A winter storm blanketed West Central Texas with snow and heavy snow on January 3-4, 2013, during the overnight hours. A potent upper level low pressure system combined with subfreezing temperatures at the surface and aloft resulted in a large swath of snow between the Interstate 10 and the Interstate 20 corridors, producing accumulations up to 6 inches, with the largest amounts across the…
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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.
A winter storm blanketed West Central Texas with snow and heavy snow on January 3-4, 2013, during the overnight hours. A potent upper level low pressure system combined with subfreezing temperatures at the surface and aloft resulted in a large swath of snow between the Interstate 10 and the Interstate 20 corridors, producing accumulations up to 6 inches, with the largest amounts across the Concho Valley. San Angelo and surrounding counties are situated within the Concho Valley. The rest of the area received one to three inches of snow. The precipitation came to an end during the early morning hours on January 4.
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 2, 11:45 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 1145 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013 .DISCUSSION... SEE 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE TERMINALS THROUGH THE DAY ON THURSDAY. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS TONIGHT WILL BECOME LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY EVENING. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE SOUTHWEST ON THURSDAY WITH AN INCREASE IN MAINLY MID LEVEL CLOUDS DURING THE DAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING LIGHT SNOW AND MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS TO THE TERMINALS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THURSDAY. WILL MENTION -SN AND MVFR VISIBILITIES FOR KSJT AND KSOA AFTER 03Z FRI BUT KEEP CIGS VFR THROUGH 06Z. EXPECT DETERIORATING FLYING CONDITIONS ALL TERMINALS AFTER 06Z FRI AS CIGS LOWER AND LIGHT SNOW OVERSPREADS THE AREA. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 845 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013/ UPDATE... NO CHANGES PLANNING TO BE MADE AT THIS TIME WITH THE SNOW FORECAST FOR TOMORROW NIGHT...BUT WILL REISSUE THE ADVISORY AND STATEMENT. LATEST NAM DATA STARTING TO COME IN AND SHOWING POSSIBLY A SLIGHT DELAY TO THE ONSET OF SNOW AND MAYBE A SLIGHT SHIFT FURTHER NORTH AS WEL...BUT NOT ENOUGH DATA TO INDICATE ANY MAJOR CHANGES NEEDED TO ONGOING SNOW AMOUNTS AND ADVISORY LOCATIONS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 552 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013/ DISCUSSION... SEE 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE TERMINALS THROUGH THURSDAY WITH LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. HIGH AND MID LEVEL CLOUDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE TERMINALS ON THURSDAY...WITH DETERIORATING FLYING CONDITIONS THURSDAY EVENING INTO FRIDAY MORNING AS SNOW AND/OR A MIX OF SNOW AND RAIN DEVELOPS ACROSS THE TERMINALS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 335 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013/ SHORT TERM... POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT WINTRY MIX TO BEGIN DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS TOMORROW... CURRENTLY...WE ARE UNDER WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WITH A POTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING EAST ACROSS THE BAJA PENINSULA AND INTO NORTHERN MEXICO. AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD INTO THE AREA...BUT THE SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT IS FAIRLY WEAK... RESULTING IN LIGHT SURFACE WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHEAST. TONIGHT...WITH UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS SLOWLY CLEARING TO THE EAST...DRY AIR AND LIGHT WINDS AT THE SURFACE...AND COOL TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON TO START...WE ARE EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO DROP BELOW FREEZING AREAWIDE TONIGHT WITH MOST PLACE EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE LOW TO MID 20S. TOMORROW...AS THE NORTHERN MEXICO LOW/SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST/SOUTHWEST...CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THROUGOUT THE DAY FROM WEST TO EAST. THIS FACT COMBINED WITH THE COLD START SHOULD RESULT IN ANOTHER COOL DAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...AND ESPECIALLY WESTERN AREAS. AS THE LOW APPROACHES...PREICIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT COULD START AS EARLY AS TOMORROW AFTERNOON FOR AREAS GENERALLY WEST OF A SWEETWATER TO SONORA LINE...THIS WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO COOLER HIGHS FOR THESE WESTERN AREAS. IF LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW IS STRONG ENOUGH...WE MAY SEE A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION TOMORROW AFTERNOON...POSSIBLY CHANGING TO MOSTLY SNOW FOR PARTS OF CROCKETT AND IRION COUNTIES BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE ACTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE JUST BEYOND THIS FORECAST PERIOD AND INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. 