Sub-freezing temperatures encompassed the western half of north Texas on New Year's Day when a weak upper level disturbance traversed the region from southwest to northeast. Light wintry precipitation fell during the morning hours over areas generally along and west of the Interstate 35 Corridor where temperatures had fallen below freezing.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 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 FWD wrote it up.
Sub-freezing temperatures encompassed the western half of north Texas on New Year's Day when a weak upper level disturbance traversed the region from southwest to northeast. Light wintry precipitation fell during the morning hours over areas generally along and west of the Interstate 35 Corridor where temperatures had fallen below freezing. Accumulations of freezing rain around a tenth of an inch or more made travel hazardous in several locations.
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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 11:39 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1139 PM CST WED DEC 31 2014 .AVIATION... CONCERNS...FREEZING PRECIPITATION...LOWERING CIGS AND DURATION OF ENTIRE PRECIPITATION EVENT. SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES WERE OCCURRING FROM KGYI TO KAFW TO KMNZ AND WESTWARD. THIS LINE MAY REACH KDFW...KGKY AND POSSIBLY KDAL 10-14Z. IF THIS OCCURS THEN ANY LIQUID PRECIP WILL BECOME FZRA. EXPECT THE WORST FZRA AT KAFW AND KFTW WHERE A GLAZE OF 1 OR 2 TENTHS OF AN INCH IS POSSIBLE. ONLY A LIGHT GLAZING IS EXPECTED FOR THE OTHER METROPLEX SITES. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO WARM ABOVE FREEZING NEAR MIDDAY THURSDAY AND REMAIN SO THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST. PRECIP SHOULD REMAIN ALL LIQUID AT KACT. DUE TO STRONG WWA OVER ARCTIC AIR AT THE SURFACE WILL LEAD TO INCREASING COVERAGE OF PRECIP THE REST OF THE NIGHT WHICH SHOULD LAST THROUGH MOST OF THURSDAY. WE EXPECT CIGS TO REMAIN VFR UNTIL AROUND 10Z OR SO THEN LOWERING TO IFR FROM 14Z ON. VIS WILL ALSO FALL TO MVFR WITH SOME PERIODS OF IFR DURING MODERATE PRECIP. THE RAIN SHOULD TAPER OFF SOME THURSDAY EVENING...BUT WE DON/T THINK IT WILL END FOR GOOD UNTIL SATURDAY. WINDS WILL BE MOSTLY NORTH LESS THAN 10 KNOTS...BUT SHOULD BECOME MORE EAST-NORTHEASTERLY LATE THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH 02/00Z. THEN RETURNING TO THE NORTH. 75 && .UPDATE... WITH THE EVENING FORECAST UPDATE...DID NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE COVERAGE OF THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY OR WINTER STORM WARNING AT THIS TIME. AS OF 930 PM...REGIONAL RADARS SHOWED PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING ACROSS THE REGION...WITH THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING AND MOVING IN FROM THE WEST. AT 9 PM...THE SURFACE FREEZING LINE WAS LOCATED NEAR A SHERMAN TO KELLER TO CLEBURNE TO LAMPASAS LINE...WITH AREAS TO THE WEST COLDER AND TO THE EAST ABOVE FREEZING. THE FREEZING LINE IS EXPECTED TO SAG SOUTHEAST THROUGH TONIGHT...TO A BONHAM TO DALLAS TO TEMPLE LINE BY 3-4 AM. THE OTHER ISOTHERM THAT APPEARS TO BE IMPORTANT TONIGHT IS THE 29 DEG F LINE. RAIN THAT FALLS INTO AIR COLDER THAN 29 DEGREES IS VERY LIKELY TO FREEZE ON IMPACT TO ALL ROADWAYS AND SURFACES. RAIN THAT FALLS INTO AIR WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 29 TO 32 DEG F RANGE IS MORE LIKELY TO FREEZE ON ELEVATED SURFACES AND ROADWAYS...BUT MAY LEAVE SURFACES IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND JUST WET. CONFIDENCE IS VERY HIGH THAT MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP OVER THE ENTIRE REGION TONIGHT. SO THE PRIMARY FORECAST CHALLENGE IS DETERMINING WHERE THOSE 32 AND 29 DEGREE ISOTHERMS ARE GOING TO LINE UP WHILE PRECIPITATION FALLS. THE LATEST EVENING MODEL RUNS THAT HAVE COME INDICATE MORE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST. IF THIS VERIFIES...IT WILL BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE THE COLD AIR WILL RESIDE. LOOKING AT THE HIGH RESOLUTION MODEL GUIDANCE FOR 2-METER TEMPERATURES...THE PREVIOUS FORECAST APPEARS TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. THOSE AREAS COVERED IN A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY STILL APPEAR TO BE MOST