Name: Winter Storm in Texas, February 27 to 28, 2015
Start: 2015-02-27T18:45
End: 2015-02-28T09:40
Location: Texas

Where it happened

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.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 EWX wrote it up.

A cold front moved through South Central Texas on February 26th and brought freezing temperatures. On February 27th low level flow from the south to southeast started to produce isentropic upglide and light precipitation. In places where the temperatures remained below freezing the precipitation fell as freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Light ice accumulation on elevated surfaces, bridges, and overpasses resulted in travel impacts. Icy bridges and overpasses were reported in Williamson, Travis, Gillespie, Burnet, and Kendall Counties. There were numerous accidents due to icy roads. One fatality occurred two miles west of Bertram in Burnet County on Highway 29 where there was an accident involving an 18 wheel tractor trailer and a car. Freezing precipitation continued into the morning of February 28th ending shortly before 10 AM.

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 5:56 PM CST, 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 5:56 PM CST, 49 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
556 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

.UPDATE... /REVISED TEMPERATURE TRENDS...CONTINUE WW ADVY/
LATE AFTERNOON FORECAST UPDATE WAS TO BETTER ALIGN THE TEMPERATURE
FORECAST WITH CURRENT TRENDS...AS SOME OF THE FORECASTS MIN TEMPS
ARE OCCURRING EARLY. FREEZING WX GRIDS WERE ALSO ADJUSTED
SOUTHEASTWARD ALONG I-35 TO MATCH WHERE DRY LOW LEVEL AIR SHOWS A
POTENTIAL TO DROP TEMPERATURES TO FREEZING WITH THE ONSET OF
PRECIPITATION. FARTHER TO THE SW...DEW POINT DEPRESSIONS ARE
APPROACHING ZERO...AND THE SOMEWHAT STEADY RATE OF DRIZZLE FALLING
INTO THE SHALLOW COLD LAYER SHOULD EVENTUALLY WARM TEMPERATURES TO
ABOVE FREEZING LATER TONIGHT. GRIDDED DATA SHOWS NEAR STEADY
TEMPERATURES OVER MOST COUNTIES THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...THEN
WARMING TEMPERATURES AND A RETREATING FREEZING PRECIPITATION LINE
TO REFLECT IMPROVING CONDITIONS CLOSER TO DAYBREAK.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 511 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015/

AVIATION...
MVFR AND IFR CIGS ARE IN PLACE ACROSS ALL TAF SITES WITH EVERY
SITE BECOMING IFR LATER THIS EVENING. DRIZZLE OR LIGHT RAIN WILL
BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. TEMPERATURES AT THE
AIRPORTS SHOULD REMAIN JUST ABOVE FREEZING AND WILL NOT MENTION
FZDZ AT THIS TIME. MODELS REALLY STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION BY
TOMORROW EVENING AND WILL MENTION LIFR CIGS AND 1 MILE
VISIBILITIES.

HAMPSHIRE

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 337 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015/

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)...
WARM ADVECTION PATTERN IS UNDERWAY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WITH
PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE FORMING. TEMPERATURES HAVE REMAINED
BELOW FREEZING IN THE HILL COUNTRY AND ALONG THE ESCARPMENT AREAS
WITH SOME REPORTS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN/DRIZZLE. HAVE ISSUED A
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE HILL COUNTRY TO HIGHER ELEVATION
AREAS JUST WEST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR THROUGH 10 AM SATURDAY. MINOR
ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED...ALTHOUGH MAINLY ON LESS TRAVELED
ROADS...ELEVATED STRUCTURES...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. MAIN IMPACTS
WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A COMSTOCK TO MEDINA TO HELOTES TO
AUSTIN LINE. TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE ABOVE THE COLD DOME AT THE
SURFACE WHICH IN TURN WILL WARM TO ABOVE FREEZING AS RAIN BRINGS
DOWN THE WARMER AIR FROM ALOFT WITH PRECIPITATION TRANSITIONING TO
ALL RAIN LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. HAVE LOWERED
TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY AS THE COLD DOME IS STUBBORN TO ERODE.
ALTHOUGH...SOME EROSION IS POSSIBLE FROM THE COASTAL PLAINS
SATURDAY NIGHT. WARM ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE
THE RAIN CHANCES SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.

