An upper level disturbance moved through north Texas with the best lift south of Interstate 20. The precipitation initially began as rain, but as colder temperatures filtered into the region, the rain transitioned to snow.
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 FWD wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moved through north Texas with the best lift south of Interstate 20. The precipitation initially began as rain, but as colder temperatures filtered into the region, the rain transitioned to snow. An average of 2 to 5 inches fell across the southern portions of the NWS Fort Worth County Warning Area. However, several small bands formed across the region where 3 to 6 inches was observed. The heaviest snow band formed over Anderson County where a storm total of 6 inches fell near Palestine. Surface temperatures hovered at or just above freezing and helped with the overall impacts from the winter storm. There were several minor accidents and one major accident which resulted in one fatality due to the slushy driving conditions. There were also minor power outages reported throughout the region.
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 Feb 22, 11:03 PM CST, 4 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1103 PM CST MON FEB 22 2010 .AVIATION... AREA OF SNOW...SLEET AND SOME LIGHT RAIN WAS OCCURRING JUST SOUTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR FROM WAXAHACHIE WESTWARD. WE DOUBT THIS PRECIPITATION AREA WILL AFFECT THE METROPLEX TAF SITES BEFORE 08Z...BUT IT WILL PASS OVER KACT 06Z AND AFTERWARD. A LARGER AREA OF SNOW OVER WEST TEXAS WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT KDFW TRACON 08-09Z AND BEYOND. WE STILL EXPECT SNOW ACROSS BOTH TRACONS TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH MIDDAY WITH KACT HAVING MORE SNOW FOR A LONG TIME. THE SNOW SHOULD BEGIN TO END ACROSS KDFW TRACON BY MIDDAY OR EARLY AFTERNOON AND ENDING AT KACT SHORTLY BEFORE SUNSET. THERE ARE SOME BROKEN MVFR CIGS PRESENTLY OVER KDFW TRACON WHICH WILL FILL IN AS THE SNOW ARRIVES LATER TONIGHT. WE WILL KEEP KDFW TRACON MVFR ALL NIGHT AND TUESDAY. MVFR CIGS AT KACT WILL EVENTUALLY GOES IFR WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR LIFR DURING ANY SNOW BANDING TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH MIDDAY. 75 && .UPDATE... INITIAL BANDS OF SNOW HAVE MOVED INTO THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS...A LITTLE SOONER THAN THE EARLIER MODELS HAD INDICATED AND AHEAD OF WHAT THE 00Z NAM INDICATES. HAVE ADJUSTED THE POPS ACROSS THE WESTERN 2/3S TO TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE THE SNOW QPF AND THE ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS REMAIN THE SAME. UPDATES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT. 58 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 400 PM CST MON FEB 22 2010/ HAVE UPGRADED SOUTHERN HALF OF WINTER STORM WATCH TO A WINTER STORM WARNING. TOTALS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF THE WARNING AREA...WITH 4- TO 6-INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE NEAR SOUTHERN EDGE OF CWA. THE REMAINDER OF PREVIOUS WATCH WILL NOW BE IN A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...ALONG WITH TWO NEW ROWS OF COUNTIES TO THE NORTH (INCLUDING DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX). THAT PORTION OF THE ADVISORY AREA GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR SHOULD WILL LIKELY SEE SNOW AMOUNTS UNDER 2 INCHES. WSW PRODUCT WILL ELABORATE FURTHER ON SPECIFIC SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS. STILL SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT IN PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF LARGE- SCALE FEATURES AMONG CURRENT OPERATIONAL MODEL