In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces. Some bridges and overpasses had patches of ice in Williamson County including on Highways 183 and 183A, Highway 45, and the flyover ramps connecting these highways.
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 5, 9:32 PM CST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 932 PM CST THU DEC 5 2013 .UPDATE... WE HAVE UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE VAL VERDE COUNTY IN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. && .DISCUSSION... TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO SLOWLY TREND DOWNWARD THIS EVENING AS COLD AIR FILTERS INTO THE REGION. GIVEN THE LATEST TEMPERATURE TRENDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU AND INCREASING RADAR RETURNS OUT WEST...WE HAVE OPTED TO INCLUDE VAL VERDE COUNTY IN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN WILL BE THE NORTHERN HALF OF VAL VERDE COUNTY AS THIS AREA IS MOST LIKELY TO SEE TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW FREEZING. WHILE WE DID LOWER THE OVERNIGHT LOW AT DEL RIO A FEW DEGREES...SUSPECT MOST OF THE FREEZING PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE CITY. OTHERWISE...NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. WE DID OPT TO LOWER OVERNIGHT LOWS ALONG THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 543 PM CST THU DEC 5 2013/ AVIATION... NOT EXPECTING MUCH CHANGE IN FLYING CONDITIONS DURING THIS TAF PERIOD. CIGS ARE MVFR AT ALL TERMINALS EXCEPT DRT. LOOK FOR DRT TO DROP TO MVFR WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. EXPECTING DZ OR RA TO BEGIN LATER THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE ON AND OFF OVERNIGHT. PRECIP SHOULD BE LIGHT AND ONLY REDUCE VIS TO 5SM OR 6SM. AUS MAY SEE SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT FZRA MIXED WITH RA EARLY MORNING FRIDAY. NOT EXPECTING THIS TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OPERATIONS. PRECIP SHOULD END LATE MORNING FRIDAY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 339 PM CST THU DEC 5 2013/ SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)... THE EARLY STAGES OF THESE SOUTH CENTRAL TX WINTER WEATHER EVENTS CAN BE TOUGH TO PIN DOWN WHEN THE EXPECTED OVERRUNNING PRECIPITATION IS DELAYED. RADAR TRENDS UPSTREAM OVER WEST CENTRAL TEXAS DEPICT RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN BEHAVIOR MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE DRIER NAM OR ECMWF QPF FORECAST...AND THIS IS THE MAIN REASON TO HOLD OFF ISSUING A WINTER STORM WARNING. HOWEVER...THE DELAY OF PRECIPITATION ONSET HAS ALLOWED FOR A BROADER AREA OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TO COOL DOWN TO THE MID 30S TO NEAR 40...WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN A WIDER IMPACT IN BOTH TIME AND SPACE FOR FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE TO DEVELOP TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURE TRENDS HAVE LEVELED OFF FOR THE MOST PART...BUT WITH NIGHTFALL AND THE INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR EVAPORATIVE COOLING EFFECTS FROM THE ONSET OF RAIN INTO THE DRY AIR MASS...THUS WILL INCREASE THE SPEED OF COOLING THIS EVENING AND EXPAND THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FORWARD IN TIME TO 8 PM TO ACCOUNT FOR THE COLDER AREAS OF THE NW HILL COUNTRY. BY DAYBREAK...THE FREEZING TEMPERATURE LINE COULD SAG SOUTH TO A ROCKSPRINGS TO BOERNE TO LOCKHART TO GIDDINGS LINE BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY. HIGHER RAINFALL RATES HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN EXPECTED TO OVERWHELM THE SURFACE INVERSION NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF AUSTIN METRO...BUT THE DRIER INITIAL CONDITIONS COULD ENABLE A FEW POCKETS OF 32 DEGREE WEATHER AND EFFICIENT ICING FROM THE HIGHER PRECIPITATION RATES. AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A FREDERICKSBURG TO GIDDINGS LINE WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY TONIGHT FOR A POSSIBLE WINTER STORM WARNING UPGRADE...BUT THE CURRENT THINKING IS THAT AREAS OF MODERATE SLEET SHOWERS WOULD BE NEEDED TO ENHANCE THE ICING POTENTIAL TO CREATE THIS KIND OF IMPACT. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH FAIRLY QUICK FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER DAYBREAK FRIDAY...BUT THE COLD AIR AT DAYBREAK AND COOLER TRENDS IN THE FORECAST HIGHS FOR THE DAY MAY MAKE ICING CONCERNS LAST BEYOND NOON. SUBSIDENCE FRIDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE LOWERING TEMPERATURES TO WELL BELOW FREEZING WITH A MORNING FREEZE EXPECTED ACROSS NEARLY THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... THE COLD CONDITIONS SATURDAY MORNING COULD WIND UP RESULTING IN A HIGHER CONCERN FOR ICING FROM FREEZING DRIZZLE OVER THE WEEKEND. CURRENTLY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE VERY LIGHT. THE AREAS OF CONCERN WOULD LIKELY FALL EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 FROM MIDDAY SATURDAY THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY...WITH THE GFS MODEL AGAIN SHOWING HIGHER POTENTIAL THAN THE NAM/ECMWF. THE DEPARTING SHORTWAVE PASSING TO THE NORTH SUNDAY WILL LEAVE SUBSIDENCE AND INCREASING DEPTH OF THE COLD AND DRY LAYER...WHICH SHOULD BRING AN END TO THE ICING POTENTIAL FOR THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER...COLD DAYS REMAIN MONDAY INTO MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...AND ANOTHER WEAK DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO BRING A CHANCE OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION ON WEDNESDAY. WITH A DEEPER LAYER OF DRY AIR EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE AREA AT THIS TIME...WILL CONTINUE WITH SILENT 10 POPS FOR NOW. WITH THE MODELS CONTINUING TO SHOW AN ACTIVE SUBTROPICAL JET WILL CONTINUE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 33 37 26 33 29 / 80 60 10 20 30 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 32 37 25 34 28 / 80 60 10 30 40 NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 34 39 26 34 30 / 80 50 10 20 30 BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 29 34 22 30 26 / 90 40 10 20 30 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 37 45 32 40 31 / 40 10 0 - 10 GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 30 34 22 32 27 / 80 60 10 20 30 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 37 43 30 37 30 / 70 20 10 10 20 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 32 38 26 34 30 / 80 60 10 20 30 LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 35 38 29 36 32 / 60 80 20 40 40 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 35 40 29 35 30 / 70 40 10 20 30 STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 37 41 29 36 31 / 70 40 20 20 30 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM CST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: BANDERA...BASTROP...BLANCO...BURNET...CALDWELL...COMAL... EDWARDS...GILLESPIE...HAYS...KENDALL...KERR...LEE...LLANO...REAL... TRAVIS...VAL VERDE...WILLIAMSON. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...05 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...24 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 521 PM CST THU DEC 5 2013 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-062330- 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- 521 PM CST THU DEC 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING 8 PM THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE HILL COUNTRY AND AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO. THIS DOES INCLUDE THE AUSTIN METRO AREA. LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY...THEN SPREAD EAST INTO THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR AFTER MIDNIGHT. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF FREEZING RAIN ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...ALONG WITH RURAL ROADS WILL MAKE FOR DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM FOR THE HILL COUNTRY AND AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO. A MIXTURE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...ALONG WITH RURAL ROADS. THIS WILL MAKE FOR DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces. Some bridges and overpasses had patches of ice in Williamson County including on Highways 183 and 183A, Highway 45, and the flyover ramps connecting these highways.
In the wake of a cold front, warm moist air moved over the cold surface air and produced light freezing rain. Ice accumulated on exposed surfaces. Some bridges and overpasses had patches of ice in Williamson County including on Highways 183 and 183A, Highway 45, and the flyover ramps connecting these highways.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2013
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: 483986, 483987, 483988, 483989, 483990, 483991.