20 LONG TERM... WINTER WEATHER AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL ARE THE MAIN HIGHLIGHTS IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW/TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER BAJA CALIFORNIA WILL BEGIN TO SHEAR OUT AND MOVE ACROSS THE BIG BEND REGION TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS TOMORROW EVENING. AS THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES...LIFT WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRECIPITATION...FIRST ACROSS THE NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU...THEN SPREADING NORTH AND WEST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. COLD AIR WILL ALREADY BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA...WITH TEMPERATURES SLOWLY FALLING THROUGH THE EVENING. IN ADDITION...AS COOLER UPPER LEVEL TEMPERATURES APPROACH AND PRECIPITATION BEGINS TO FALL...WET BULBING SHOULD ASSIST IN FURTHER LOWERING TEMPERATURES. ALL THIS IN MIND...I BELIEVE THAT EARLY IN THE EVENING PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU AND MUCH OF THE CONCHO VALLEY...WITH A RAIN/SNOW MIX EAST OF A JUNCTION...TO BALLINGER LINE. AFTER 06Z...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD TRANSITION TO SNOW...EXCEPT POSSIBLY ACROSS THE EXTREME EASTERN HEARTLAND...WHERE A RAIN/SNOW MIX IS MORE LIKELY. SNOWFALL WILL SLOWLY COME TO AND END BY MID MORNING...WITH TEMPERATURES SLOWLY CREEPING ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. I LOWERED TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE BOARD...WITH THE COLDEST READINGS ACROSS AREAS WHERE THE MOST SNOW ACCUMULATION IS FORECAST. SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY...AS THE MAIN TROUGH AXIS APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. I DO NOT EXPECT MUCH ACCUMULATION...ALTHOUGH SOME FLURRIES WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS...MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU AND CONCHO VALLEY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE FORECAST GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A STERLING CITY...TO SAN ANGELO...TO SONORA LINE...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOWFALL ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY AND EASTERN CONCHO VALLEY. ELSEWHERE...LESS THAN ONE INCH IS EXPECTED...WITH LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION ACROSS THE NORTHERN BIG COUNTRY. WE WENT AHEAD AND ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF BALLINGER...TO MENARD...TO SONORA LINE...FROM 3PM TOMORROW AFTERNOON UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY. A COLD MORNING IS FORECAST SATURDAY...AS SKIES BEGIN TO CLEAR. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS AREAS THAT STILL HAVE SNOW COVER...GENERALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU AND CONCHO VALLEY. TEMPERATURES HERE WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 20S...WITH UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S ELSEWHERE. A SLOW WARM UP WILL ENSUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH TEMPERATURES BACK NEAR 60 BY MONDAY. THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE REGION LATE TUESDAY...INTO WEDNESDAY...POSSIBLY BRINGING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MODEL DIFFERENCES STILL EXIST ON THE EXACT TRACK AND STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM...SO FOR NOW I HAVE LEFT POPS AS IS...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. DANIELS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ABILENE 46 23 45 24 44 / 0 0 10 20 20 SAN ANGELO 49 22 42 25 40 / 0 5 30 50 20 JUNCTION 51 22 48 33 44 / 5 5 20 40 20 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: COKE...CONCHO...CROCKETT...IRION... MENARD...RUNNELS...SCHLEICHER...STERLING...SUTTON...TOM GREEN. && 99/99/24
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 323 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-032130- 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- 323 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS MUCH OF THE CONCHO VALLEY AND NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN IS WEST OF A LINE FROM STERLING CITY TO SAN ANGELO TO SONORA. WEST OF THAT LINE...SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. ELSEWHERE ANYWHERE FROM A DUSTING TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. THIS WINTRY WEATHER WILL LIKELY CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ON AREA ROADWAYS...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...AND MAINLY THURSDAY NIGHT WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO DROP BELOW FREEZING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 852 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013 TXZ049-054-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-154-155-169-170-031100- FISHER-NOLAN-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD-TAYLOR- CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-MCCULLOCH-SAN SABA-KIMBLE-MASON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROTAN...ROBY...SWEETWATER...HASKELL... THROCKMORTON...WOODSON...STAMFORD...ANSON...HAMLIN...ALBANY... ABILENE...CLYDE...BAIRD...CROSS PLAINS...COLEMAN...BROWNWOOD... BRADY...SAN SABA...JUNCTION...MASON 852 PM CST WED JAN 2 2013 ...SNOW OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING... * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND 1 INCH OR LESS...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS...ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF THE HEARTLAND...NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY AND BIG COUNTRY. * ANY SNOW THAT DOES FALL WILL LIKELY CAUSE ICY SPOTS ON AREA ROADWAYS ...ESPECIALLY BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. THURSDAY EVENING TO FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY TIME FRAME. IMPACTS... IF THE SNOW DEVELOPS AS EXPECTED...TRAVEL CONDITIONS WOULD BECOME HAZARDOUS ACROSS PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. ICY SPOTS WOULD BE POSSIBLE ON AREA ROADWAYS...