An arctic airmass settled over South Central Texas and then south to southeasterly low level flow developed setting up on overrunning pattern. A series of upper level shortwave troughs moved across the region producing winter precipitation over several days.
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 EWX wrote it up.
An arctic airmass settled over South Central Texas and then south to southeasterly low level flow developed setting up on overrunning pattern. A series of upper level shortwave troughs moved across the region producing winter precipitation over several days. A mix of freezing rain, freezing drizzle, sleet, and rain fell at various times from November 22nd through the 25th. There was some light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces including trees, fences, and railings. On November 26th, precipitation fell as snow with no accumulation.
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 Nov 22, 11:26 AM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 1126 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013 .AVIATION... CIG BASES WILL MOSTLY REMAIN MVFR...WITH OCCASIONAL LOWERINGS TO IFR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CIGS WILL LOWER TO STEADY IFR THIS EVENING...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IFR THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD. TIGHT SFC PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL KEEP NLY WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 KTS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE THIS EVENING...BUT SUSTAINED WINDS WILL REMAIN 15 TO 20 KTS. PERIODS OF -DZ/-RA ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE CURRENT TAF PERIOD (AND BEYOND)...BUT MINIMAL/NO IMPACTS TO VSBYS WILL OCCUR. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 953 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013/ UPDATE... TO CLEAN UP SOME WORDING IN THE FORECAST. DISCUSSION... FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH OUR CWA AND THE REST OF THE DAY WILL BE COLD AND WINDY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE STEADY OR FALL A BIT MORE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTH AT 15 TO 25 MPH AND THIS WILL WIND CHILLS IN THE 20S ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE AREA. THE REST OF THE FORECAST LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 543 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013/ AVIATION... /12Z TAF DISCUSSION/ TAFS TO BE SIMPLIFIED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WHICH IS CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH SSF. SOME MODERATE SHOWERS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE... BUT THE STRONG MIXING OF NORTH WINDS SHOULD DISPERSE MUCH OF THE RAIN TO WHERE MOST OF THE VSBYS WILL REMAIN ABOVE 5SM. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH AROUND 14Z WITH VSBYS AS LOW AS 2SM. CIG LEVELS WILL BE TRICKY...AS MUCH OF THE POST- FRONTAL REPORTS SHOW THE CIGS A FEW HUNDRED FEET EITHER SIDE OF 1000 FT. EXPECT LATE MORNING AND MIDDAY CIGS TO BE MOSTLY MVFR...WITH CIGS PROBABLE TO FALL BACK INTO IFR LEVELS SOMETIME TONIGHT AS LIGHT PRECIPITATION MOISTURE FALLS THROUGH THE INVERSION. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 345 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013/ SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS EARLY THIS MORNING AND WILL BE THROUGH THE REGION BY SUNRISE. BEHIND THE FRONT..INTERMITTENT RAIN AND SHOWERS WILL OCCUR NORTH OF THE FRONT AS GULF MOISTURE OVERRUNS THE DEEPENING COLD POOL. AS TEMPERATURES LOWER DURING THE DAY...READINGS WILL FALL TO BELOW FREEZING OVER THE NORTHERN HILL COUNTRY DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH FREEZING OR BELOW TEMPERATURES SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST TO ENCOMPASS MUCH OF THE HILL COUNTRY BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY. WITH OVERRUNNING LIGHT PRECIPITATION CONTINUING...THE LIGHT RAIN WILL TURN TO LIGHT FREEZING RAIN OVER MUCH OF THE HILL COUNTRY BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD WARM TO ABOVE FREEZING AREA-WIDE BY NOON SATURDAY THUS ENDING THE FREEZING RAIN THREAT. WITH THIS IN MIND...WE WILL BE ISSUING A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON SATURDAY. WE WILL KEEP IT IN ADVISORY CRITERIA AS WARM GROUND COUPLED WITH ONLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION SHOULD ONLY IMPACT BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL ENCOMPASS THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...NORTHEAST VAL VERDE...EDWARDS...REAL...KERR AND BANDERA. OTHERWISE...OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN TODAY AND TONIGHT AS THE COLD ARCTIC RIDGE SLIDES UNDER THE SOUTHEAST GULF MOISTURE. HIGHS FOR THE CALENDAR DAY TODAY HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN REACHED WITH READINGS IN THE UPPER 30S BY DAYBREAK ALONG THE NORTHERN HILL COUNTRY AND SLOWLY FALLING DURING THE DAY WHICH WILL BE THE TREND FOR THE ENTIRE AREA