Ice Storm, Lynn
- When
- November 22, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lynn forecast zone
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 33.177, -101.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Following a period of balmy late Fall temperatures, a significant arctic front plunged through the South Plains during the afternoon of November 21st. In the wake of this front, an extended period of moist overrunning flow developed across West Texas in advance of a slow moving upper low in the Desert Southwest.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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 LUB wrote it up.
Following a period of balmy late Fall temperatures, a significant arctic front plunged through the South Plains during the afternoon of November 21st. In the wake of this front, an extended period of moist overrunning flow developed across West Texas in advance of a slow moving upper low in the Desert Southwest.
As early as the pre-dawn hours on November 22nd, a swath of freezing rain developed in the Permian Basin and lifted north-northeast across the southeast South Plains and into the northern Rolling Plains. The worst of this freezing rain struck portions of Crosby and Lynn Counties by late morning where up to 1/4 inch of ice was reported. Portions of Motley County also reported near 1/4 inch of icy precipitation. Farther northwest, some locales in Castro County saw light snow accumulate to nearly 1 inch. In Lubbock alone, nearly 200 motor vehicle accidents occurred between 3 AM CST and 1 PM CST after a thin glaze of ice plagued area roads.
Following a lull in precipitation from the evening of the 22nd through early on the 23rd, a large area of lift and deep moisture entered West Texas late in the afternoon on the 23rd - well in advance of the upper low. The result was two rounds of mixed wintry precipitation, including periods of heavy freezing rain, sleet and heavy snow. The first round was localized, but produced heavy snow mainly across northern Swisher County. The second round struck early in the evening and lasted through the early morning of the 24th. This latter round affected all of the South Plains, southern Texas Panhandle and the Rolling Plains with significant precipitation. Marginal instability above a shallow dome of arctic air produced multiple bands of heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet. A large swath of heavy snow between 6 and 10.5 inches blanketed all of the northwest South Plains and much of the far southern Texas Panhandle. In the Rolling Plains, freezing rain and sleet was prevalent with ice accumulations generally around 1/10th to 1/4 of an inch. In the city of Lubbock, freezing rain for much of the evening eventually changed over to all snow, but not before forcing the closure of two major overpasses on the west side of the city and causing hundreds of vehicle accidents. Fortunately, no serious injuries or fatalties occurred.
Wintry precipitation began diminishing in coverage and intensity by early morning on the 24th, but nearly all roads remained slick and hazardous due to high temperatures below freezing. On the Caprock, road cleaning efforts were seriously hampered during this multi-day storm as many locations remained below freezing for 80 continuous hours or more. Temperatures finally thawed out by the afternoon of the 25th as the decaying upper low passed over the region. Some very light mixed wintry precipitation accompanied this low late on the 25th, but did not result in any adverse impacts.
Selected snow totals from the 23rd-24th:|10.5 inches at Happy...|9 inches at Muleshoe...|8 inches at Friona and Dimmitt...|7 inches at Memphis and Tulia...|6 inches at Silverton and Hart...|5 inches at Morton and Lakeview (Hall County)...|4 inches at Littlefield and Childress...|3 inches at Plainview...|2.2 inches at Lubbock Int'l Airport...|2 inches at Plains.
Selected snow/sleet and ice totals (estimated) from the 23rd-24th:|3 inches snow/sleet and 0.1 inches ice at Flomot...|2.5 inches snow/sleet and 0.3 inches ice at Crosbyton...|2 inches snow/sleet and 0.3 inches ice at Brownfield...|1.5 inches snow/sleet and 0.3 inches ice at Levelland...|1 inch sleet and 0.2 inches ice at Jayton...|0.25 inches sleet and 0.3 inches ice at Tahoka...|0.3 inches ice at Post.
