A winter storm dumped heavy snow from Roscoe south to Sterling City, Barnhart and Ozona. This storm also produced a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow over the remainder of West Central Texas.
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 SJT wrote it up.
A winter storm dumped heavy snow from Roscoe south to Sterling City, Barnhart and Ozona. This storm also produced a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow over the remainder of West Central Texas. The freezing rain that fell before the snow was heavy enough to result in scattered tree limb damage and power outages across the area. However, Coleman County was hardest hit by the ice that left many without power. Most of the snow ended south of Interstate 20 before midnight, but some of the snow continued into New Years Day mainly along and north of Interstate 20. The ice and snow also made travel difficult across the area.
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 Dec 30, 10:52 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Angelo TX 1052 PM CST Wed Dec 30 2020 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Thursday Night) Issued at 239 PM CST Wed Dec 30 2020 ...Significant Winter Storm to Impact West Central Texas... Visible satellite this afternoon shows cloudy skies. A cold front moved through the region early this morning, producing north winds of 15-25 mph with gusts to 35 mph, with cold temperatures ranging from the mid 30s to low 40s. Wate vapor satellite imagery shows a cut-off low over the Sonora Mexico region, moving east-southeast, with mid and upper level moisture wrapping up around the eastern side of the low. Radar shows isolated to scattered light rain showers occurring in advance of this low this afternoon, mostly across the Big Country. Models continue to be fairly consistent with showing the cut-off upper low moving south of our region late tonight through Thursday morning before becoming negatively tilted (which indicates strengthening) and moving northeast through the I-35 corridor Thursday afternoon and evening. Meanwhile, at the surface, cold- air advection will continue to bring gradually colder temperatures to the region through Thursday, with temperatures tonight falling into the upper 20s/low 30s, highs tomorrow only in the low to mid 30s, and lows Thursday night dipping into the 20s. At the 850 mb level, a warm nose of air will likely result in full or partial melting of snowflakes, while a fairly thick freezing layer below that could result in refreezing to sleet and/or freezing rain tonight through early Thursday afternoon. Then, a transition to all snow will likely gradually occur from west to east during the day Thursday and Thursday evening as the warm nose dissipates. As the low moves south of our region, much of our area, particularly the southern half, will be in the deformation zone where heavy precipitation (and snow) would be favorable. As the low moves northeast, moisture will wrap around the northern and western quadrants of the low and precipitation rates will increase with the low strengthening, so although it will be a brief period of snow up in the Big Country and Heartland, snow rates could be pretty heavy and could result in quickly rising snow accumulations (around 2-6 inches), so the Winter Storm Watch has been expanded to include the rest of the Big Country and Heartland. Meanwhile, the existing Winter Storm Watch in the central and western Concho Valley, Northern Edwards Plateau, Northwest Hill Country, and Nolan county,has been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, for potential snow amounts of 3-6 inches and locally 9 inches in our extreme southwest counties. There could also be freezing rain Thursday before the transition to all snow, possibly resulting in light ice accumulations. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through next Wednesday) Issued at 146 PM CST Wed Dec 30 2020 ...Dry and Warming... The long term forecast remains essentially unchanged. After a cold start to the new year, a slow warming trend will begin late this weekend. By Monday, the warming trend will produce afternoon highs back above those more usual, for early January. By mid week, afternoon highs will continue warmer than usual. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1040 PM CST Wed Dec 30 2020 Look for the ongoing precipitation to continue transitioning from rain to a wintry mix overnight tonight. The terminals will likely be IFR to LIFR with little improvement. Expect winds to remain breezy with winds continuing to come from the north. Expect visibility to drop at times throughout the TAF period. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 30 33 28 41 / 70 90 80 0 San Angelo 29 34 26 43 / 100 100 50 0 Junction 31 37 25 48 / 100 100 30 0 Brownwood 32 35 30 45 / 90 100 70 0 Sweetwater 29 33 28 42 / 70 90 70 0 Ozona 30 34 24 41 / 100 100 30 0 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Watch from 6 AM CST Thursday through Thursday evening for Brown-Callahan-Coleman-Concho-Fisher-Haskell-Jones- Mason-McCulloch-Runnels-San Saba-Shackelford-Taylor-Throckmorton. Winter Storm Warning until 6 PM CST Thursday for Coke-Crockett- Irion-Kimble-Menard-Nolan-Schleicher-Sterling-Sutton-Tom Green. && SHORT TERM...SJH LONG TERM....23 AVIATION...41
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service San Angelo TX 243 PM CST Wed Dec 30 2020 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-312045- 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- 243 PM CST Wed Dec 30 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms are likely through tonight, producing dangerous lightning and perhaps some small hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Winter Storm Watches and Warnings have been issued for the West Central Texas region for Thursday. Heavy snow, in addition to freezing rain and sleet, are likely to lead to very hazardous driving conditions. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. Please relay any information about observed weather to the NWS while following all local, state and CDC guidelines.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 winter weather, 9 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer in San Saba measured 3 inches of snow.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer in Mason measured 2.6 inches of snow.