TODAY. RAINS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS A SOUTHWEST STORM SYSTEM MOVES TOWARD THE REGION AND WIDESPREAD OVERRUNNING RAIN AND ELEVATED SHOWERS CONTINUE. LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)... ANOTHER PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN MAY OCCUR OVERNIGHT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING OVER NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE HILL COUNTRY AS READINGS AGAIN LOWER TO FREEZING OR BELOW. BY MONDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL PUSH ACROSS NORTH TEXAS WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS...SOME FREEZING RAIN ALSO POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE HILL COUNTRY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY. THE CHUNK OF COLD AIR WILL REMAINED ANCHORED OVER US ON MONDAY WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM THE MID 30S HILL COUNTRY TO 40S ELSEWHERE. THE STORM SYSTEM WILL PUSH INTO CENTRAL TEXAS TUESDAY WITH RAINS ENDING AS DRIER NORTHWEST FLOW PUSHES INTO THE REGION. MOSTLY SUNNY TO PARTLY CLOUDY AND COOL WEDNESDAY AS A DRY SURFACE RIDGE COUPLED WITH INCREASINGLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT PREVAILS. INCREASING CLOUDINESS WESTERN PORTIONS WEDNESDAY NIGHT BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS GULF AND PACIFIC MOISTURE BEGIN INCREASING. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 43 35 41 40 40 / 80 80 80 60 50 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 43 36 42 40 41 / 80 80 80 60 50 NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 45 35 40 39 40 / 90 80 80 70 60 BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 37 33 39 36 36 / 80 80 80 60 50 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 45 36 39 36 43 / 50 50 40 50 50 GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 39 34 41 38 38 / 80 80 80 60 50 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 50 36 40 38 40 / 80 80 80 70 50 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 44 36 41 40 40 / 80 80 80 70 60 LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 47 37 46 44 45 / 80 70 70 60 60 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 49 36 41 40 40 / 90 80 80 70 60 STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 52 37 41 41 41 / 90 80 80 70 60 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: BANDERA...EDWARDS...GILLESPIE...KERR...REAL...VAL VERDE. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...25 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...05 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...30
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 429 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-231030- 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- 429 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU...BEGINNING NOON TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT. THE THREAT OF WINTER WEATHER IS MAINLY FOR FREEZING RAIN...AS TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL TO AROUND FREEZING THIS AFTERNOON. VERY LIGHT RAINFALL RATES AND WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES SHOULD PREVENT GROUND ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY DEVELOP ON EXPOSED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON SATURDAY. WINTER PRECIPITATION...MAINLY FREEZING RAIN...WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY NIGHT OVER PARTS OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT FREEZING PRECIPITATION AS IT DEVELOPS...AND ANY ACCUMULATION THAT OCCURS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
There was a mix of sleet and freezing rain with light accumulation on exposed surfaces.
There was a mix of sleet and freezing rain with light accumulation on exposed surfaces.
A mix of freezing rain and freezing drizzle produced light accumulation on exposed surfaces.
A mix of freezing rain and freezing drizzle produced light accumulation on exposed surfaces.
A mix of freezing rain and freezing drizzle produced light accumulation on exposed surfaces.
A mix of sleet, freezing rain, and rain produced light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces.
A mix of sleet, freezing rain, and rain produced light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces.
A mix of sleet, freezing rain, and rain produced light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces.
Freezing rain produced light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces including trees, fences, and railings.
Freezing rain produced light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces including trees, fences, and railings.
Freezing rain produced light ice accumulation on exposed surfaces including trees, fences, and railings.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
Light snow fell with no accumulation.
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: 483216, 483217, 483218, 483219, 483220, 483221, 483222, 483223, 483224, 483225, 483226, 483227, 483228, 483229, 483230, 483231, 483232, 483233.