Freezing drizzle developed as warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico was flowed over the shallow Arctic Airmass that had invaded West Central Texas. The freezing drizzle impacted an area along and north of a line from Sterling City to Coleman and Cross Plains.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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.
Freezing drizzle developed as warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico was flowed over the shallow Arctic Airmass that had invaded West Central Texas. The freezing drizzle impacted an area along and north of a line from Sterling City to Coleman and Cross Plains. The Interstate 20 highway became ice covered and resulted in a fatality. The freezing drizzle was the cause of other vehicle related accidents.
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 Dec 7, 5:34 AM CST, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 534 AM CST MON DEC 7 2009 .UPDATE... DUE TO EXTENSIVE STRATUS DEVELOPMENT...DIURNAL TEMPERATURE CHANGE WILL BE MORE LIMITED...AND TOOK ANOTHER 3 TO 5 DEGREES OFF MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TODAY. && .DISCUSSION... COLD FRONT WAS ALONG THE I-10 CORRIDOR MOVING SOUTH. EXTENSIVE STRATUS DEVELOPMENT WILL LIMIT TEMPERATURE CHANGE TODAY. RUC MODEL SEEMS HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON CLOUDS AND TEMPERATURES TODAY. && .AVIATION... STRATUS WITH IFR CIGS AND CEILINGS HAS DEVELOPED BEHIND A SHALLOW COLD AIR MASS. CIGS SHOULD INCREASE INTO THE MVFR RANGE...AND VISIBILITIES ABOVE 7 SM THIS AFTERNOON. AS SHALLOW AIR ERODES THIS EVENING HOWEVER...AND A WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH ACROSS THE REGION...CIGS AND VISIBILITIES FALL BACK INTO IFR. AREAS OF LIFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE LATER OVERNIGHT WITH STRATUS FOG AND DRIZZLE. 04 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 336 AM CST MON DEC 7 2009/ SHORT TERM... COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM SAN ANGELO TO BROWNWOOD AT 3 AM...HAVING NO PROBLEMS CONTINUING ITS MOVEMENT SOUTH. TEMPERATURES WERE COLDER THAN THE GFS MOS ABOUT 5 DEGREES...AND MUCH CLOSER TO THE MET GUIDANCE. THUS I WILL BE GOING CLOSE TO THE MET GUIDANCE TODAY. NAM AND GFS SOUNDINGS DO INDICATED TEMPORARY STRATUS BREAKUP IN THE AFTERNOON ALONG/WEST OF A SAN ANGELO...SONORA LINE. THIS COULD MAKE A TRICKY FORECAST WITH AFTERNOON HEATING...WITH SOME AREAS SEEING A FEW EXTRA DEGREES OF WARMING. SURFACE LOW BEGINS TO DEVELOP IN THE PANHANDLE LATER TONIGHT...WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT ERODING THE SHALLOW COLD AIR. HAVE COLDEST TEMPERATURES AROUND MIDNIGHT...WITH STEADY OR GRADUALLY RISING TEMPERATURES AS WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH. WENT COLDER THAN GFS GUIDANCE BY ABOUT 5 DEGREES BUT 2-3 DEGREES WARMER THAN NAM. KEPT MENTION OF DRIZZLE AND FOG TONIGHT AS WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH. 04 LONG TERM... THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES WILL BE TEMPERATURES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS TUESDAY AFTERNOON OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TX. I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO ADD FROM MY DISCUSSION YESTERDAY REGARDING THE SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN ACROSS THE CONUS. DEEP CYCLONIC FLOW WILL DOMINATE THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...WITH THE MAIN BELT OF WESTERLIES AND STORM TRACK TO OUR NORTH. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT OVERALL THROUGH MUCH OF THIS WEEK...AND THEN BEGIN TO DIVERGE SOME LATE IN THE WEEK. NOW TO THE MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE TO THE FORECAST THIS MORNING. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON WEATHER-WISE ON TUESDAY. A STRONG PIECE OF ENERGY...CURRENTLY DIVING SOUTH ALONG THE WEST COAST IN A VERY AMPLIFIED POLAR JET STREAM...WILL ROUND THE BASE OF THE WESTERN LONGWAVE TROUGH AND EJECT EAST INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. THIS WILL BRING ABOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE LOW LEVELS. TO START THE MORNING...A SHALLOW COLD AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE OVER W CENTRAL TX WITH FOG AND DRIZZLE LIKELY AS WARM/MOIST ADVECTION ENSUES OVER THE TOP OF THE COLD AIR. THE COLD AIR WILL BE RAPIDLY DRAWN NORTH LATER IN THE DAY HOWEVER AS THE STRONG SURFACE RESPONSE FROM THE EJECTING WAVE MOVES EAST FROM THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO THE OK/TX PANHANDLES. BY AFTERNOON...NAM MODEL BUFKIT SOUNDINGS INDICATE A DEEPLY MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER TO AROUND 700MB ACROSS MAINLY THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE SAN ANGELO FCST AREA. AT THE BASE OF THE