RUNS. RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY AND MINIMAL SPREAD AMONG ENSEMBLE MEMBERS IMPLY REDUCED CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SYNOPTIC SCALE FIELDS WITH FUTURE RUNS. NONETHELESS...EVEN SLIGHT VARIATIONS COULD GREATLY ALTER POTENTIAL IMPACTS. THE INTERMEDIATE 18Z NAM HAS SHIFTED THE PATH OF HEAVIEST SNOWFALL FURTHER SOUTH...WHILE THE (OUTLIER) 12Z GFS PERFECT PROG PRECIP GENERATION IS ANOMALOUSLY FAR NORTH FOR ITS MASS FIELDS. WITH THE LIKELIHOOD OF A TIGHT SNOWFALL GRADIENT...RESIDENTS AND TRAVELERS SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF ANY CHANGES TO THE FORECAST. TYPICALLY WITH WINTER EVENTS IN NORTH TEXAS...DETERMINING PRECIP TYPE IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE. HOWEVER...THE WARM NOSE NEAR 800MB (EVIDENT ON 12Z FWD RAOB) WILL LIFT AND COOL AS 800MB FRONT SURGES INTO SOUTHERN ZONES AND FRONTAL SLOPE STEEPENS. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE WILL BEGIN IN WESTERN ZONES LATER THIS EVENING...AND SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF OF CWA ON TUESDAY. A DEEP FETCH OF MOISTURE WILL RACE UP THE SLOPE...SPEEDS AS HIGH AS 50KTS NEAR 700MB FEEDING THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE ABOVE IT. THE RESULT WOULD BE PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW...COMMENCING IN SW ZONES BEFORE DAYBREAK... IN SC ZONES MID TO LATE MORNING...AND IN SE ZONES BY MIDDAY. ANY RAIN THAT FALLS INITIALLY SHOULD QUICKLY TRANSITION TO SNOW. PARTIAL CLEARING NEAR SOUTHERN EDGE OF CWA IS HAVING MINIMAL EFFECT ON AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...BUT MAY ALLOW FOR EFFECTIVE COOLING THIS EVENING. CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE IN SOUTHERN ZONES LATE TONIGHT AS UPGLIDE ENSUES. SURFACE TEMPS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA AT THE ONSET OF SNOW WILL BE NEAR OR JUST ABOVE FREEZING. ALTHOUGH GROUND TEMPS WILL BE WELL ABOVE FREEZING (BUOYED BY TEMPS IN THE 70S SUNDAY AFTERNOON)...SNOWFALL RATES WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW. TEMPS WILL LIKELY FALL TO NEAR FREEZING AND REMAIN NEAR FREEZING THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE EVENT. WITH SOME MELTING OF SNOW LYING ON THE GROUND...MAXIMUM DEPTH MAY BE LESS THAN TOTAL SNOWFALL. FOR AREAS ALONG THE I-20 CORRIDOR...INCLUDING DALLAS/FORT WORTH... THE MAIN EVENT WILL BE FROM THE EARLY MORNING HOURS THROUGH MID MORNING...BEFORE 700MB FRONT PLUNGES SOUTH OF I-20...EFFECTIVELY ENDING SIGNIFICANT SNOWS IN NORTHERN HALF OF THE ADVISORY AREA. WITH TRAILING 500MB TROUGH AXIS LIFTING SOME ICE CRYSTALS THEREAFTER...FLURRIES WILL BE POSSIBLE...BUT ACCUMULATING SNOWS WITHIN MUCH OF THE ADVISORY AREA SHOULD COME TO AN END BY LATE MORNING. EVACUATING LOW/MID CLOUDS MAY ALLOW TEMPS TO CLIMB TO AROUND 40F TUESDAY AFTERNOON...EFFECTIVELY MELTING MUCH OF THE SNOW ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR. 25 && .CLIMATE... LAST OCCURRENCE OF 4 INCHES OF SNOW AT WACO 6.0 JAN 13, 1982 ONLY 2-INCH STORM TOTALS AT WACO SINCE THAT EVENT 2.2 JAN 31-FEB 1, 1985 (>24HRS) 2.4 NOV 25, 1993 (THANKSGIVING) 2.3 FEB 14, 2004 (VALENTINES DAY) 3.5 APR 7-8, 2007 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 32 40 29 48 29 / 50 50 10 0 5 WACO, TX 34 35 28 44 29 / 50 80 20 0 5 PARIS, TX 33 41 26 47 26 / 10 20 5 0 5 DENTON, TX 31 41 26 48 28 / 40 50 5 0 5 MCKINNEY, TX 33 41 28 48 27 / 30 40 5 0 5 DALLAS, TX 34 40 30 48 30 / 40 50 10 0 5 TERRELL, TX 33 39 29 48 29 / 30 50 10 0 5 CORSICANA, TX 35 37 29 44 29 / 30 70 20 0 5 TEMPLE, TX 35 35 29 44 29 / 50 90 20 0 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 9 PM CST TUESDAY FOR TXZ100>104-115>122-129>135-144>146. