Winter Weather in Texas, December 31, 2017

Name: Winter Weather in Texas, December 31, 2017
Start: 2017-12-31T22:00
End: 2017-12-31T23:59
Location: Texas

December 31, 2017 · NWS EWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An arctic cold front brought a shallow layer of freezing air to South Central Texas early on December 31st. Behind the front light precipitation fell as freezing rain with minor ice accumulation on elevated surfaces including bridges and overpasses.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

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 Dec 31, 6:38 PM CST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 6:38 PM CST, 3 hours 22 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
638 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2017

.EVENING UPDATE...

We have been receiving numerous reports of light freezing drizzle
across portions of Burnet, Williamson, Travis, and Blanco counties
this evening. For the most part, only light icing has been reported
on exposed surfaces, such as parked cars. However, some light icing
has been reported on bridges and overpasses in northern Williamson
County. Have updated the grids for now through 3z (9 pm local) to
include patchy light freezing drizzle for our northern counties.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 626 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2017/

AVIATION...
/00Z TAFS/
EWX Doppler radar shows light returns with temperatures in the
lower 30s. Looks like freezing drizzle will be impacting the Austin
metro area airports through 02Z, before dry conditions take place.
MVFR are expected across all area airports through late tonight and
becoming VFR just before day break on Monday. Northerly winds 10 to
20 knots and gusts up to 25 knots are expected through late tonight.

Wintry mix precipitation is expected to stay away of the I-35 sites
late this evening into Monday. The exception will be KDRT as
temperatures reach the freezing mark later tonight and an upper level
disturbance moves from west Texas into our area Monday morning. This
feature could produce light freezing rain/sleet for the morning
period. Will add this thinking to the KDRT TAF package later tonight.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 351 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2017/

SHORT TERM (Tonight through Monday Night)...
As of 3PM, temperatures were falling into the upper 20s for the
northernmost parts of Burnet and Llano counties with low 30s
extending across the rest of the Hill Country. Morning drizzle and
fog has decreased slightly over the last several hours and expect
that trend to continue as forecast soundings show the lowest 100 mb
drying steadily through the evening and overnight periods.

As a result, believe the window for freezing drizzle will be brief,
likely only lasting through about 8-9 PM tonight before drier air
filters in and prevents drizzle from reaching the ground. Should any
icing occur, it should be very minor, limited to exposed elevated
surfaces, as ground temperatures are still above freezing and should
stay that way through the evening. The drier air is also expected to
allow temperatures to drop somewhat quickly after dark and fall into
the upper teens and low 20s for the northern half of the CWA
tonight.

Hi-res models continue to advertise weak disturbances overnight out
west, perhaps enough to produce some freezing rain and sleet
overnight along the Rio Grande Plains. If this materializes early
enough in the night, this should all be rain, but later development
would likely be in the form of a mix of freezing rain and sleet since
temperatures would be allowed to fall to freezing out west.

Of more concern is the consistent signal for a last round of energy
to approach from the west tomorrow morning between 12Z and 18Z. Hi-
res and synoptic solutions materialize precip with varying coverage
details over the Big Bend region and spreading southwest across the
southwest half of the CWA. The timing of this development is key as
earlier in the morning would likely be all sleet (given the
maintained 4C warm nose around 700 mb), but if later in the morning,
temperatures may be able to rise to just above freezing and allow
rain to mix in with sleet. Sleet accumulations are expected to still
be minor, as mentioned in the previous forecast package, but there
has been an increasing trend in the TTU-WRF and 4 km NAM for sleet
over the course of the day, so monitoring of these trends is
important throughout the next 12 hours.

LONG TERM (Tuesday through Sunday)...
After the aforementioned winter precip chances end Monday afternoon,
the story of the long term will be the prolonged cold through at
least Wednesday, but sub-freezing mornings likely to persist through
Friday morning. We have opted to issue a long duration hard freeze
warning for the CWA through Wednesday morning to highlight this
prolonged period of cold temperatures.

By Wednesday, H5 pattern evolves into a northwest flow regime with
subtle shortwave passing over the state Thursday. All solutions keep
precip chances minimal through the end of the week. Next opportunity
for PoPs may be over the weekend as the GFS brings in light precip
under a developing ridge pattern, however both the Canadian and
ECMWF disagree.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Austin Camp Mabry              22  32  21  33  21 /  10  -    0   0   0
Austin Bergstrom Intl Airport  25  33  21  33  16 /  10  -    0   0   0
New Braunfels Muni Airport     25  32  23  34  19 /  10  20  -    0   0
Burnet Muni Airport            18  30  18  30  18 /  10   0   0   0   0
Del Rio Intl Airport           29  32  26  36  24 /  30  30   0   0   0
Georgetown Muni Airport        20  30  19  32  18 /  10   0   0   0   0
Hondo Muni Airport             27  33  24  36  20 /  20  30  10   0   0
San Marcos Muni Airport        24  33  21  33  19 /  10  20   0   0   0
La Grange - Fayette Regional   26  35  22  34  21 /  10  10   0  -   -
San Antonio Intl Airport       26  33  24  34  22 /  10  30  10   0   0
Stinson Muni Airport           29  34  26  35  22 /  20  30  10  -    0

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Hard Freeze Warning until noon CST Wednesday for the following
counties: Atascosa...Bandera...Bastrop...Bexar...Blanco...Burnet...
Caldwell...Comal...De Witt...Dimmit...Edwards...Fayette...Frio...
Gillespie...Gonzales...Guadalupe...Hays...Karnes...Kendall...Kerr...
Kinney...Lavaca...Lee...Llano...Maverick...Medina...Real...Travis...
Uvalde...Val Verde...Williamson...Wilson...Zavala.

