Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Texas, January 24, 2023

Name: Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Texas, January 24, 2023
Start: 2023-01-24T01:00
End: 2023-01-24T15:00
Location: Texas

January 24, 2023 · NWS LUB · 23 events in 22 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: 23

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 LUB wrote it up.

A potent mid-upper level storm system dropped into the desert southwest, then directed itself toward Texas on the 23rd and 24th. In advance of the system, cool air spread southward, setting the stage for a bout of wintry weather. The air at ground level was relatively dry but quickly moistened as the snow fell into the dry air from aloft. Temperatures at ground level were also several degrees above freezing as the precipitation began late in the evening on the 23rd. However, temperatures rapidly dropped to around the freezing mark as the air saturated. Given the relatively warm start to the wintery event, some locations experienced a brief period of rain and/or sleet before changing over to snow. Bands of moderate to heavy snow spread from west to east across the South Plains, southern Texas Panhandle, and Rolling Plains early on the 24th. With temperatures hovering right around the freezing mark, the snow had a high moisture content. In addition, when the snow intensity waned, many of the primary roadways were warm enough that much of the snow quickly melted, which helped mitigate travel issues. The snow continued to fall, occasionally moderate to heavy, through the morning and into the afternoon, before tapering off from west to east during the afternoon. The heaviest snow targeted the north-central and northeast South Plains into the southern Texas Panhandle and northwestern Rolling Plains. Only the southeastern Rolling Plains largely missed out on the significant snow because their temperatures were slightly too warm. Instead, they observed more cold rain and generally only a dusting of snow.

The highest snowfall totals per county per NWS cooperative weather observers are listed below:

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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 23, 10:29 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 23, 10:29 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
1029 PM CST Mon Jan 23 2023

...New AVIATION...

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Tuesday)
Issued at 215 PM CST Mon Jan 23 2023

An upper level low centered near Tucson is on track to make a
journey to southeast of El Paso at sunrise Tuesday to east of
Midland at noon Tuesday and to south of Wichita Falls by the end of
the day. This is historically the type of system and storm track to
favor the production of heavy snow across at least a portion of the
forecast area, and this particular system continues to appear no
different. Precipitation is expected to come in two phases. The
first is associated with the deep layer ascent in the increasingly
diffluent flow aloft ahead of the upper low, and the second is in
the deformation axis/TROWAL to the north of the low as it crosses
the Permian Basin to our south. Making this forecast somewhat tricky
is the lack of a solidly low level air mass with temperatures east
of the Caprock starting the event above freezing. Countering that is
mid-level temperatures in the warm nose that are likely to remain
below 0C. Precipitation is therefore "simplified" to just a question
of rain vs snow. Progged soundings in a range of model output
continue to favor initial rain east with a changeover to all snow
favored north toward Childress while possibly hanging onto a
rain/snow mix until relatively late in the event for the southern
Rolling Plains, awaiting the colder core of the mid/upper low to
arrive. On the Caprock the initial rain is likely to be brief as wet-
bulb cooling from sub-cloud evaporative/sublimative processes should
be efficient. The other significant issue is timing and location of
the development of precipitation in the deformation/TROWAL. Models
have consistently been slow to develop this region of the mature
cyclone, possibly because the low level inflow air that will get
lifted and wrapped into the system could end up being on the
drier/more stable side of the scale until the system gets further
east. While there may be some merit to this, storms of this scale
typically end up being rather efficient with their precipitation in
this region of the system, even when low level moisture is somewhat
scant. Will continue to lean toward the wetter side of things and
favoring the northern half of the forecast for the greatest
potential for 4+" snow amounts. The trend toward a colder low level
profile across the extreme southeastern Panhandle will support
greater snow production there, and we have extended the Winter Storm
Warning eastward to capture Hall, Childress, Motley, and Cottle
counties. Otherwise, no significant changes have been made to the
inherited forecast. Once again, we have narrowed the diurnal range
in temperatures for Tuesday by slightly raising the lows and lower
the highs from the NBM initialization given the cloud cover and
precipitation.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday night through next Sunday)
Issued at 1245 PM CST Mon Jan 23 2023

