An Arctic Front and a weak upper level disturbance combined to produce areas of light freezing rain across the Big Country during the morning hours of the 22nd. The freezing rain caused ice to form on area roads and bridges and resulted in several accidents along the I20 corridor.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 SJT wrote it up.
An Arctic Front and a weak upper level disturbance combined to produce areas of light freezing rain across the Big Country during the morning hours of the 22nd. The freezing rain caused ice to form on area roads and bridges and resulted in several accidents along the I20 corridor.
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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 21, 11:39 PM CST, 4 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 1139 PM CST MON JAN 21 2008 .AVIATION... KBBD AND KSOA REPORTED IFR CIGS AND VIS DUE TO FOG. DPS OZONA REPORTED DENSE FOG ALONG I10 NEAR OZONA AT 05Z. THE DENSE FOG SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND PERSIST THRU THE NIGHT ACROSS ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT KABI. A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THRU AT LEAST 15Z FOR ALL TAF SITES FOR VISIBILITY LESS THAN A 1/4 MILE. A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT COUPLED WITH LIGHT WINDS AND DEWPOINTS IN THE 40S HAVE CREATED IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR IFR CIGS AND VIS IN FOG ACROSS KSJT...KSOA...AND KJCT. EXPECT SOME IMPROVEMENT BY LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS ALL TAF SITES AS THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT PASSES THRU THE AREA ALLOWING IFR CIGS TO IMPROVE TO MVFR OR VFR AND VISIBILITIES TO IMPROVE TO VFR. THE FRONT SHOULD REACH KABI AT 12Z...KSJT AND KBBD BETWEEN 12 AND 13Z...AND THEN KSOA...AND KJCT AT AROUND 17Z. IFR CIGS WILL CONTINUE FOR ALL TAF SITES THRU 16Z...THEN GRADUALLY IMPROVE TO VFR BY 18Z. THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT SHOULD REACH KABI BY 12Z...KSJT BY 15Z...AND KJCT BY 16Z. 26 && .SHORT TERM... .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 921 PM CST MON JAN 21 2008/ SHORT TERM... JUST ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR A LARGE PART OF WC TX THRU TONIGHT. WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 40S AND LIGHT WINDS...IT SHOULDNT BE DIFFICULT FOR FOG TO FORM. BRADY WAS REPORTING DENSE FOG WHILE BROWNWOOD HAD 3/4 MILE IN FOG. NO OTHER CHANGES MADE. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 340 PM CST MON JAN 21 2008/ DISCUSSION... THE STRONG COLD FRONT TO THE NORTH EXTENDS FROM ABOUT WICHITA KS TO JUST SOUTH OF DALHART TX AT MID-AFTERNOON. THE TRAILING PORTION OF THE FRONT HAS STALLED ACROSS THE TX PANHANDLE. A WEAK LOW PRESSURE WAVE EXPECTED TO BE ALONG THE FRONT IN THE PANHANDLE THIS EVENING. EXPECT THE FRONT TO SURGE SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES DROPS SOUTHEAST INTO THE PLAINS. THE PRIMARY FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR OUR AREA IS WITH TEMPERATURES FROM TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY...AND WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCE AND TYPE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. WE ARE UNDERCUTTING GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS TUESDAY MORNING...AND SHOULD BE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR BY MIDDAY. BELIEVE THE MODELS ARE NOT COLD ENOUGH WITH AIRMASS THAT WILL FOLLOW PASSAGE OF THIS FRONT. HAVE UNDERCUT GUIDANCE HIGHS TUESDAY. MODEL MOISTURE PROGS INDICATE PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES...SO SOME SUNSHINE SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO RECOVER A FEW DEGREES AFTER THE EARLY MORNING FRONTAL PASSAGE ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY. ACROSS OUR CENTRAL COUNTIES EXPECT HIGHS TO BE REACHED AROUND MID- MORNING WITH TEMPERATURES STEADY OF SLOWLY FALLING THEREAFTER. HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES SHOULD BE REACHED JUST BEFORE THE FRONT ARRIVES...AND THEN TEMPERATURES SHOULD FALL BACK INTO THE 40S. THE COLDER AIRMASS TO REMAIN IN OUR AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE NEXT REINFORCING SURGE ARRIVES WEDNESDAY EVENING AND NIGHT. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AN UPPER TROUGH WILL DEEPEN ACROSS THE WEST COAST OF THE US. WITH THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OUT AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH...A FETCH OF SUBTROPICAL PACIFIC MOISTURE WILL STREAM NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO AND INTO TEXAS. A FEW EMBEDDED WEAK WAVES IN THIS FLOW...ALONG WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT...WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR LIGHT PRECIPITATION. CLOUDS SHOULD INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT... BEFORE OVERSPREADING THE REST OF OUR REGION ON THURSDAY. MODEL SOUNDING AND DEWPOINT PROGS HAVE DRY AIR IN THE LOWEST LEVELS. TEMPERATURES COULD BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW FREEZING ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES BY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING WHEN THE CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION BEGINS. MODEL SOUNDING PROFILES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR WET-BULB COOLING EFFECTS INDICATE THAT SOME LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING ACROSS ROUGHLY THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF OUR AREA. SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE ABOVE FREEZING ON THURSDAY...BUT A SUBFREEZING LAYER AT/BELOW 850 MB AND DRY AIR IN THE LOWEST LEVELS MAY SUPPORT SOME SLEET MIXING IN WITH THE RAIN. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THIS TO OCCUR WILL BE IN OUR FAR WESTERN COUNTIES. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTIES IN THE SPECIFICS WITH THIS SCENARIO...WE ARE BEING CONSERVATIVE WITH THE POPS AT THIS TIME. A STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION PATTERN...AIDED BY LOW LEVEL JET DEVELOPMENT THURSDAY NIGHT...SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN STEADY OR PERHAPS RISE A FEW DEGREES OVERNIGHT. THIS SHOULD ALSO KEEP ANY PRECIPITATION THURSDAY NIGHT IN LIQUID FORM FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS TO CONTINUE FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT AS WEAK EMBEDDED WAVES IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT MOVE OVERHEAD. THE EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND AND FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK LOOKS DRY AT THIS TIME FOR OUR REGION. DRIER AIRMASSES ARE PROGGED TO AFFECT OUR AREA...WITH LESS CLOUD COVER AND A WARMING TREND IN TEMPERATURES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ABILENE 37 40 26 42 / 10 10 10 10 SAN ANGELO 38 45 30 46 / 10 10 10 10 JUNCTION 42 57 35 45 / 10 10 10 30 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST TUESDAY FOR BROWN-CALLAHAN- COKE-COLEMAN-CONCHO-CROCKETT-IRION-KIMBLE-MASON-MCCULLOCH-MENARD- NOLAN-RUNNELS-SAN SABA-SCHLEICHER-STERLING-SUTTON-TAYLOR-TOM GREEN. && 26
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 232 PM CST MON JAN 21 2008 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-222045- FISHER-NOLAN-STERLING-COKE-RUNNELS-IRION-TOM GREEN-CONCHO- CROCKETT-SCHLEICHER-SUTTON-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD- TAYLOR-CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-MCCULLOCH-SAN SABA-MENARD-KIMBLE- MASON- 232 PM CST MON JAN 21 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. BREEZY SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY WEST OF A SONORA TO SAN ANGELO TO SWEETWATER LINE. THE WINDS WILL MAKE AREA LAKES CHOPPY. THE WINDS WILL DECREASE BY SUNSET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS TUESDAY MORNING. MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO RIDE OVER THE COLD AIRMASS AND WILL BRING DAMP AND COLD CONDITIONS TO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A COUPLE OF WEAK DISTURBANCES ARE FORECASTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION BRINGING A CHANCE FOR LIGHT RAIN. WITH THE COLD AIR MASS IN PLACE SOME LIGHT FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET MAY BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE CRITICAL TO WHETHER OR NOT FREEZING PRECIPITATION OCCURS. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The Sweetwater Police Department reported that 3 accidents occurred because of the freezing rain on area roadways.
A member of the Anson Fire Department reported several accidents in and around Anson as a result of the light freezing rain.
The Abilene Police Department reported a total of 30 accidents had occurred as a result of the light freezing rain.
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, January 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: 75995, 75997, 75993.