A deep upper level trough and strong cold front moved into a near record warm airmass over South Central Texas. Initially, this caused strong convection that produced near severe size hail.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
A deep upper level trough and strong cold front moved into a near record warm airmass over South Central Texas. Initially, this caused strong convection that produced near severe size hail. As cold air moved in behind the front, precipitation changed to snow over northern parts of the area.
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 27, 9:47 AM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 947 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 .UPDATE... A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR FAYETTE...LAVACA AND DEWITT COUNTIES THROUGH 4 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEAST PORTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACHES THE WARM SECTOR. AS OF 9 AM...THE STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM GIDDINGS TO GONZALES TO SOUTH OF LAREDO. DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOWER 70S WITH CAPE MIXED-LAYER VALUES IN THE 1000 TO 1500 J/KG RANGE PER SPC MESOSCALE ANALYSIS PAGE. ALSO...EFFECTIVE SRH VALUES ARE IN THE 300M2/S2 RANGE ACROSS THE WARM SECTOR WHICH SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS THAT AREA. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD COME TO AN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT PUSHES AWAY FROM OUR AREA. HOWEVER...STILL DEALING WITH WINDY CONDITIONS OUT WEST AND PROBABLY A SECOND ROUND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW SYSTEMS PUSHES ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PORTION (WESTERN HILL COUNTRY/EDWARDS PLATEAU) OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 541 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015/ AVIATION... FRONT JUST PUSHED THROUGH SAT AND WILL BE GOING THROUGH SSF AND AUS WITHIN THE HOUR. STRONG AND GUSTY NW WINDS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD WITH WINDIEST CONDITIONS AT DRT THIS MORNING WHICH HAS SEEN GUSTS OVER 40KT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EAGLE PASS. MVFR WITH OCCASIONAL IFR CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE COLD AIR ADVECTION CONTINUES MUCH OF THE DAY. DID NOT INCLUDE ANY THUNDER IN THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH BEST CHANCES BEING EAST OF THE AREA. DID KEEP IN MENTION OF MODERATE SHOWERS THROUGH THE MORNING...GOING TO VCSH IN THE AFTERNOON. WILL SEE SOME CEILING IMPROVEMENTS BY TONIGHT AT DRT WITH DRY AIR WORKING AROUND THE UPPER LOW. WITH THE UPPER LOW SLOWING MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS WILL KEEP THE CLOUDINESS BUT AM OPTIMISTIC THAT WILL SEE SOME VFR CEILINGS AT SAT/SSF/AUS BY LATER TONIGHT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 432 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015/ SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH MONDAY)... HAVE LET SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EXPIRE AT 4 AM AS STORMS HAVE WEAKENED SIGNIFICANTLY. CAN STILL EXPECT GUSTY WINDS WITH THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS AS IT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE I-35 CORRIDOR IN THE PREDAWN HOURS. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW SOUTH OF EL PASO WILL MOVE ACROSS THE BIG BEND TODAY TO NEAR DEL RIO EARLY THIS EVENING...NORTHEAST ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY INTO CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT...THEN SPEED AWAY FROM OUR AREA ON MONDAY. A SURFACE LOW MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO THE NORTHEAST ALLOWING THE STRONG COLD FRONT TO MOVE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF OUR AREA BY MID MORNING. LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REINTENSIFY OVER OUR FAR EASTERN COUNTIES THIS MORNING AS IT ENCOUNTERS DEEPER MOISTURE THERE BEFORE IT MOVES EAST OF OUR AREA. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS DUE TO TRAINING OF CELLS AND STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS DUE TO STRONG SHEAR ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS LEE...FAYETTE AND LAVACA COUNTIES. SOME SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS THE REMAINDER OF TODAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRODUCES STRONG UPWARD FORCING ON RESIDUAL MOISTURE. A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AS WELL AS SOME MIXING WITH WINDS ALOFT WILL CREATE WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG THE RIO GRANDE WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR RIO GRANDE COUNTIES AS NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH PREVAIL WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. AS THE LOW MOVES ACROSS OUR AREA TONIGHT...THE AIRMASS COOLS TO GENERATE SLIGHT CHANCES OF SNOW FOR THE HILL COUNTRY. MOISTURE LEVELS DECREASE WITH LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. FAIR WEATHER