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...AS THE SNOW BEGINS TO ACCUMULATE. EVEN IN THOSE AREAS WHERE ONLY LIGHT SNOW OR SNOW FLURRIES FALL...WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING...ICY CONDITIONS WOULD STILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH THE SNOW MOST LIKELY OVERNIGHT THURSDAY...PEOPLE HEADING TO WORK FRIDAY MORNING MAY SEE THE BIGGEST DIFFICULTIES. ONE NOTE OF CAUTION...THIS REMAINS A FORECAST WITH A GREAT DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY. IF THE TRACK OF THE STORM SYSTEM SHIFTS A LITTLE FARTHER WEST OR SLOWS ITS FORWARD SPEED...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BECOME LESS LIKELY AND THE THREAT OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS DECREASES. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECASTS AS WE FINE TUNE THE THREAT OF WINTER WEATHER AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON WEST CENTRAL TEXAS RESIDENTS. WHY... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO AND INTO WEST TEXAS ON FRIDAY. AS IT APPROACHES...PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE TRANS PECOS AREA OF WEST TEXAS ON THURSDAY MORNING AND SPREAD NORTHEAST INTO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. ALTHOUGH THE PRECIPITATION MAY START AS LIGHT RAIN...IT IS EXPECTED TO SWITCH OVER TO ALL SNOW ACROSS THE AREA ALONG AND WEST OF A STERLING CITY TO SAN ANGELO TO SONORA LINE THURSDAY NIGHT. LIGHTER SNOW OR SNOW FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE AS FAR NORTH AS SWEETWATER AND ABILENE...AND AS FAR EAST AS BROWNWOOD...BRADY...AND JUNCTION. AFTER SUNRISE FRIDAY MORNING...TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO CLIMB...AND ANY SNOW FALLING WILL LIKELY CHANGE BACK TO RAIN BY NOON.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 winter weather, 4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
An employee with the U.S. Post Office estimated an inch of snow in Mason.
An employee with the U.S. Post Office estimated an inch of snow in San Saba.
A public cocorahs weather observer measured 2.5 inches of snow about 6 miles north northeast of Silver Valley. The Coleman County Highway Department estimated 3.5 inches of snow in Coleman and a cooperative observer measured 1.5 inches of snow in Santa Anna.
Members of the public estimated 1.5 inches of snow 8 miles north of Brady and an inch of snow in Voca.
A Post Office employee located in Blackwell estimated 3.0 inches of snow while a local enforcment official in Sweetwater estimated 1.0 inch of snow. A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer measured 1.3 inches of snow in Nolan.
Members of the public in Bangs estimated 3 inches of snow and measured 2.8 inches of snow in May. A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer in Brownwood estimated 2 inches of snow.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer estimated 2 inches of snow 8 miles west southwest of Buffalo Gap and the public estimated 2.5 inches at Coronados Camp located 9 miles southwest of View. Dyess AFB personnel estimated an inch of snow while a National Weather Service Cooperative Observer in Abilene measured an inch of snow.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer measured an inch of snow in Ballinger.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer estimated 3 inches of snow 12 miles south of Baird.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer measured 4.9 inches of snow 12 miles north northwest of Mertzon. A local law enforcement official estimated 4.5 inches of snow in Mertzon and a trained spotter measured 3.0 inches in Barnhart. Another Cooperative Observer measured 4.0 inches of snow in Mertzon.
A trained precipitation observer reported 3.7 inches of snow in Sterling City.
National Weather Service employees reported 5 inches of snow 5 miles west of San Angelo; 4.5 inches 4 miles west of San Angelo and 4.0 inches of snow 3 miles south southwest of San Angelo. A report of 5.1 inches was received from Carlsbad. Several other reports of around 3 to 4 inches were reported across Tom Green County with 2.8 inches officially measured at the National Weather Service Office. The heavy snow caused power outages to 550 customers. Snowfall amounts were lowest across the south half of Tom Green County where 1 to 2 inches fell.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observers measured 6 inches of snow about 4 miles north of Water Valley and 3.0 inches of snow in Robert Lee. A trained precipitation observer measured 5.1 inches 6 miles north northeast of Bronte.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer estimated 3 inches of snow in Paint Rock and a public weather observer estimated an inch of snow in Doole.
A law enforcement official estimated 1.5 inches of snow in Eldorado.
One cooperative observer measured an inch of snow in Sonora and a public observer estimated an inch of snow 20 miles east of Sonora along Interstate 10.
A cocorahs observer measured 2.5 inches of snow 18 miles south of Ozona. A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer measured 2.0 inches about 2 miles south southwest of Ozona. A public weather observer measued 2.5 inches of snow 22 miles south southwest of Ozona.
One cooperative observer measured an inch of snow in Fort McKavett and a law enforcement official estimated three inches of snow in Menard.
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, January 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: 431609, 431610, 431358, 431607, 431319, 431361, 431367, 431611, 431605, 431307, 431315, 431262, 431308, 431356, 431612, 431337, 431317, 431338.