DIMMIT...EDWARDS...FAYETTE...FRIO...GILLESPIE... GONZALES...GUADALUPE...HAYS...KARNES...KENDALL...KERR...KINNEY... LAVACA...LEE...LLANO...MAVERICK...MEDINA...REAL...TRAVIS...UVALDE... VAL VERDE...WILLIAMSON...WILSON...ZAVALA. && 25/04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 527 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-101200- LLANO-BURNET-WILLIAMSON-VAL VERDE-EDWARDS-REAL-KERR-BANDERA- GILLESPIE-KENDALL-BLANCO-HAYS-TRAVIS-BASTROP-LEE-KINNEY-UVALDE- MEDINA-BEXAR-COMAL-GUADALUPE-CALDWELL-FAYETTE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA- FRIO-ATASCOSA-WILSON-KARNES-GONZALES-DE WITT-LAVACA-DIMMIT- 527 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY. NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. SNOW AND SLEET MAY MIX WITH RAIN BY MIDNIGHT OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND TO ALONG THE ESCARPMENT OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HOWEVER...NO SNOW OR SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THE MAIN THREAT OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A LANGTRY TO UVALDE TO SAN ANTONIO TO LEXINGTON LINE. .DAY TWO...WEDNESDAY... SNOW AND SLEET MAY MIX WITH RAIN THROUGH MID MORNING WEDNESDAY FOR NORTHEASTERN AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. HOWEVER...NO SNOW OR SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THE MAIN THREAT OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL BE ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF A FLORENCE TO SAN ANTONIO TO GIDDINGS LINE. .DAY THREE...THURSDAY... A HARD FREEZE IS EXPECTED ACROSS ALL OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THURSDAY MORNING. .DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 406 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-100015- LLANO-BURNET-WILLIAMSON-VAL VERDE-EDWARDS-REAL-KERR-BANDERA- GILLESPIE-KENDALL-BLANCO-HAYS-TRAVIS-BASTROP-LEE-KINNEY-UVALDE- MEDINA-BEXAR-COMAL-GUADALUPE-CALDWELL-FAYETTE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA- FRIO-ATASCOSA-WILSON-KARNES-GONZALES-DE WITT-LAVACA-DIMMIT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LLANO...BURNET...GEORGETOWN...DEL RIO... ROCKSPRINGS...LEAKEY...KERRVILLE...BANDERA...FREDERICKSBURG... BOERNE...BLANCO...SAN MARCOS...AUSTIN...BASTROP...GIDDINGS... BRACKETTVILLE...UVALDE...HONDO...SAN ANTONIO...NEW BRAUNFELS... SEGUIN...LOCKHART...LA GRANGE...EAGLE PASS...CRYSTAL CITY... PEARSALL...PLEASANTON...FLORESVILLE...KARNES CITY...GONZALES... CUERO...HALLETTSVILLE...CARRIZO SPRINGS 406 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008 A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVED THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS HAVE BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY AS THE FRONT PASSED THROUGH. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW LATER TONIGHT IN PORTIONS OF OUR FORECAST AREA. STRONG...GUSTY WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL MAKE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF FIRES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. ANY PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON AS RAIN AND SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA. LATER THIS EVENING COLD AIR WILL DROP SOUTHWARD. WE MAY SEE SOME SNOW BEGIN TO MIX WITH THE RAIN STARTING AROUND MIDNIGHT OVER THE HILL COUNTRY. THE RAIN SNOW MIX WILL DROP AS FAR SOUTHWARD AS US 90 IN UVALDE COUNTY TO EAST OF I35 FROM BEXAR TO WILLIAMSON COUNTIES. THIS WILL NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION EVENT AND NO ACCUMULATION OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY SNOW WILL BE NORTH OF A LINE FROM KERRVILLE TO SAN MARCOS TO GIDDINGS. NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH COULD GUST TO NEAR 40 MPH ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...MAINLY TUESDAY EVENING. DRY CONDITIONS WILL AGAIN MAKE FOR NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM GUSTY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH WEDNESDAY EVENING WITH MUCH COLDER AIR EXPECTED LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A HARD FREEZE IS POSSIBLE OVER MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS BY THURSDAY MORNING. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LOOSE OBJECTS FROM THE STRONG WINDS. PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS OF THE HILL COUNTRY SHOULD STAY INFORMED FOR CHANGING CONDITIONS TONIGHT. WHEN OUTDOORS...TAKE EXTRA CARE TO PREVENT GRASS FIRES FROM BEING STARTED. DO NOT TOSS LIT CIGARETTE BUTTS OUTSIDE. REPORT WILD FIRES TO THE NEAREST FIRE DEPARTMENT OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE QUICKLY.
The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:03 UTC.
4 winter weather, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Light icing occurred on some overpasses and roads. There were a few accidents reported.
Light icing occurred on some overpasses and roads. There were a few accidents reported.
Light icing occurred on some overpasses and roads. There were a few accidents reported.
Light icing occurred on some overpasses and roads. There were a few accidents reported.
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: 143580, 143581, 143582, 143583, 143578.