LONG TERM (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...
COLD DOME FINALLY LOOKS TO ERODE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. ALTHOUGH...THE
NAM/GEM MAINTAIN IT WHILE THE ECMWF LIFTS IT NORTH AND THEN BRINGS
IT BACK LATE SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY...FINALLY MOVING IT BACK
NORTH LATE MONDAY. HAVE COOLED TEMPERATURES A LITTLE FOR SUNDAY.
HOWEVER...IF THE NAM/GEM VERIFY...THEN TEMPERATURES WOULD BE A BIT
COOLER FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. WARM ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC LIFT
CONTINUE THE MAINLY LIGHT RAIN CHANCES. ALL MODELS FINALLY LIFT
THE COLD AIR NORTH BY TUESDAY WHICH WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF
THIS FORECAST AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.
AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE PLAINS/MIDWEST FORCES
ANOTHER ARCTIC COLD FRONT SOUTH ACROSS OUR AREA LATE TUESDAY NIGHT
INTO WEDNESDAY. WILL MAINTAIN CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
AS GOOD MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND SOME INSTABILITY IS NOTED ON
FORECAST SOUNDINGS. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY WILL BE REACHED AROUND
MIDDAY AND THEN STRONG COLD ADVECTION MOVES INTO SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW PRECIPITATION TYPE TRANSITIONING TO
SLEET AND SNOW ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY TO ALONG THE ESCARPMENT
AREAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND HAVE INTRODUCED THIS MENTION TO THE
FORECAST. THE TROUGH MOVES EAST ON THURSDAY ENDING THE
PRECIPITATION. FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED AGAIN THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY MORNING.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AUSTIN CAMP MABRY              33  46  43  66  52 /  50  50  40  40  40
AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT  33  47  43  66  52 /  40  50  40  40  40
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT     34  47  45  68  55 /  50  50  40  30  30
BURNET MUNI AIRPORT            28  41  40  62  49 /  50  50  40  30  40
DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT           36  49  45  70  55 /  20  20  10  -   10
GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT        29  44  41  63  49 /  50  50  40  40  40
HONDO MUNI AIRPORT             34  47  45  69  57 /  50  50  40  20  20
SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT        33  47  44  66  54 /  50  50  40  40  30
LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL   38  54  49  71  59 /  30  50  50  40  20
SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT       33  47  45  68  57 /  50  50  40  30  30
STINSON MUNI AIRPORT           36  48  46  69  58 /  50  50  40  30  30

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES: BANDERA...BEXAR...BLANCO...BURNET...COMAL...EDWARDS...
GILLESPIE...HAYS...KENDALL...KERR...LLANO...REAL...TRAVIS...VAL
VERDE...WILLIAMSON.

&&

MESOSCALE/AVIATION...29
SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...18
PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...00

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 3:43 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
343 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-282200-
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-
343 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE EDWARDS
PLATEAU...HILL COUNTRY...AND CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 10 AM CDT
SATURDAY MORNING. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN
WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...MAINLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF COMSTOCK TO MEDINA TO HELOTES TO AUSTIN LINE.
ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN 1/10 AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE...
ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...LESS TRAVELED ROADWAYS AND
OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE EDWARDS
PLATEAU...HILL COUNTRY...AND CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 10 AM CDT
SATURDAY MORNING. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN
WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...MAINLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF COMSTOCK TO MEDINA TO HELOTES TO AUSTIN LINE.
ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN 1/10 AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE...
ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...LESS TRAVELED ROADWAYS AND
OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES.

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION ACROSS
CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 27, 3:59 PM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
359 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0330 PM     FREEZING DRIZZLE 3 W NEW BRAUNFELS       29.70N  98.17W
02/27/2015                   COMAL              TX   PUBLIC

            LIGHT FREEZING RAIN REPORTED WHILE DRIVING HOME ON HWY
            46 WEST OF NEW BRAUNFELS TO FM 3159 TOWARDS CANYON LAKE.
            ICING REPORTED ON VEHICLES... BUT NO ICE ACCUMULATING ON
            ROADWAYS INCLUDING BRIDGES OR OVERPASSES.

&&

EVENT NUMBER EWX1500089

LJH

Local storm report, Feb 27, 4:02 PM CST, 2 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
402 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0345 PM     FREEZING DRIZZLE KERRVILLE               30.04N  99.14W
02/27/2015                   KERR               TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE REPORTED THROUGHOUT KERR COUNTY.
            ICE HAS BEEN REPORTED FREEZING ON ROAD SIGNS AND
            VEHICLES... BUT NO ICE HAS BEEN ACCUMULATING ON BRIDGES
            OR OVERPASSES AT THIS TIME.

&&

EVENT NUMBER EWX1500090

LJH

Local storm report, Feb 27, 4:59 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
459 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     FREEZING DRIZZLE 5 ESE ANDICE            30.75N  97.78W
02/27/2015                   WILLIAMSON         TX   PUBLIC

            LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE REPORTED ON CR 245 WITH ICE
            FORMING ON ELEVATED SURFACES.