About 2 to 3 inches of snow was reported by the public. The county judge reported tree limbs were down throughout the county by the ice that fell prior to the snow.
Heavy snow fell across Crockett County. Crockett County Sheriff's Department reported 6 inches of snow in Ozona.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer reported 4 inches of snow 2 miles northeast of Glencove. Social media reported about 3 to 4 inches of snow fell across Coleman County. According to Coleman Electric, the combination of ice and snow left a large percentage of their service area, without power due to broken poles, broken lines, and blown fuses. The weather conditions have made power restoration to all their members very slow.
National Weather Service Cooperative observer measured an inch of snow in Brownood. |The Brownwood News showed a measurement near 2 inches. A member of the public reported an isolated amount of 5.8 inches in extreme eastern Brown County.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer in Brady measured 1.8 inches of snow.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer in Menard measured 3 inches of snow.
National Weather Service Observer measured 3 inches of snow in Abilene.
National Weather Service Observer in Putnam measured two inches of snow.
Heavy snow fell across the western portions and the higher elevations of Tom Green County. Water Valley reported 6 inches while two National Weather Service employees reported 5 inches in Christoval. Lower elevations near San Angelo reported about 2 to 3 inches of snow. Freezing light rain that fell before the snow caused some limbs to break around Christoval.
A mixture of very heavy sleet and heavy snow fell across Sterling County. The Sheriff's Office reported around 9 inches of snow in Sterling City.
Heavy snow fell across Irion County. National Weather Service Cooperative Observers reported 6 inches of snow in Mertzon and 4 inches 3 miles east southeast of Arden. A member of the public in Barnhart reported 8 inches, while another member of the public in Sherwood reported 7 inches of snow.
A mixture of sleet and heavy snow fell across Coke County. A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer reported about 5 inches of snow 11 miles north northeast of Water Valley.
A National Weather Service Observer measured 4 inches of snow in Eldorado.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer measured 4 inches of snow in Roscoe.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer located 1 mile north northeast of Winters reported 3.5 inches of snow.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer located in Eden measured 4 inches of snow.
National Weather Service Cooperative observer measured an inch of snow in Haskell. Another cooperative observer measured 3 inches 11 miles east of Weinert.
National Weather Service Cooperative observers measured 3 inches of snow in Stamford and about 0.2 inches in Anson.
National Weather Service Cooperative observer and law enforcement measured 2 inches of snow in Roby.
Kimble County Sheriff's Department reported 2.5 inches of snow in Junction.
Law enforcement officials reported about 2 to 3 inches of snow in Throckmorton.
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer measured an inch of snow in Albany.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2020
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: 934353, 934438, 934440, 932233, 934563, 935027, 934462, 934351, 934537, 934545, 932206, 932210, 932228, 934304, 934446, 934284, 934334, 934343, 934321, 934331, 934488, 934443, 934327, 934329.