EJECTING WAVE WINDS WILL BE QUITE IMPRESSIVE...250MB 145KTS...500MB 80-90KTS...700MB 60KTS...AND THESE WINDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE TX PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS...PERMIAN BASIN...AND EVEN WEST CENTRAL TX DURING THE AFTERNOON AT PEAK HEATING. AS A RESULT...THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY STRONG WIND GUSTS ON THE ORDER OF 50KTS OR GREATER IS THERE FOR AREAS MAINLY TO THE WEST OF SAN ANGELO AND ABILENE. HOWEVER...THESE CITIES WILL ALSO SEE STRONG WINDS AS WELL WHICH WILL MOST LIKELY BE IN THE HIGH END ADVISORY CATEGORY. TO THE SOUTH AND EAST FROM THERE...MIXING HEIGHTS WILL NOT BE NEAR AS DEEP AND THEREFORE THE WIND POTENTIAL WILL BE MUCH LESS. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE IN THE GRIDS FOR WIND/WIND GUSTS I WILL HOIST A HIGH WIND WATCH FOR STERLING...COKE...NOLAN...AND FISHER COUNTIES. THIS DOES INCLUDE THE CITY OF SWEETWATER. THE HIGH WIND WATCH WILL RUN FROM NOON TILL 6 PM TUESDAY. AFTER STARTING OUT COOL TUESDAY MORNING IN THE SHALLOW COLD AIR...HIGHS WILL REBOUND RAPIDLY AS THE COLD AIR IS SCOURED OUT BACK TO AROUND 70 DEGREES BY AFTERNOON. A FRONT BACK DOORS INTO THE REGION WEDNESDAY AS THE TUESDAY WAVE RIPPLES ON BY TO OUR NORTH. IN GENERAL I FOLLOWED THE NAM 2M TEMPS MORE CLOSELY WHICH DOES UNDERCUT GUIDANCE BY SEVERAL DEGREES. AS EXPECTED YESTERDAY THE COLD AIR WILL HANG ON A BIT LONGER INTO THURSDAY WITH ONLY SLOW MODIFICATION AND SOME INCREASING LOW LVL CLOUDINESS DUE TO WARM ADVECTION. ONCE AGAIN I UNDERCUT GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS ON THURSDAY. AS STATED YESTERDAY...THE SOUTHERN STREAM WILL START TO BE A BIGGER PLAYER IN THE FORECAST TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK AS THE FLOW FINALLY UNDERCUTS THE BLOCKING RIDGE OVER ALASKA AND THE EASTERN PACIFIC. A SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE IS STILL FORECAST BY THE GFS/ECMWF TO MOVE INTO THE PLAINS ON FRIDAY. THIS SHOULD SCOUR THE COLD AIR OUT AND ALLOW HIGHS TO REBOUND SOME. WARM ADVECTION AND LIFT FROM THE SYSTEM MAY ALSO GENERATE SOME RAIN/SHOWERS OVER CENTRAL TX AND THUS I HAVE INSERTED A SLGT CHC POP FOR FRIDAY OVER THE EASTERN COUNTIES. BEYOND FRIDAY...THE FORECAST UNCERTAINTY INCREASES SOMEWHAT AS THE GFS AND ECMWF DIVERGE WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER LEVEL FEATURES. THE ECMWF IS WARM WHILE THE GFS IS COLD TO START THE WEEKEND OFF...HOWEVER THEY ARE BOTH WARMER BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. NEVERTHELESS...I WILL NOT MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. LACY && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ABILENE 36 35 69 32 44 / 10 10 10 0 0 SAN ANGELO 41 38 71 34 51 / 10 10 10 0 0 JUNCTION 48 40 70 42 57 / 10 20 10 0 0 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WATCH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: COKE...FISHER...NOLAN...STERLING. && 99/99/04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 613 AM CST MON DEC 7 2009 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-081215- 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- 613 AM CST MON DEC 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIND CHILLS WILL BE IN THE TEENS AND 20S THIS MORNING...AS NORTH WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH COMBINE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S AND 30S. DRESS WARMLY WITH SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLOTHING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY STRONG SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS...WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH...ARE LIKELY IN THE BIG COUNTRY AND CONCHO VALLEY TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE CENTER DEVELOPS IN THE PANHANDLE. A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR AREAS FROM STERLING CITY AND ROBERT LEE... NORTHWARD TO SWEETWATER... AND ROBY AND ROTAN. THE WINDS WILL ELEVATE FIRE DANGER AND MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT. BE ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR SUDDEN CROSSWINDS...ESPECIALLY ON NORTH TO SOUTH ROADWAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
ASOS in Abilene reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Law Enforcement Official reported freezing drizzle.
A Department of Public Safety Official reported icy roads as the cause of a multivehicle accident that killed one person and injured three others. The accident occurred in Nolan County after noon on Monday, along U.S. Interstate 20.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Nolan | 2009-12-07 | 58 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2009
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: 207962, 207965, 207967, 207968, 207969, 207970, 207971, 207972, 207973, 207958.