LIKELY AT HOLDING IN THE 29 TO 32 DEGREE RANGE OVERNIGHT...WHICH SHOULD KEEP THE IMPACTS OF ICING MAINLY RELEGATED TO ELEVATED SURFACES AND ROADWAYS. THAT DOES NOT MEAN TRAVEL WILL BE EASY IN THESE AREAS...BLACK ICE ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS...AND STILL NEEDS TREATED WITH EXTREME CAUTION. FOR LOCATIONS WITHIN THE WINTER STORM WARNING...TEMPERATURES STILL LOOK LIKELY TO REMAIN JUST BELOW 29 DEGREES OVERNIGHT. WITH MODEL OUTPUT SUGGESTING ANYWHERE FROM ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION OVER THIS AREA...SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FROM ICING ARE POSSIBLE. THESE LOCATIONS RESIDE IN COLDER AIR IN GENERAL...SO SLEET IS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO MIX IN WITH THE FREEZING RAIN THAN IT IS FARTHER EAST. THE COMBINATION OF SLEET AND PURE ICE LOOKS VERY LIKELY TO EXCEED ONE QUARTER INCH AT THIS TIME...AND BUMPED UP PURE ICE ACCUMULATION TOTALS TO A THIRD OF AN INCH OR SLIGHTLY MORE AS A RESULT. ICE ACCUMULATION ON ALL AREA ROADWAYS IS LIKELY WITHIN THE CURRENT AREAL COVERAGE OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING...AND TRAVEL MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOME LOCATIONS BY SUNRISE NEW YEAR'S DAY. ASIDE FROM JUST WATCHING SURFACE TEMPERATURES TONIGHT...THINK THAT SURFACE WIND DIRECTION WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HOW COLD ANY LOCATION STAYS WHILE PRECIPITATION IS FALLING. MOST MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES SURFACE WINDS SHIFTING TO THE EAST WHEN HEAVIER PRECIPITATION FALLS. IF THIS OCCURS...IT WOULD EFFECTIVELY SHUT OFF THE POTENTIAL FOR ARCTIC AIR TO REINFORCE SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES...ALLOWING THE AIR TO VERY SLOWLY WARM FROM THE WARM NOSE ALOFT...DOWN TO THE SURFACE. THIS PROCESS IS NOT EFFICIENT...AND WILL BE COMBATED BY WET-BULB COOLING...HOWEVER IT SHOULD EVENTUALLY ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CREEP ABOVE FREEZING FROM THE SOUTHEAST TO THE NORTHWEST AFTER SUNRISE TOMORROW. ONE IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE HERE...IF WINDS ARE ABLE TO REMAIN OUT OF THE NORTH OR NORTHWEST WHILE HEAVIER RAIN FALLS...COLDER AIR MAY PUSH FARTHER EAST...RESULTING IN MORE SIGNIFICANT ICING IMPACTS MOVING EAST TOWARDS THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR. CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THIS WILL NOT OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE STRONG CONSENSUS OF THE LATEST MODEL DATA...HOWEVER MODEL DATA IS JUST A FORECAST...AND WE WILL HAVE TO MONITOR REAL OBSERVATIONS CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MODELS ARE NOT MISSING AN EASTWARD EXPANSION OF THE COLD AIR. AT THIS TIME...SAW NO COMPELLING EVIDENCE TO CHANGE THE CURRENT FORECAST AS IT SEEMS TO HAVE THE EXPECTED IMPACT AREAS HIGHLIGHTED NICELY. WILL CONTINUALLY MONITOR THIS EVENT OVERNIGHT...AND WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE COVERAGE OF WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN A TACTICAL SENSE AS NEEDED TONIGHT. CONFIDENCE AT THIS TIME IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THE WORST OF THE IMPACTS FROM ICING WILL REMAIN WEST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR TONIGHT. CAVANAUGH && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 316 PM CST WED DEC 31 2014/ CHALLENGING FORECAST TODAY AS THE INFLUENCE OF A COMPLEX WESTERN U.S. TROUGH AFFECTS MUCH OF TEXAS BEGINNING TONIGHT. WITH ARCTIC AIR IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...FREEZING AND FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING... ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR 8 COUNTIES IN THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS WHERE UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH OF FREEZING RAIN MAY FALL TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE WARNING AREA ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S DURING THE ONSET OF HEAVIER BANDED PRECIPITATION AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. PROGRESSIVELY LESSER IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED FURTHER EAST FROM THE WARNING AREA...WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR OR JUST BELOW FREEZING FORECAST DURING THE PRECIPITATION. THE EXACT