&&

Mesoscale/Aviation...17
Synoptic/Grids...Williams
Public Service/Data Collection...30

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 8:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
810 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2017

TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-020215-
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-
810 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for South-Central Texas..

.DAY ONE...Rest of Tonight.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Burnet, Williamson and
Lee Counties through 10 PM this evening due to freezing drizzle
affecting parts of these counties. This activity should come to
an end over that area by 10 PM this evening. There still is a
slight chance of freezing drizzle and sleet rest of tonight west
of a line from Kerrville to San Antonio to Karnes City and north
of Pearsall to Quemado. Light ice accumulations on elevated
structures such as bridges and overpasses are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

New Year's Day there will be a chance for sleet west of a line
from Kerrville to San Antonio to Hallettsville. Light
accumulations are possible on bridges, overpasses, and other
elevated surfaces.

A hard freeze warning is in effect until Noon on Wednesday.

The coldest air of the season will move into the region with
temperatures falling below freezing across the entire area New
Year's Day morning. Temperatures across the Hill Country will stay
below freezing until sometime Wednesday. Low temperatures Tuesday
and Wednesday will in the middle teens in the Hill Country and
lower to middle 20s elsewhere.

Locations across the Hill Country could experience freezing
temperatures for more than 60 consecutive hours beginning New
Year's Eve. Some locations along the I-35 corridor from Austin to
San Antonio could experience freezing temperatures for 24 to 36
consecutive hours beginning early New Year's morning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Please report any winter precipitation to the National Weather
Service.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:36 PM CST, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
936 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2017

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

0931 PM     SNOW             1 S BRUSHY CREEK        30.50N 97.74W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   PUBLIC

            TWITTER VIDEO SHOWING LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES
            NEAR THE BRUSHY CREEK COMMUNITY CENTER.

&&

SBS

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:41 PM CST, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
941 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2017

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

0938 PM     SNOW             3 NE PFLUGERVILLE       30.47N 97.59W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW FLURRIES COMING DOWN
            NEAR TX45 AND TX-130 TOLL.

&&

SBS

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:47 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
947 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2017

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

0936 PM     SNOW             3 SSW JOLLYVILLE        30.41N 97.77W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES BEGAN AROUND 9PM NEAR
            SANS SOUCI PLACE AND SANS SOUCI COVE.

&&

SBS

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:50 PM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
950 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2017

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

0939 PM     SNOW             5 SSE JOLLYVILLE        30.37N 97.73W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES OBSERVED NEAR THRUSHWOOD
            DRIVE AND LITTLE LAURA DRIVE.

&&

SBS

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:52 PM CST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
952 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2017

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

0939 PM     SNOW             5 SSE JOLLYVILLE        30.37N 97.73W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES OBSERVED NEAR THRUSHWOOD
            DRIVE AND LITTLE LAURA DRIVE.

0938 PM     SNOW             3 NE PFLUGERVILLE       30.47N 97.59W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW FLURRIES COMING DOWN
            NEAR TX45 AND TX-130 TOLL.

0936 PM     SNOW             3 SSW JOLLYVILLE        30.41N 97.77W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES BEGAN AROUND 9PM NEAR
            SANS SOUCI PLACE AND SANS SOUCI COVE.

0931 PM     SNOW             1 S BRUSHY CREEK        30.50N 97.74W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   PUBLIC

            TWITTER VIDEO SHOWING LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES
            NEAR THE BRUSHY CREEK COMMUNITY CENTER.

0928 PM     SNOW             1 W CEDAR PARK          30.51N 97.85W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            LIGHT MIX OF SNOW FLURRIES AND ICE PELLETS
            NEAR N. LAKELINE BLVD AND FM1431.

0915 PM     SNOW             UTOPIA                  29.62N 99.53W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        UVALDE             TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

            SNOW FLURRIES INCREASING AT UTOPIA.

0907 PM     SNOW             1 NNW BURNET            30.77N 98.23W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        BURNET             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SNOW FLURRIES REPORTED AT 6TH AND SHERRARD
            STREET.

0905 PM     SNOW             DIME BOX                30.36N 96.82W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        LEE                TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES OBSERVED IN DIME BOX.