&&

EVENT NUMBER EWX1500091

LJH

Local storm report, Feb 27, 5:34 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
534 PM CST FRI FEB 27 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0501 PM     FREEZING DRIZZLE 3 E BEE CAVE            30.31N  97.90W
02/27/2015                   TRAVIS             TX   PUBLIC

            MULTIPLE REPORTS OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE CAUSING
            ICING ON ELEVATED SURFACES IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY. NO
            ACCUMULATIONS HAVE OCCURRED ON ROADWAYS... BRIDGES... OR
            OVERPASSES AT THIS TIME.

&&

EVENT NUMBER EWX1500092

LJH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Burnet

When: February 27, 6:45 PM CST to February 28, 9:40 AM CST
Where: Burnet forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.788, -98.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A cold front moved through South Central Texas on February 26th and brought freezing temperatures. On February 27th low level flow from the south to southeast started to produce isentropic upglide and light precipitation. In places where the temperatures remained below freezing the precipitation fell as freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Light ice accumulation on elevated surfaces, bridges, and overpasses resulted in travel impacts. Icy bridges and overpasses were reported in Williamson, Travis, Gillespie, Burnet, and Kendall Counties. There were numerous accidents due to icy roads. One fatality occurred two miles west of Bertram in Burnet County on Highway 29 where there was an accident involving an 18 wheel tractor trailer and a car. Freezing precipitation continued into the morning of February 28th ending shortly before 10 AM.

Winter Storm, Gillespie

When: February 27, 6:45 PM CST to February 28, 9:40 AM CST
Where: Gillespie forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.318, -98.946 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A cold front moved through South Central Texas on February 26th and brought freezing temperatures. On February 27th low level flow from the south to southeast started to produce isentropic upglide and light precipitation. In places where the temperatures remained below freezing the precipitation fell as freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Light ice accumulation on elevated surfaces, bridges, and overpasses resulted in travel impacts. Icy bridges and overpasses were reported in Williamson, Travis, Gillespie, Burnet, and Kendall Counties. There were numerous accidents due to icy roads. One fatality occurred two miles west of Bertram in Burnet County on Highway 29 where there was an accident involving an 18 wheel tractor trailer and a car. Freezing precipitation continued into the morning of February 28th ending shortly before 10 AM.

Winter Storm, Kendall

When: February 27, 6:45 PM CST to February 28, 9:40 AM CST
Where: Kendall forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 29.945, -98.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A cold front moved through South Central Texas on February 26th and brought freezing temperatures. On February 27th low level flow from the south to southeast started to produce isentropic upglide and light precipitation. In places where the temperatures remained below freezing the precipitation fell as freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Light ice accumulation on elevated surfaces, bridges, and overpasses resulted in travel impacts. Icy bridges and overpasses were reported in Williamson, Travis, Gillespie, Burnet, and Kendall Counties. There were numerous accidents due to icy roads. One fatality occurred two miles west of Bertram in Burnet County on Highway 29 where there was an accident involving an 18 wheel tractor trailer and a car. Freezing precipitation continued into the morning of February 28th ending shortly before 10 AM.

Winter Storm, Travis

When: February 27, 6:45 PM CST to February 28, 9:40 AM CST
Where: Travis forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.335, -97.782 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A cold front moved through South Central Texas on February 26th and brought freezing temperatures. On February 27th low level flow from the south to southeast started to produce isentropic upglide and light precipitation. In places where the temperatures remained below freezing the precipitation fell as freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Light ice accumulation on elevated surfaces, bridges, and overpasses resulted in travel impacts. Icy bridges and overpasses were reported in Williamson, Travis, Gillespie, Burnet, and Kendall Counties. There were numerous accidents due to icy roads. One fatality occurred two miles west of Bertram in Burnet County on Highway 29 where there was an accident involving an 18 wheel tractor trailer and a car. Freezing precipitation continued into the morning of February 28th ending shortly before 10 AM.

Winter Storm, Williamson

When: February 27, 6:45 PM CST to February 28, 9:40 AM CST
Where: Williamson forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.648, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A cold front moved through South Central Texas on February 26th and brought freezing temperatures. On February 27th low level flow from the south to southeast started to produce isentropic upglide and light precipitation. In places where the temperatures remained below freezing the precipitation fell as freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Light ice accumulation on elevated surfaces, bridges, and overpasses resulted in travel impacts. Icy bridges and overpasses were reported in Williamson, Travis, Gillespie, Burnet, and Kendall Counties. There were numerous accidents due to icy roads. One fatality occurred two miles west of Bertram in Burnet County on Highway 29 where there was an accident involving an 18 wheel tractor trailer and a car. Freezing precipitation continued into the morning of February 28th ending shortly before 10 AM.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Storm, Burnet	2015-02-28			Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, February 2015

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: 562857, 562858, 562859, 562860, 562861.