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 AM TO 9 PM CST TUESDAY FOR TXZ141>143-147-148-156>162-174-175. && 75/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 935 PM CST MON FEB 22 2010 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-231230- 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- 935 PM CST MON FEB 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING 3 AM FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A COMANCHE TO WACO TO PALESTINE LINE. SNOW TOTALS OF FOUR TO SIX INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING 3 AM FOR AREAS NORTH OF THE WARNING...AND ALONG AND SOUTH OF A GRAHAM TO ALLEN TO CANTON LINE. SNOW TOTALS OF A TRACE TO THREE INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE ADVISORY AREA. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN NEAR MIDNIGHT IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE WARNING AND ADVISORY AREAS...SPREADING EAST DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A WINTER STORM WARNING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 9 PM TUESDAY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM COMANCHE TO WACO TO PALESTINE. SNOW FALL TOTALS OF FOUR TO SIX INCHES ARE EXPECTED. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 9 PM TUESDAY NORTH OF THE WARNING AREA AND ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM GRAHAM TO ALLEN TO CANTON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A local newspaper reported that most of the county received at least four to five inches of snow. No major impacts were reported.
A local newspaper reported that up to 5 inches of snow fell across Coryell County. Numerous roads were slushy, but ice was not a problem.
The emergency manager reported 3 to 5 inches of snow fell across the county. There were no major impacts.
An average of 3 to 5 inches of snow fell across Bell County. The local COOP observer in the city of Troy recorded 4 inches of snow. There were more than 20 vehicle accidents in the county due to the hazardous driving conditions. About 2,000 customers in the city of Belton lost power for a brief period of time. Almost all flights at the Killeen-Ft. Hood Regional airport were canceled, and several streets and bridges in the county were briefly closed before sand trucks were able to treat the roadways.
Four to six inches of snow fell across Anderson County. A NASA meteorologist recorded the highest amount of 6 inches at the Palestine upper air balloon facility. Several roads across the county were temporarily impassible as the snow was falling, but crews from TXDOT were able to treat the roadways and the roads were re-opened. The weather conditions played a significant role in numerous traffic accidents across the county, including a fatality on U.S. Highway 79.
The local COOP observer in the town of Thornton received 4 inches of snowfall. A local newspaper reported that up to 5 inches of snow fell across the county with 4.5 inches of snow in Groesbeck. There was one minor accident due to the hazardous driving conditions.
The COOP observer in the city of Davilla reported 5 inches of snowfall. A local newspaper reported 4 to 6 inches of snow fell across the county. No major impacts were reported.
An average of 3 to 5 inches of snow fell across the county. The COOP observer in the city of Bremond recorded 4.2 inches of snowfall and the observer in Franklin recorded 4 inches.
An average of 4 to 5 inches of snow fell across the county. The local COOP observer in the city of Rosebud reported 5 inches of snowfall. No significant impacts were reported.
An average of 4 inches fell across the county. No significant problems were reported.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow, Anderson | 2010-02-23 | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2010
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: 215541, 214927, 214929, 214915, 214919, 215542, 215544, 215545, 215546, 216138.