The forcing of an approaching upper trough and jet streak allowed precipitation falling through a deep enough sub freezing lower layer to turn to snow. The heaviest snow fell across the northwestern CWA the evening of the 7th with measurable snow across the central and southern forecast area occurring during the early morning hours of the 8th.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 HGX wrote it up.
The forcing of an approaching upper trough and jet streak allowed precipitation falling through a deep enough sub freezing lower layer to turn to snow. The heaviest snow fell across the northwestern CWA the evening of the 7th with measurable snow across the central and southern forecast area occurring during the early morning hours of the 8th.
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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 7, 3:58 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
358 PM CST Thu Dec 7 2017
.DISCUSSION...
Challenging forecast tonight with possibility of wet snow for
many areas and freezing temperatures for northern half of the
area. Current...light rain is occurring with temperatures mainly
in the lower to mid 40s. Sounding from UH and StormGeo showing
mostly subfreezing conditions aloft with freezing level only 2500
feet. Surface based warm layer enough for now keeping
precipitation all rain across the forecast area. Surface wet bulbs
also generally well above freezing attm. Lower dewpoint air
poised over northern counties should advect southward tonight. At
the same time upper trough and jet streak with associated lift
progged to migrate cross the area. This feature should bring
another band of precip across at least southern portions of the
area tonight. As this occurs there looks to be a small window
where temperature profiles, lift and adequate moisture coincide
for a period of wet snow over southern two tiers of counties.
Farther north will likely be some snowflakes as well but moisture
more limited so would expect just some flurries north.
Precipitation should push offshore tomorrow morning. Expect little
or no accumulation from the snow given warm boundary layer
temperatures. Cant rule out a small slushy accumulation if a
heavier band develops mainly on grassy areas over SW zones.
Other issue tonight...a fairly widespread freeze expected for at
least northern half of forecast area. A freeze warning has been
issued for those areas.
Beyond tonight forecast relatively straight forward with ridge
building in aloft and surface high pressure. Another cold night
expected Friday night then a moderating trend.
18
&&
.Marine...
Strong offshore winds and elevated seas will continue, rough seas
and periods of rain will persist through early Friday morning.
Winds and seas will begin a slow fall beginning on Friday, but
remain in an offshore direction into next week. 47
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
College Station (CLL) 30 52 34 62 34 / 20 0 0 0 0
Houston (IAH) 34 49 34 61 36 / 50 10 0 0 0
Galveston (GLS) 39 51 43 61 47 / 90 30 0 0 0
&&
.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM CST Friday for the following
zones: Galveston Bay...Matagorda Bay.
Gale Watch through late tonight for the following zones: Coastal
waters from Freeport to the Matagorda Ship Channel out 20
NM...Coastal waters from High Island to Freeport out 20 NM.
Gale Warning until 6 AM CST Friday for the following zones:
Waters from Freeport to the Matagorda Ship Channel from 20
to 60 NM...Waters from High Island to Freeport from 20 to
60 NM.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow, 3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Approximately 4 to 6 inches of snow fell across the Brazos River Valley.
One and a half inches of snow was measured in Brenham.
There was four inches of snow measured in Trinity.
Approximately an inch of snow fell in Hempstead.
Two inches of snow was measured in Huntsville.
One to three inches of snow was measured in East Bernard, El Campo and Wharton.
One to two inches of snow was measured in Oak Ridge North, Conroe and Porter Heights.
There were numerous reports of snow in and around Houston ranging from around an inch to slightly over three inches.
One to two inches of snow was measured across the eastern side of the county.
One to three inches of snow were measured around Pearland, Alvin and the Lake Jackson area.
Approximately an inch to slightly under two inches of snow was measured around League City and Dickinson.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2017
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: 728636, 728638, 729412, 728640, 729410, 729414, 729415, 729411, 729413, 729416, 729417.