Light freezing drizzle and light freezing rain started in West Central Texas mainly around midnight on January 2nd, and continued off and on through the morning of January 3. A glaze of ice formed on area roadways as temperatures ranged from 26 degrees in the north near Haskell to 32 degrees in the south along Interstate 10.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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 SJT wrote it up.
Light freezing drizzle and light freezing rain started in West Central Texas mainly around midnight on January 2nd, and continued off and on through the morning of January 3. A glaze of ice formed on area roadways as temperatures ranged from 26 degrees in the north near Haskell to 32 degrees in the south along Interstate 10. Sleet and light snow mixed with the precipitation at times especially along and north of a line from Sweetwater to Brownwood. This wintry precipitation made area roadways very hazardous and led to many accidents across the area and resulted in the closing of offices on January 2. Another area of freezing rain and sleet moved across West Central during the night of the January 2, and into the early morning hours of January 3.
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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 1, 11:00 PM CST, 1 hour earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Angelo TX 1100 PM CST Tue Jan 1 2019 .AVIATION... /06Z TAFS/ IFR to LIFR conditions are currently sitting across all of the terminals. These IFR ceilings were left for the remainder of the forecast period as further saturation is expected along with the start of precipitation. Most of the freezing rain is forecast to start around 6z to 8z and continue through most of the TAF period. Current observations at 5z show precipitation developing across areas south of KJCT and KBBD already, so the timing on the precipitation remained unchanged. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 530 PM CST Tue Jan 1 2019/ AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ IFR conditions are currently sitting across all of the terminals. These IFR ceilings were left for the remainder of the forecast period as further saturation is expected along with the start of precipitation. Most of the freezing rain is forecast to start around 6z to 8z and continue through most of the TAF period. PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 316 PM CST Tue Jan 1 2019/ SHORT TERM... (Today through Thursday Afternoon) .Freezing Rain Likely Wednesday... A cold front moved through the region early this morning, bringing gusty northeast winds and broken to overcast low clouds. Surface high pressure moving in, continued northerly winds bringing more cold air, and partly to mostly cloudy skies today will result in highs only reaching the low 30s in the Big Country, mid to upper 30s in the Concho Valley/Heartland, and upper 30s to low 40s along the I-10 corridor. An upper level low pressure system will move into Arizona tonight, while over our region southeasterly isentropic lift will likely bring areas of light precipitation, mainly after midnight, with an initial focus over our southeastern counties. Overnight lows tonight will be cold once again, down into the mid to upper 20s, with wind chills in the teens in many areas. The low will move east into New Mexico during the day Wednesday, with light precipitation continuing across the region. The low will then move into the Permian Basin late Wednesday night, with models showing additional light to potentially moderate precipitation over the northern half of the forecast area as the low moves east over the Big Country during the day Thursday. Due to surface temperatures near or below freezing with a warm layer aloft late Tuesday night and Wednesday, precipitation looks likely to fall mostly in the form of freezing rain or drizzle (although southern counties may warm up enough to see a regular cold rain transition during the day Wednesday), with potential ice accumulations of generally 0.05-0.10 inches. The moist layer deepens and cools enough on Thursday as the core of the low approaches and moves through, that snow will be a good possibility across the Big Country that day, and possibly down into the Concho Valley and Heartland as well. Issued Winter Weather Advisories for the entire forecast area (except Crockett County, as models show less precipitation in that county) which go into effect early Wednesday morning and continue through late Wednesday night (which is when the ice threat ends) for locations south of the Big Country. Meanwhile, the advisory continues for the Big Country through Thursday afternoon due to potential light snow accumulations of 1-2 inches (or possibly higher) on Thursday. Needless to say, it will continue to be cold, with highs Wednesday hovering around (or just above) freezing, lows Wednesday night in the mid to upper 20s, and highs Thursday only in the 40s (likely colder in the Big Country). LONG TERM... (Thursday Night through Tuesday) .Warmer with Possible Rain... As the upper system moves farther east, warp-around moisture may continue to produce snow, across our northeastern Big Country; otherwise, temperatures will warm beginning Friday and the warmer temperatures will continue into the start of next week. In addition, another upper-level system may bring rain showers for Sunday night into Monday; however, confidence isn't very high regarding available moisture. Thus, continuing only slight chance PoPs looks best for now. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 30 26 29 27 / 0 20 70 50 San Angelo 33 27 30 27 / 0 30 70 50 Junction 40 30 34 28 / 0 50 80 60 Brownwood 36 29 32 28 / 0 40 90 60 Sweetwater 28 25 28 28 / 0 10 50 50 Ozona 38 27 31 27 / 0 20 50 40 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 3 AM Wednesday to 6 PM CST Thursday for Callahan-Fisher-Haskell-Jones-Nolan-Shackelford-Taylor- Throckmorton. Winter Weather Advisory from 3 AM Wednesday to 6 AM CST Thursday for Brown-Coke-Coleman-Concho-Irion-Kimble-Mason-McCulloch- Menard-Runnels-San Saba-Schleicher-Sterling-Sutton-Tom Green. && 41
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service San Angelo TX 418 PM CST Tue Jan 1 2019 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-022230- Fisher-Nolan-Sterling-Coke-Runnels-Irion-Tom Green-Concho- Crockett-Schleicher-Sutton-Haskell-Throckmorton-Jones-Shackelford- Taylor-Callahan-Coleman-Brown-McCulloch-San Saba-Menard-Kimble- Mason- 418 PM CST Tue Jan 1 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Light freezing rain will develop across the region after midnight Tonight. Light ice accumulations will likely result in hazardous travel conditions for motorists through daybreak Wednesday. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect 3 am Wednesday for all counties except Crockett County. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Light freezing rain is likely across the region Wednesday into Wednesday night. Light ice accumulations will likely result in hazardous travel conditions for motorists. A transition to snow on Thursday could result in snow accumulations across the Big Country, which would continue the potential for hazardous road conditions. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect 3 am Wednesday for all counties except Crockett County. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
About 90 accidents occurred in Abilene from January 2 through January 3 because of the icy roads. In addition, all city offices closed at Noon on January 2.
AWOS reported freezing drizzle in Coleman.
Several accidents were reported in Runnels County on the morning of January 2 because of icy roadways.
A major wreck occurred on U.S. Highway 83 between Menard and Eden that claimed three lives. These accidents were attributed to the icy roads. A total of eleven wrecks occurred in Menard County on January 2. Two of the wrecks occurred on U.S. 190 about 10 miles west of Menard.
U.S. 83 from Eden to Menard had ice on the roadway.
Brady AWOS reported light freezing rain.
Sonora AWOS reported freezing drizzle in Sonora.
Highway 158 from Sterling City to Midland became icy.
Over thirty traffic accidents occurred in San Angelo on January 2. Many offices had late starts in San Angelo.
Kimble County Sheriff's Office reported freezing rain on I-10.
Department of Public Safety and Texas State Technical closed their facilities in Sweetwater on January 2 because of freezing rain and sleet on the roadways.
Department of Public Safety closed their facility in Fisher County on January 2 because of freezing rain and sleet on the roadways.
Department of Public Safety closed their facility in Anson on January 2 because of freezing rain and sleet on the roadways.
Department of Public Safety closed their office in Albany on January 2 Department of Public Safety because of freezing rain and sleet on the roadways.
Department of Public Safety closed their office in Callahan County on January 2 because of freezing rain and sleet on the roadways.
Department of Public Safety and Texas State Technical closed their facilities in Brownwood on January 2 because of freezing rain and sleet on the roadways.
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 Weather, Menard | 2019-01-02 | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct | ||
| Winter Weather, Menard | 2019-01-02 | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct | ||
| Winter Weather, Menard | 2019-01-02 | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 2019
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: 804240, 804252, 804328, 804253, 804444, 804445, 804446, 804447, 804545, 804546, 804549, 804699, 804441, 804547, 804548, 804241, 804322, 804323, 804324, 804325, 804326, 804327, 804250.