Ice Storm in Texas, January 29, 2014

Name: Ice Storm in Texas, January 29, 2014
Start: 2014-01-29T04:00
End: 2014-01-29T08:00
Location: Texas

January 29, 2014 · NWS BRO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.

A combination of cold high pressure near the earth’s surface combined with an upper level disturbance that moved across northern Mexico late on the 28th through the early morning of the 29th brought rain that froze on contact with exposed surfaces, resulting in an icy glaze across much of the Rio Grande Valley during the early morning hours. The glaze covered exposed surfaces such as trees and grasses, power lines/poles, fences, vehicles, roofs, and more. The rain also created some icing on elevated highways and bridges. By the time the precipitation ended, generally around 7 AM across the mid Valley and a little after 8 AM on the coast, between 1/8 inch and 1/2 inch of ice accreted. The rain mixed with ice pellets (sleet) at times, particularly between 4 and 6 AM. Across the Valley, generally minor inconveniences were noted, mainly from power outages. News reports indicated 12,000 customers were without electricity during the peak of the storm early on the 29th, in Port Isabel, Bayview, Harlingen, San Benito, and other communities. Most hearty plants quickly sprung back after being weighted down by the ice. There was likely some damage to tender tropical vegetation (such as banana plants, bougainvillea, etc.) but many of these plants should recover.

What forecasters said that day

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 29, 3:41 AM CST, 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 3:41 AM CST, 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
341 AM CST WED JAN 29 2014

.SHORT TERM...NOW THROUGH THURSDAY

RIGHT NOW...A BROAD AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION
CONTINUES ACROSS MUCH OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THIS MORNING. WATER
VAPOR SHOWS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS JUST NOW STARTING TO
APPROACH THE REGION AND RADAR SUPPORTS PRECIP CLEARING ACROSS
ZAPATA AND JIM HOGG COUNTIES. TEMPERATURES ARE WARMER IN THIS AREA
AND AT HEBBRONVILLE/FALFURRIAS WHERE PRECIPITATION HAS NOT BEEN AS
HEAVY AND HAS NOT PRODUCED EVAPORATIVE COOLING THROUGH THE DRY
LOWEST 75MB OR SO OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY HOWEVER TEMPERATURES ARE HOVERING BETWEEN
31 AND 33 AT 2 METERS...WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES LOWER.
WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF ICE ACCUMULATION TO ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF AN
INCH HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. FROM RADAR ESTIMATES...CUTTING A LITTLE FOR
BRIGHT BANDING SOME AREAS OF UP TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE
HAS PROBABLY ACCUMULATED IN CENTRAL HIDALGO COUNTY BASED ON REPORTS
OF MOSTLY FREEZING RAIN MIXED WITH A LITTLE SLEET. 06Z BROWNSVILLE
SPECIAL SOUNDING SUPPORTS THIS AND THAT LIKELY HAS NOT CHANGED
SIGNIFICANTLY NOR WILL IT BEFORE DAYBREAK.

NEXT FEW HOURS...PLENTIFUL LARGE SCALE LIFT WILL BE IN PLACE INVOF
THE UPPER LOW AND WEAK 800MB FRONTOGENETIC FORCING...EXPECTING
MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIP OVER CENTRAL HIDALGO COUNTY THROUGH 5 TO
6 AM AND PROBABLY LINGERING LONGER IN CAMERON COUNTY. WITH
TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO 32 EXPECT THE LITTLE BIT OF HELP WE WILL GET
FROM SUN THROUGH A THICK CLOUD DECK WILL WARM TEMPERATURES ABOVE
FREEZING BY 8 AM AND WILL CONTINUE TO LET THE WARNING EXPIRE AT
THAT TIME. A MESSY AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MORNING COMMUTE LOOMS
HOWEVER BEFORE THAT TIME.

REST OF THE DAY...PLAIN RAIN BY 9 TO 10 AM WILL CLEAR FROM WEST TO
EAST BY EARLY AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES STRUGGLING TO REACH INTO
THE MIDDLE 40S UNDER PERSISTENT LOW CLOUDS AND COOL AIR ADVECTION.
WIND SPEEDS SHOULD BE LOW ENOUGH TO KEEP WIND CHILL ADVISORY LEVEL
CONDITIONS THROUGH THE DAY.

TONIGHT...LOW LEVEL FLOW BECOMES MORE EASTERLY TONIGHT WITH LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASING A BIT. TEMPS WILL BE CHILLY BUT LIKELY
ABOVE FREEZING AMID DECENT PERSISTENT LOW CLOUDS.

THURSDAY...WE TRANSITION SEASONS TEXAS STYLE GOING FROM WINTER
STORM TO MID 60S OR LOW 70S ON THURSDAY. SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY
RETURN FLOW GETS GOING BY MIDDAY AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD HEAD INTO
THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S AMID A FAIRLY HUMID SOUTHEAST BREEZE. /68-JGG/

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...MID LEVEL AND SURFACE
RIDGING WILL DOMINATE THE GULF OF MEX AND THE GULF COAST REGIONS
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. THIS WILL ALLOW MILDER TEMPERATURES TO
PREVAIL FOR MUCH OF THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD. HOWEVER 500 MB
TROFFING DIGGING ACROSS THE CENTRAL MIDWEST WILL USHER THROUGH A
COLD FRONT ON SUNDAY WHICH WILL BRING IN A LITTLE COOLER AND MILDER
TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK. LONGER RANGE GUIDANCE HINTS AT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SOME COASTAL SURFACE TROFFING NEAR DEEP SOUTH TX
EARLY NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR BETTER RAIN CHCS FROM SUN NIGHT
THROUGH TUES.

RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY WITH THE GFS MEX MOS GUIDANCE HAS BEEN PRETTY
STABLE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. MODEL TO MODEL CONSISTENCY
BETWEEN THE GFS AND THE ECMWF IS ALSO PRETTY GOOD THROUGH NEXT TUES
AND WED IN THE HANDLING OF THE MID LEVEL FEATURES AND ALSO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COASTAL SURFACE LOW EARLY NEXT WEEK. SO OVERALL
CONFIDENCE IN THE LONGER RANGE FORECAST WORDING IS ABOVE AVERAGE AT
THIS TIME.

&&

.MARINE...
NOW THROUGH THURSDAY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT
THROUGH THIS MORNING DUE TO STRONG NORTH WINDS FOR ALL COASTAL
WATERS AND THROUGH THIS EVENING ON THE GULF OF MEXICO DUE TO
PERSISTENT ROUGH SEAS. THE ADVISORIES MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED
THROUGH TONIGHT IF ROUGH SEAS PERSIST...BUT A GENERAL IMPROVEMENT
IN CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AS WINDS BECOME
LIGHT TO MODERATE AND SHIFT TO THE EAST AND SOUTEHAST BY THURSDAY
MORNING. SEAS SHOULD GENERALLY BE MODERATE BY THURSDAY.

THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...A MODERATE TO STRONG S-SE FETCH WILL
MAINTAIN ELEVATED SEAS FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING CWF PERIOD. THIS MAY
REQUIRE AN SCA FOR THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS FOR A PORTION OF NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 8 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR TXZ248>257.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR TXZ248>257.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 8 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR TXZ250>257.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR GMZ130-132-
     135.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR GMZ150-155-
     170-175.

&&

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV

SHORT TERM...68-GIBBS
LONG TERM...60
UPPER AIR/GRAPHICAST...58

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 29, 12:05 AM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1205 AM CST WED JAN 29 2014

TXZ248>257-291100-
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
1205 AM CST WED JAN 29 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...REST OF TONIGHT.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY...WINTER STORM WARNING...AND FREEZE WARNING
REMAIN IN EFFECT.

AREAS OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE
RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND DEEP SOUTH TEXAS THROUGH THE REST OF TONIGHT.
AS TEMPERATURES FALL...ICE ACCRETION FROM FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS
EXPECTED. THIS WILL CREATE VERY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS
THE REGION OVERNIGHT. ADDITIONALLY DANGEROUS COLD WIND CHILL VALUES
ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY
MORNING.

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH
PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. A WINTER STORM WARNING ALSO
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS.

THE FREEZE WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS
UNTIL 8 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS LIKELY AT THE LOCAL BEACHES
WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

TRAINED SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND THE PUBLIC ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT
ANY OBSERVATIONS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BROWNSVILLE.

GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-291100-
LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO THE ARROYO COLORADO-
LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE ARROYO COLORADO TO 5 NM NORTH OF PORT
MANSFIELD TX-
LAGUNA MADRE FROM 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BAFFIN BAY TX-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE EXTENDING FROM 20 TO
60 NM-
WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD EXTENDING FROM 20 TO
60 NM-
1205 AM CST TUE JAN 28 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE
LAGUNA MADRE.

.DAY ONE...REST OF TONIGHT.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LAGUNA MADRE AND GULF
OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF PADRE ISLAND FROM 0 TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES
OFFSHORE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR THE LAGUNA MADRE WILL REMAIN IN
EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF
PADRE ISLAND WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY.

ADDITIONAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE LOWER
TEXAS COAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Cameron

When: January 29, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 26.152, -97.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A ice storm hit Cameron County where 1/8 to 1/2 inch of glaze accreted on trees, power lines, cars, and other exposed surfaces. News reports indicated 9000 customers were without electricity during the peak of the storm early on the 29th, in Harlingen, San Benito, and other communities in Cameron County. There was likely some damage to tender tropical vegetation (such as banana plants, bougainvillea, etc.) but many of these plants should recover.

Ice Storm, Coastal Cameron

When: January 29, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Coastal Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee

A ice storm hit coastal Cameron County where 1/8 to 1/2 inch of glaze accreted on trees, power lines, cars, and other exposed surfaces. News reports indicated nearly 9000 customers were without electricity during the peak of the storm early on the 29th in Port Isabel, Bayview, and other communities across Cameron County. There was likely some damage to tender tropical vegetation (such as banana plants, bougainvillea, etc.) but many of these plants should recover.

Ice Storm, Hidalgo

When: January 29, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Hidalgo forecast zone
Reported by: State Official
Coordinates: 26.397, -98.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A ice storm hit Hidalgo County where 1/8 to 1/2 inch of glaze accreted on trees, power lines, cars, and other exposed surfaces. Texas Department of Transportation noted ice accumulations on several roadways and overpasses. News reports indicated over 3000 customers were without electricity during the peak of the storm early on the 29th, across Hidalgo County. There was likely some damage to tender tropical vegetation (such as banana plants, bougainvillea, etc.) but many of these plants should recover.

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, January 2014

Sources

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: 497998, 497999, 498000.