An upper level low pressure center moved from the four corners area into the central plains and pushed a frontal system through Texas. This caused thunderstorms in South Central Texas some of which produced large hail and heavy rain.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An upper level low pressure center moved from the four corners area into the central plains and pushed a frontal system through Texas. This caused thunderstorms in South Central Texas some of which produced large hail and heavy rain. The heavy rain led to flash flooding.
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 Feb 3, 8:11 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 811 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 .UPDATE... UPDATED FORECAST TO INCREASE POPS PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT ALONG THE I-35 CORRIDOR BASED ON LATEST RADAR TRENDS. ALSO REMOVED MENTION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS GIVEN A NON-SUPPORTIVE 00Z SOUNDING AT KDRT AND THE SPC MOVING THE DAY1 SLIGHT RISK AREA WELL NORTH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS IN THEIR LATEST UPDATE. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE LIKELY...BUT THE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT IS DIMINISHING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 539 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012/ DISCUSSION... SEE AVIATION FOR THE 00Z TAF DISCUSSION. AVIATION... LATE THIS AFTERNOON SCATTERED CONVECTION WAS OCCURRING FROM KHYI EASTWARD MOVING NORTH. A BAND OF SHOWERS WILL IMPACT KAUS AROUND TAF ISSUANCE TIME. A BROKEN LINE OF CONVECTION WAS ALSO OCCURRING FROM KSOA TO KSEP IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PRE-FRONTAL DRY-LINE/TROF. THE FCST CHALLENGE IS THE TIMING OF THE WIND SHIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED LINE OF CONVECTION. PREFER A BLEND OF THE HI-RES NMM/ARW/LOCAL WRF. THIS WILL PLACE THE FRONT AND LINE OF CONVECTION IN THE VICINITY OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR BY 09Z CLEARING THE KSAT/KSSF LOCATIONS BY 15Z. THUS VFR CONDITIONS WILL LOWER TO MVFR BY 02Z WITH IFR POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE STRONGER TSTMS AS THE LINE OF CONVECTION PUSHES SOUTHEASTWARD OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR AFTER 18Z. SFC WINDS THIS EVENING WILL BE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 KTS...NORTH TO NORTHWEST AT 15 KTS SATURDAY FOLLOWING THE FROPA. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 519 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012/ UPDATE... UPDATED 1ST PERIOD FORECAST TO INCREASE POPS/QPF AFTER MIDNIGHT GIVEN HIGHER 18Z NAM QPF AND 12Z HIRES-ARW QPF. OUR POPS AFTER MIDNIGHT ARE NOW CLOSER TO THE HIGHER 12Z NAM MOS NUMBERS. THE CHANGES TO THE QPF WERE MINOR...BUT SHOW SOME HIGHER TOTALS ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA. OTHERWISE...FORECAST ON TRACK. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 300 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012/ DISCUSSION... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH NOON TOMORROW. A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AIRMASS (PW'S 170 PERCENT OF NORMAL). RAIN RATES WILL BE VERY EFFICIENT AND AS A RESULT WITH ALREADY WET GROUNDS...WILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED AREAS OF RAPID RUNOFF AND FLASH FLOODING. WE PROJECT RAIN AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE LESS THAN ONE INCH FAR WESTERN PORTIONS AND FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH ISOLATED 3 INCH PLUS INCH AMOUNTS LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR. LOWS TONIGHT IN THE 40S HILLS TO 60S SOUTH. BEHIND THE FRONT UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES...HIGHS WILL ONLY REACH INTO THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S HILL COUNTRY...LOW TO MID 60S ELSEWHERE SATURDAY. UPPER LEVEL PACIFIC MOISTURE AND DISTURBANCES WILL BEGIN TO PRODUCE A CLASSIC SPLIT FLOW OVERRUNNING PATTERN TOMORROW NIGHT INTO SUNDAY WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS IN THE ACTIVE SOUTHERN STREAM. IN THE WIDESPREAD OVERRUNNING PATTERN...TEMPERATURES MAY NOT RISE ABOVE THE 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION ON SUNDAY...SUPER. DISTURBANCES IN THE SOUTHERN STREAM ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE TO THE EAST OF THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT AND WITH CONTINUED DRYING IN THE LOWER LEVELS...ADDITIONAL LOW CHANCES OF SOME LIGHT RAIN ARE FORECAST ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR. AFTER A COLD START TO THE DAY MONDAY (30S MOST AREAS... AROUND FREEZING HILL COUNTRY)... HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND INTO THE 50S HILLS AND I-35 CORRIDOR...UPPER 50S TO NEAR 60 ELSEWHERE. A COOL SURFACE RIDGE WILL MAINTAIN ITSELF OVER THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AS A WEAK UPPER TROUGH PUSHES INTO THE SOUTHERN U.S. PLAINS. BY WEDNESDAY...ANOTHER UPPER LOW WILL DIG INTO THE SOUTHWEST U.S. WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AS GULF MOISTURE BEGINS TO OVERRUN THE SHALLOW COOL BOUNDARY UNDERNEATH THE ACTIVE SOUTHERN STREAM. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY...THE UPPER LOW...DIGS FURTHER SOUTH INTO NORTHERN MEXICO...AT LEAST ON THE GFS MODEL. THE EUROPEAN IS SHOWING A MUCH MORE DUG POSITION...OFFSHORE OFF BAJA. EVEN A COMPROMISE OF THE MODELS WOULD BEGIN DRAWING MORE LOW LEVEL GULF MOISTURE OVERRUNNING THE COOL SURFACE BOUNDARY WITH ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR RAIN AND SHOWERS AND REMAINING COOL WITH LOWS GENERALLY IN THE 40S AND HIGHS IN THE 60S. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 52 63 44 47 38 / 80 20 20 50 20 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 53 64 42 47 34 / 80 30 20 50 20 NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 53 63 43 47 35 / 80 30 20 60 20 BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 47 61 41 46 35 / 70 10 10 40 10 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 53 62 44 50 37 / 20 10 30 50 - GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 48 63 40 47 33 / 70 20 10 40 10 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 53 64 42 47 33 / 70 30 30 60 10 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 53 63 43 47 37 / 80 30 20 50 20 LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 57 64 45 48 39 / 80 50 20 40 20 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 54 65 45 47 38 / 80 30 30 60 20 STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 55 65 44 47 38 / 80 30 30 60 20 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: ATASCOSA...BASTROP...BEXAR...CALDWELL...COMAL...DE WITT... FAYETTE...GONZALES...GUADALUPE...HAYS...KARNES...LAVACA...LEE... TRAVIS...WILLIAMSON...WILSON. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...13 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...11 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...32
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 815 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-041200- 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- 815 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35 TONIGHT THROUGH NOON SATURDAY. ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. HOWEVER THE PRIMARY WEATHER THREAT IS HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS OVERNIGHT. THIS THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALING ONE HALF INCH TO 2 INCHES WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES POSSIBLE...ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. URBAN AREAS ALONG INTERSTATE 35 WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK OF FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON ON SATURDAY DUE TO HEAVY RAIN PERSISTING PAST MIDNIGHT. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR DAYS THREE THROUGH SEVEN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BECOME NECESSARY THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 813 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 TXZ173-040245- WILLIAMSON- 813 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY UNTIL 845 PM CST... AT 802 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THRALL...OR 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TAYLOR...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 1010 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 TXZ173-040500- WILLIAMSON- 1010 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY UNTIL 1100 PM CST... AT 1006 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR COUPLAND...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TAYLOR... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... THRALL... NOACK... SANDOVAL... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.
The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:18 UTC.
10 flash flood, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed Vance Jackson and Orsinger Roads in San Antonio.
A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail near Babcock Road and I-410 in San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding. Police had to perform a high water rescue at Pipers Creek Street and Culebra Road in San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding in San Antonio. Police had to perform a high water rescue at Grissom Road and Timberhill Drive.
A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail in Castle Hills.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed Vance Jackson Road and Sugar Hill Drive in San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed several roads in Taylor, Thrall, and Coupland due to high water.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed Old Grissom and Culebra Roads in San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed North Vandiver and Eisenhauer Roads in San Antonio.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed several low water crossings including South Turnersville Road north of FM2001 in Buda.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding and closed Spoke Hollow and Hidden Valley Roads east of Wimberley.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which caused flash flooding. Two houses on 2nd Street in Taylor were flooded and had to be evacuated. In addition, West Texas Road was closed due to the flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2012
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: 356225, 356226, 356229, 356232, 356234, 356240, 356242, 356244, 356245, 356247, 356249, 356251, 356252, 356253, 356254.