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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 22, 4:19 AM CST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 419 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013 .SHORT TERM... PLENTY TO CONSIDER THIS MORNING WITH SHARPLY COLDER AIR AND THE PROSPECTS FOR LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY GIVEN THE PROSPECTS FOR LIGHT ICE AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS...WITH A WINTER STORM WATCH MAINTAINED THEREAFTER THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY. THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT BLASTED THROUGH THE SOUTH PLAINS THURSDAY AFTERNOON WAS STILL PLOWING SOUTH...APPROACHING SOUTH TEXAS AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING. STRONG COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT ON GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS HAS DROPPED TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 20S ACROSS ALL BUT THE FAR SOUTHERN CWA WHERE READINGS WERE NEAR 30 DEGREES. ADDITIONALLY...ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE OVER THE COLD DOME INITIALLY RESULTED IN A BLANKET OF LOW CLOUDS...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS FORMING IN THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. 00Z AMA SOUNDING AND MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A PRONOUNCE WARM NOSE ABOVE THE COLD SFC RIDGING...WITH THE MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATING THIS WARM NOSE /WELL ABOVE FREEZING BETWEEN 650 AND 800 MB/ WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE AT LEAST EARLY SATURDAY. THUS...THIS WILL MAKE FOR A MESSY P-TYPE FORECAST. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD A REPORT OF SLEET IN PARMER COUNTY...WITH MIDLAND EXPERIENCING FREEZING RAIN. EXPECT OVERALL PRECIPITATION TO BE LIGHT THIS MORNING AS NORTHERLY WINDS ARE CONTINUING TO ADVECT RATHER DRY LOW-LEVEL AIR SOUTHWARD...WITH DEWPOINTS ONLY IN THE TEENS OVER MUCH OF THE FA. THAT SAID...HEAVIER SHOWERS ALOFT...AIDED BY A LITTLE WEAK INSTABILITY ABOVE THE INVERSION...ARE MAKING IT TO THE GROUND IN SPOTS. GIVEN THE PRONOUNCED WARM NOSE ALOFT AND THE FACT THAT SFC TEMPERATURES WILL WARM LITTLE TODAY AND WILL REMAIN BELOW FREEZING...EXPECT PERIODS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND DRIZZLE TO BE THE PRIMARY MODE...WITH SOME SLEET ALSO POSSIBLE GIVEN THE FAIRLY DEEP AND COLD LOWER LEVELS. UPGLIDE IS PROGGED TO WEAKEN THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...THOUGH TIME-HEIGHT X-SECTIONS DO STILL INDICATE GOOD SATURATION BELOW 700 MB WITH WEAK ASCENT...SO AT LEAST LIGHT PRECIPITATION /PERHAPS IN THE FORM OF FREEZING DRIZZLE/ WILL BE POSSIBLE. ENOUGH COOLING MAY WORK IN ALOFT ACROSS THE NORTHWEST ZONES LATE TONIGHT THAT A LITTLE SNOW COULD EVEN MIX IN...THOUGH ANY ACCUMULATIONS BEFORE 12Z WOULD LIKELY BE LIGHT IF THEY OCCUR AT ALL. TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE VERY LITTLE TODAY...HOLDING IN THE 20S THIS AFTERNOON...MAYBE NEAR 30 DEGREES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST ZONES. ANOTHER CHILLY NIGHT WILL FOLLOW TONIGHT WITH LOWS RANGING FROM THE UPPER TEENS NORTHWEST TO MID-20S EAST. WIND CHILLS WILL RESIDE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS THROUGH MUCH OF THE SHORT TERM...THOUGH NORTHERLY WINDS WILL WEAKEN MODESTLY THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. && .LONG TERM... WE MAY SEE A BIT OF A LULL IN OVERALL PRECIP COVERAGE AND INTENSITY DURING THE DAY SATURDAY AS THE CFWA WILL BE UNDER SHORTWAVE RIDGING DOWNSTREAM OF THE CLOSED LOW SLOWLY MOVING ACROSS THE DESERT SW. IN FACT...THE LATEST NAM SOLUTIONS DEPICT SUFFICIENTLY DRY AIR WORKING INTO OUR NE ZONES SUCH THAT WE COULD SEE SOME PARTIAL CLEARING WITH TEMPS RISING ABOVE FRZG IN THAT AREA. THIS IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME...BUT SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON. OTHERWISE...FORECAST X-SECTIONS AND SOUNDING SUGGEST THAT WE WILL SEE OCCASIONAL LIGHT FRZG DRIZZLE ACROSS THE AREA WITH SOME FRZG RAIN OR SLEET SHOWERS. ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE PRETTY LIGHT DURING THE DAY AND WITH TEMPS RISING TO NEAR FREEZING MOST AREAS WE THINK ICING SHOULD NOT BE A BIG PROBLEM OVERALL. HOWEVER...