IMPACTS IN ANY GIVEN LOCATION IN THE ADVISORY AND WARNING AREAS THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY WILL BE DETERMINED BY TEMPERATURES DURING THE ONSET OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION AND THE LOCATION OF ANY SLEET SHOWERS THAT SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. WITH REGARD TO THE KEY WEATHER FEATURES...THE STRONG UPPER TROUGH CURRENTLY DEVELOPING INTO WESTERN ARIZONA WILL EJECT INTO THE PLAINS WITH TWO DISTINCTIVE WAVES. THE FIRST WAVE OF ENERGY IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND EASTERN COLORADO ON THURSDAY AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WINTER WEATHER EVENT TONIGHT. PLENTIFUL PACIFIC MOISTURE...STRONG LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION...AND SOME MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME CONVECTIVE BANDS /SHOWERS/ ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP IN THE AXIS OF FRONTOGENESIS TONIGHT WHICH IS FORECAST TO BE CENTERED FROM THE EASTLAND AND BRECKENRIDGE AREAS EASTWARD INTO THE DFW METROPLEX AFTER MIDNIGHT. WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS WILL BE ENHANCED LOCALLY NEAR ANY OF THE HEAVIER SLEET SHOWERS THAT DEVELOP IN AREAS WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING. EXPECT PRECIPITATION TO CONTINUE IN MOST AREAS DURING FOR MUCH OF THE DAY THURSDAY AND WILL GRADUALLY TRANSITION TO ALL LIQUID RAIN DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS AS TEMPERATURES SLOWLY RISE TO ABOVE FREEZING. THE NUMERICAL MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THE MODIFICATION OF THE ARCTIC AIRMASS MAY BE ACCELERATED IN TWO WAYS. FIRST...THE RELATIVELY WARM RAINDROPS FALLING THROUGH THE INCREASINGLY WARM AIR ABOVE THE FRONTAL INVERSION WILL EFFECTIVELY TRANSFER HEAT TO THE NEAR SURFACE AIR. SECOND...THE RELEASE OF LATENT HEATING BY THE PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION PROCESS IN THE ABSENCE OF LOW LEVEL COLD ADVECTION COULD ALSO RESULT IN SLOWLY RISING TEMPERATURES. BY LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON...EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO BE AT 32 OR HIGHER IN ALL AREAS...WITH THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES IN THE FAR NORTHWEST ZONES. THERE MAY BE A BRIEF 6-12 HOUR LULL IN THE RAIN THURSDAY EVENING AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE FIRST WAVE OF ENERGY FROM THE SOUTHWEST U.S. SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS KANSAS THURSDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...THE PRIMARY SHORTWAVE / SECOND WAVE OF ENERGY / IS FORECAST TO EJECT EASTWARD INTO NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS BY LATE FRIDAY. WIDESPREAD RAIN WILL REDEVELOP IN ALL AREAS BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. THE RAINS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE SHORTWAVE EJECTS QUICKLY ACROSS OKLAHOMA. A THIRD SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY...BUT THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BE WEAKER AND LACK SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE TO PRODUCE PRECIPITATION. WILL KEEP THE FORECAST FOR SUNDAY INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK DRY...WITH TEMPERATURES CONTINUING TO AVERAGE BELOW NORMAL. 09/GP && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 30 36 36 41 40 / 70 80 70 80 70 WACO, TX 32 38 38 42 39 / 80 80 80 80 70 PARIS, TX 32 37 36 42 40 / 50 90 80 80 80 DENTON, TX 27 35 35 40 38 / 70 80 70 80 70 MCKINNEY, TX 27 35 35 41 39 / 60 80 70 80 70 DALLAS, TX 31 37 37 41 40 / 70 80 70 80 70 TERRELL, TX 33 37 37 41 40 / 60 80 80 80 70 CORSICANA, TX 34 39 39 42 41 / 70 80 80 80 80 TEMPLE, TX 32 38 38 41 39 / 80 80 80 80 70 MINERAL WELLS, TX 26 33 33 39 36 / 80 80 70 80 70 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 3 PM CST THURSDAY FOR TXZ100-101-115- 116-129-130-141-142. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM CST THURSDAY FOR TXZ091>094- 102>104-117>120-131>134-143>145-156>159. && 75/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 304 PM CST WED DEC 31 2014 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011115- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 304 PM CST WED DEC 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. LATER TONIGHT...WIDESPREAD RAIN...FREEZING RAIN AND SOME SLEET WILL DEVELOP AND SPREAD NORTHEAST ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS WEST OF A JACKSBORO TO MINERAL WELLS TO GOLDTHWAITE LINE. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS...PRIMARILY AROUND AND JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. FARTHER EAST...SOME LIGHT ICING WILL BE POSSIBLE AS FAR EAST AS A BONHAM TO ROCKWALL TO WACO TO TEMPLE LINE....THE BEST CHANCE FOR LIGHT ICING AND ASSOCIATED IMPACTS WILL BE AROUND OR JUST AFTER 2 AM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. WIDESPREAD RAIN...FREEZING RAIN AND SOME SLEET WILL BE ONGOING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH MIDDAY. AREAS GENERALLY WEST OF A BONHAM TO ROCKWALL TO WACO TO TEMPLE LINE WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR WINTRY PRECIPITATION. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE AND MAJOR TRAVEL PROBLEMS ARE POSSIBLE WEST OF A JACKSBORO TO MINERAL WELLS TO GOLDTHWAITE LINE THROUGH THURSDAY. OTHERWISE...THE WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION OVER TO MAINLY RAIN BY LATE AFTERNOON ON THURSDAY. RAIN AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME....BUT TIMELY REPORTS OF ICE ACCUMULATION OR ISSUES ON ROADWAYS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. 15-BAIN/FOX
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1126 PM CST WED DEC 31 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1124 PM FREEZING RAIN CISCO 32.38N 98.97W
12/31/2014 E0.25 INCH EASTLAND TX AMATEUR RADIO
ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE AND SLEET COMBINED WAS
REPORTED ON ROADWAYS IN CISCO. 1/10TH OF AN INCH OF PURE
ICE WAS OBSERVED ON TREE LIMBS.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
One-tenth of an inch of freezing rain, mainly on elevated surfaces.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch. Glaze on elevated roads with multiple vehicle accidents reported at the time.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch reported. Bridges glazed over with patchy ice on roadways. A few accidents had been reported already.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch reported. Ice covered area roads, with several accidents reported.
Trace amounts of feezing rain reported, just patchy ice on bridges.
Freezing rain of 0.12 inches, mainly on trees and other elevated surfaces.
A tenth of an inch of ice on all surfaces, and roads are extremely slick.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch measured. A glaze had formed on bridges, patchy ice elsewhere. No accidents yet.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch measured. Exposed surfaces coated with ice.
One-tenth of an inch of freezing rain reported. Ice coated trees, cars, and other elevated surfaces.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch reported. Roads were icy with sand trucks running; no accidents yet.
Freezing rain measuring a twelfth of an inch was reported by amateur radio. Ice covered all elevated surfaces.
Freezing rain of a tenth of an inch measured by amateur radio. Ice was on elevated surfaces with no travel impacts.
Two-tenths of an inch of freezing rain reported by amateur radio coating elevated surfaces.
A quarter of an inch of freezing rain was accumulating on guy wires.
A tenth of an inch of freezing rain reported on exposed surfaces with no significant impacts (temperature 31 deg F).
One-tenth of an inch of freezing rain reported.
A quarter of an inch of freezing rain accumulation in Bowie, TX.
A tenth of an inch of freezing rain on elevated surfaces was reported by amateur radio.
Two-tenths of an inch of freezing rain coated elevated surfaces in Sunset, TX.
Bridges slushy 2 miles northwest of Weatherford.
Patchy ice was reported on bridges between Bellevue and Bowie by amateur radio.
Bridges and overpasses were still reported to be icy, but the main roads were okay. Ranger Hill was reported to be open.
Main roads were reported to be just wet.
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, January 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: 555215, 555195, 555209, 555210, 555211, 555213, 555214, 555202, 555212, 555216, 555217, 555219, 555220, 555221, 555218, 555222, 555223, 555225, 555226, 555227, 555224, 555228, 555229, 555230.