0856 PM     SNOW             1 S PFLUGERVILLE        30.43N 97.62W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        TRAVIS             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES REPORTED AT OXFORD DRIVE
            AND RAILROAD IN PFLUGERVILLE.

0853 PM     SNOW             1 SSW BURNET            30.74N 98.23W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        BURNET             TX   ASOS

            LIGHT SNOW REPORTED BY THE ASOS.

0845 PM     SNOW             2 N HUTTO               30.57N 97.54W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SNOW FLURRIES REPORTED NEAR RIO GRANDE AVE
            AND FM1660.

0837 PM     SNOW             1 SSW ROUND ROCK        30.51N 97.67W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES REPORTED IN ROUND ROCK.

0822 PM     SNOW             1 SE CEDAR PARK         30.51N 97.82W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   PUBLIC

            SNOW FLURRIES BEING REPORTED IN CEDAR PARK.

0817 PM     SNOW             TAYLOR                  30.57N 97.41W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LIGHT SNOW REPORTED IN TAYLOR.

0810 PM     SNOW             1 NNW JARRELL           30.82N 97.61W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LIGHT SNOW REPORTED AT JARRELL.

0748 PM     SNOW             1 ESE ANDERSON MILL     30.45N 97.79W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        WILLIAMSON         TX   PUBLIC

            SNOW FLURRIES SPOTTED NEAR ANDERSON MILL
            ROAD AND POND SPRINGS ROAD.

0739 PM     FREEZING RAIN    4 S JOLLYVILLE          30.39N 97.75W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       TRAVIS             TX   PUBLIC

            TWITTER PHOTO SHOWS WATER DROPS BEGINNING TO
            FREEZE ON ELEVATED METAL RAILING.

0650 PM     FREEZING RAIN    1 SE CEDAR PARK         30.51N 97.82W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       WILLIAMSON         TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            FREEZING DRIZZLE WAS OBSERVED.

0640 PM     FREEZING RAIN    1 NNE LEANDER           30.58N 97.85W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       WILLIAMSON         TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            PATCHY ICE BEING OBSERVED ON BRIDGES AND
            ROAD SURFACES. SEVERAL VEHICLES ARE SLIDING
            OFF ROADS BUT NO ACCIDENTS. TXDOT WORKING TO
            TREAT ROADWAYS.

0629 PM     FREEZING RAIN    SPICEWOOD               30.48N 98.16W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       BURNET             TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

            FREEZING RAIN REPORTED.

0615 PM     FREEZING RAIN    5 SSE FLORENCE          30.77N 97.75W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       WILLIAMSON         TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SLICK ROADS DEVELOPING FROM FREEZING DRIZZLE
            OR FREEZING RAIN MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 29
            IN NORTHERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY. THERE WERE
            REPORTS OF SOME VEHICLES SPINNING OUT BUT NO
            ACCIDENTS.

0539 PM     FREEZING RAIN    6 SW CEDAR CREEK        30.02N 97.56W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       BASTROP            TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

            FREEZING DRIZZLE REPORTED.

0532 PM     FREEZING RAIN    1 ESE ANDERSON MILL     30.45N 97.79W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       WILLIAMSON         TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURRING ON VEHICLE.

0512 PM     FREEZING RAIN    4 SSW WELLS BRANCH      30.39N 97.71W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       TRAVIS             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURRING ON VEHICLES IN
            PARKING LOT.

0512 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PFLUGERVILLE            30.44N 97.62W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       TRAVIS             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            FREEZING DRIZZLE OCCURRING ON EXPOSED
            SURFACES, BUT THE STREETS ARE DRY.

0453 PM     FREEZING RAIN    1 SSW BURNET            30.74N 98.24W
12/31/2017  U0.01 INCH       BURNET             TX   ASOS

            THE ASOS WAS REPORTING FREEZING RAIN.

0450 PM     FREEZING RAIN    9 W BANKERSMITH         30.11N 98.97W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       KERR               TX   PUBLIC

            ICE REPORTED ON SIDEWALKS AND FENCE LINES
            NEAR THE KENDALL COUNTY LINE.

0448 PM     SLEET            4 NNE HYE               30.30N 98.54W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        BLANCO             TX   COCORAHS

            REPORTING SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN.
            TEMPERATURE 29 DEGREES.

0420 PM     FREEZING RAIN    1 ENE ROLLINGWOOD       30.28N 97.77W
12/31/2017  U0.00 INCH       TRAVIS             TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            EMS REPORTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE IS SOME
            ICING CONDITIONS ON MOPAC RAMP AT CESAR
            CHAVEZ.

&&

Local storm report, Dec 31, 9:57 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
957 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2017

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

0951 PM     SNOW             LLANO                   30.75N 98.68W
12/31/2017  U0.0 INCH        LLANO              TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SNOW BEING REPORTED IN LLANO. ACCUMULATING
            ON THE GROUND BUT NOT ON THE ROADS OR
            SIDEWALKS.

&&

SBS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Williamson

When: December 31, 10:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Williamson forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.648, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, December 2017

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: 734850.