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR LOCAL ICING PROBLEMS WITH ANY AREAS THAT RECEIVE HEAVIER OR MORE NUMEROUS FZRA OR SLEET SHOWERS. WE EXPECT THE FRZG PRECIP TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY SAT EVENING AS LARGE SCALE ASCENT AND ISENTROPIC LIFT BOTH INCREASE. DEEP-LAYER SATURATION WILL ALSO INCREASE WHICH WILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SNOW...CONCENTRATED ACROSS THE SW TX PANHANDLE AND NW SPLNS....WHILE HEAVIER ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE ACROSS THE REST OF THE SPLNS AND ROLLING PLAINS WILL BECOME A CONCERN. THERE IS STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST OF FROZEN PRECIP AMOUNTS...SOME MODELS SUGGEST THAT ICE MAY PEAK SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS THE ROLLING PLAINS WITH UP TO A HALF INCH IN THAT AREA...DECREASING FARTHER NORTH AND WEST. WHILE AS FOR SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS...THOSE SHOULD BE GREATEST IN OUR NW ZONES WHERE WE COULD SEE UP TO TWO OR THREE INCHES. A CONCERN WE HAVE REGARDING ACCUMULATIONS IS THAT RECENT MODEL GUIDANCE APPEARS TO BE UNDERPLAYING THE STRENGTH OF THE WARM LAYER ON SUNDAY WHILE WE UNDERGO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF MODERATE TO STRONG WAA AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING LOW. THIS LOWERS OUR CONFIDENCE IN MODEL FROZEN QPF FORECASTS AND IS WHY WE CURRENTLY LEAN TOWARD THE LOWER SIDE OF MODEL PROGS. ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT TO THE EAST OF THE FA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND WE EXPECT THIS WILL RESULT IN PRECIP SLACKENING FROM WEST TO EAST. THE UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO TAKE A JOG TO THE NORTH SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...ALTHOUGH MODELS ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT ON JUST HOW FAR NORTH...THEN THE LOW WILL TURN BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST MONDAY EVENING INTO TUESDAY. THIS TRACK WOULD NOT BE VERY FAVORABLE OVERALL FOR WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT PRECIP ACROSS THE AREA SUN NIGHT THRU MONDAY. HOWEVER...AS THE LOW DIGS TO THE SE THE COLD CORE AND DEFORMATION ZONE MAY PASS OVER PORTIONS OF THE FA...PARTICULARLY NORTH AND NORTHEAST...WHICH MAY YET ENHANCE PRECIP CHANCES FOR A FINAL ROUND LATE MONDAY TO EARLY TUESDAY. WE WILL CONTINUE THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SPECIFICS ARE STILL UNCLEAR ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS MOST AREAS WILL HAVE A STRONG CHANCE AT SIGNIFICANT ICE...SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATION...LIKELY CONCENTRATED IN THE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING TIME FRAME. AS ALLUDED TO ABOVE WE EXPECT MOST AREAS WILL REMAIN NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING SAT AND SUN...WHILE TEMPS SHOULD SLOWLY MODERATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. TEMPS WILL REMAIN COOL UNTIL A UPPER RIDGE MOVES IN WED AND THU SENDING HIGHS BACK INTO THE 50S. IT APPEARS THAT WED AND THANKSGIVING WILL BOTH BE GOOD TRAVEL DAYS...WITH SOME HINTS OF ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST BY NEXT WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 22 19 29 19 28 / 60 50 50 70 60 TULIA 23 20 31 22 29 / 60 50 30 60 60 PLAINVIEW 24 22 31 22 29 / 60 50 40 60 60 LEVELLAND 25 21 29 20 31 / 60 50 50 70 60 LUBBOCK 26 24 30 23 31 / 60 50 40 70 60 DENVER CITY 26 22 28 20 32 / 60 50 60 70 60 BROWNFIELD 26 22 29 21 31 / 60 50 50 70 60 CHILDRESS 27 26 35 26 30 / 60 50 20 60 60 SPUR 29 25 31 25 31 / 60 50 30 60 60 ASPERMONT 29 26 31 27 31 / 60 50 40 60 60 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>044. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>044. && 23/33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 911 PM CST THU NOV 21 2013 TXZ021>044-230315- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 911 PM CST THU NOV 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WINTER WEATHER FREEZING DRIZZLE IS STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED SLICK SPOTS AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE TEENS AND 20S TONIGHT...GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL CREATE WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS THE SINGLE DIGITS AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OCCASIONAL FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ARE EXPECTED ON FRIDAY OVER ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS...ROLLING PLAINS AND THE FAR SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY AND MIX WITH SLEET AND SOME SNOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND AHEAD OF A SLOW-MOVING STORM SYSTEM. WINTRY PRECIPITATION FROM THIS STORM MAY LINGER THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. SINCE VERY COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE WILL REMAIN LARGELY UNCHANGED THROUGH THE WEEKEND...THIS WEATHER PATTERN INDICATES A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD ICY ACCUMULATIONS WHICH COULD CREATE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS THROUGH THE WEEKEND...CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND ROAD CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO POSTPONE OR CANCEL TRAVEL ALTOGETHER.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 winter storm, 3 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
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, November 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: 478819, 478818, 479392, 478834, 478835, 478840, 479015, 479016, 479013, 479014, 478832, 478831, 479012, 479050, 479052, 479062, 479063, 478836, 479053, 478837, 479064, 479011, 479065.