Snow will gradually taper off from west to east Tuesday night into
Wednesday as a upper trough and surface low depart the region. As
temperatures will remain well below freezing Wednesday morning,
icy road conditions will be likely during the morning commute.
Temperatures will rise to near 40 for much of the forecast area
during the day, but will quickly fall back below freezing
Wednesday night into Thursday. Thus, any remaining moisture on
roadways will refreeze and slick conditions will again be possible
for the Thursday morning commute. A slight warming trend will
begin on Friday as northwesterly flow aloft becomes more zonal.
Highs will return to near 60 by Saturday with more breezy
conditions. A colder airmass will build in from the north on
Sunday and temperatures will remain below average into the early
part of next week. Models are in generally good synoptic- scale
agreement and after the snowfall on Tuesday, dry conditions look
to persist for the foreseeable future.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1025 PM CST Mon Jan 23 2023

A winter storm system is set to impact the region beginning early
Tuesday morning and persist through Tuesday evening. The main
impacts will be light snowfall beginning early in the morning
before sunrise with low CIGS and visbys likely. Light snow is
expected to last all day although some variability is anticipated
in CIGS and visbys but mostly IFR can be expected at all TAF
sites. Improvements to flight conditions are not expected until
approximately 02-03Z Tuesday evening at KLBB and KPVW. The KCDS
terminal will likely see snow through 06Z.

&&

.LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Storm Warning until 9 PM CST Tuesday for TXZ021>032.

Winter Weather Advisory until 9 PM CST Tuesday for TXZ033>044.

&&

SHORT TERM...07
LONG TERM....19
AVIATION...01

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 23, 2:16 PM CST, 10 hours 44 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
216 PM CST Mon Jan 23 2023

TXZ021>044-242030-
Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd-
Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum-
Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall-
216 PM CST Mon Jan 23 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling
Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

A winter storm system will move into the area tonight. A Winter
Storm Warning has been issued starting at midnight, and continuing
until 9 PM on Tuesday for accumulating snow of four to six inches
across the southern Texas Panhandle and the northern portions of the
South Plains and Rolling Plains. A Winter Weather Advisory also runs
from midnight tonight to 9 PM on Tuesday for the remainder of the
South Plains and Rolling Plains for accumulating snow up to four
inches.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

After the storm system departs the area Tuesday evening, temperatures
will drop well below freezing both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
This may result in the refreezing of snow and ice on area roadways
and hazardous driving conditions lasting through Thursday morning.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 heavy snow, 9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Parmer

When: January 24, 1:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Parmer forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.530, -102.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cottle

When: January 24, 1:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Cottle forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.078, -100.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Yoakum

When: January 24, 1:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Yoakum forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.173, -102.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Bailey

When: January 24, 1:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Bailey forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.069, -102.830 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Castro

When: January 24, 2:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Castro forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.530, -102.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lamb

When: January 24, 2:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Lamb forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.069, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hockley

When: January 24, 2:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hockley forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.608, -102.343 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Terry

When: January 24, 2:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Terry forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.174, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dickens

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Dickens forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.617, -100.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Swisher

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Swisher forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.530, -101.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lubbock

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Lubbock forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.610, -101.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hale

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Hale forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.071, -101.827 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Briscoe

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Briscoe forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.530, -101.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Floyd

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Floyd forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.072, -101.303 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Crosby

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Crosby forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.615, -101.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hall

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.531, -100.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Motley

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Motley forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.074, -100.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Childress

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Childress forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.529, -100.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cottle

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Cottle forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 34.078, -100.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Garza

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Garza forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.180, -101.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Kent

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Kent forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.181, -100.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lynn

When: January 24, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Lynn forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.177, -101.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, King

When: January 24, 4:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: King forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 33.617, -100.256 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, January 2023

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: 1069949, 1069984, 1069991, 1069994, 1069946, 1069950, 1069986, 1069993, 1069948, 1069951, 1069964, 1069975, 1069976, 1069977, 1069978, 1069979, 1069980, 1069981, 1069982, 1069985, 1069987, 1069990, 1069988.