RETURNS ON MONDAY AS THE LOW SPEEDS AWAY FROM OUR AREA. WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL IN THE WAKE OF THE STRONG COLD FRONT. LONG TERM (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)... MID TO UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVES WILL BRING LOW CHANCES OF RAIN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT DUE ONLY NEAR SEASONAL LEVELS OF MOISTURE. BELOW TO WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL AS A SURFACE RIDGE LINGERS WITH PERIODIC REINFORCEMENTS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 49 36 50 34 57 / 90 40 - 0 - AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 51 35 52 30 57 / 90 40 - 0 - NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 53 36 52 32 59 / 80 30 - 0 - BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 44 32 46 30 55 / 80 40 - 0 - DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 50 34 53 33 60 / 50 - 0 0 0 GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 46 34 48 31 56 / 90 40 - 0 - HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 50 34 54 32 60 / 50 10 0 0 0 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 51 36 51 32 57 / 80 30 - 0 - LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 75 38 52 34 57 / 90 40 - 0 - SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 51 36 54 34 60 / 70 20 0 0 - STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 57 36 54 33 60 / 60 20 0 0 - && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: DIMMIT...KINNEY...MAVERICK...VAL VERDE...ZAVALA. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...26 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...17 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...LH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 908 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-281515- 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- 908 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS FAYETTE...LAVACA AND DEWITT COUNTIES AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE PRIMARY THREAT IS DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THEREFORE...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR FAYETTE...LAVACA AND DEWITT COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM CST. ALSO...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AND MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS UP TO NEAR 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE RIO GRANDE THROUGH THIS EVENING. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT FOR DIMMIT...KINNEY...MAVERICK...VAL VERDE AND ZAVALA COUNTIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
606 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
TXZ173-271230-
WILLIAMSON TX-
606 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL WILLIAMSON COUNTY UNTIL
630 AM CST...
AT 604 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
WEIR...OR NEAR GEORGETOWN...MOVING NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GEORGETOWN...GRANGER...HUTTO...BARTLETT...JARRELL...WEIR...WALBURG...
JONAH...SCHWERTNER AND THEON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3086 9760 3077 9737 3077 9736 3054 9752
3060 9771 3087 9764
TIME...MOT...LOC 1204Z 201DEG 10KT 3065 9759SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
713 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
TXZ173-192>194-271345-
WILLIAMSON TX-BASTROP TX-TRAVIS TX-LEE TX-
713 AM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL BASTROP...SOUTHEASTERN
WILLIAMSON...EAST CENTRAL TRAVIS AND NORTHWESTERN LEE COUNTIES UNTIL
745 AM CST...
AT 712 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
BASTROP...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
TAYLOR...ELGIN...BASTROP...THRALL...CAMP SWIFT...WYLDWOOD...
COUPLAND...CIRCLE D-KC ESTATES...MCDADE...NOACK...BEYARSVILLE...KNOBB
SPRINGS...WATTERSON...PHELAN...ROCKNE...CEDAR HILLS...HILLS PRAIRIE
AND BUTLER.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO
LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING ACROSS ROADWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT
DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3061 9722 3048 9716 2996 9730 2998 9750
3064 9744
TIME...MOT...LOC 1312Z 188DEG 29KT 3005 9739The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:52 UTC.
5 winter weather, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A strong cold front brought snow to Val Verde county with 1.6 inches reported by a CoCoRAHS observer 30 miles northwest of Comstock.
Light snow fell in Kerr County and although there was no accumulation reported, there were some icy spots on bridges along I-10 in northern parts of the county.
Light snow fell in Llano, but there was no accumulation.
Light snow fell in Liberty Hill, but there was no accumulation.
Light snow fell in Bertram, but there was no accumulation.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2015
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: 612182, 612122, 612183, 612123, 612124, 612184, 612185, 612186.