An abrupt temperature change to very cold temperatures occurred in the middle of January with an Arctic cold front passage. Temperatures plunged to morning lows of 5 to 10 degrees across the Big Country and northwest Concho Valley, and mostly 10 to 15 degrees across the Heartland area and south to the Interstate 10 corridor.
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 SJT wrote it up.
An abrupt temperature change to very cold temperatures occurred in the middle of January with an Arctic cold front passage. Temperatures plunged to morning lows of 5 to 10 degrees across the Big Country and northwest Concho Valley, and mostly 10 to 15 degrees across the Heartland area and south to the Interstate 10 corridor. In addition, bitterly cold wind chill values were -5 to -12 degrees across the northern half of the area in the overnight hours of January 13th-14th. Afternoon temperatures were only in the teens across most of the area north of Interstate 10 on January 14th. In addition, light wintry precipitation occurred on January 14th, with light snow in the Concho Valley, and freezing drizzle in the Heartland and Northwest Hill Country areas.
The very cold airmass remained over the area Jan. 15-16, when a strong, cold high pressure system shifted south across the Plains and into Texas. Morning lows Jan. 15 were 5-10 degrees across the Big Country, and generally 10-15 degrees elsewhere. Morning lows Jan. 16 were only a couple of degrees higher than on the 15th. A record low temperature was tied at San Angelo (15 degrees) on the 16th. Temperatures were below freezing across most of the area from the night of Jan. 13 to the late morning|and midday hours of Jan. 17.
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 13, 5:28 PM CST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Angelo TX 528 PM CST Sat Jan 13 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 244 PM CST Sat Jan 13 2024 ...Turning bitterly cold, with a light wintry mix possible Sunday afternoon through Monday morning... The big weather story is of course the arctic cold front that will bring bitterly cold temperatures to the region. As of 2 PM, the front was crossing the I-20 corridor, with Abilene reporting gusty north winds. The front will surge south through the remainder of the afternoon hours and should exit the I-10 corridor by early evening. Gusty north winds will follow the front, along with rapidly falling temperatures. Temperatures will fall into the teens and 20s by midnight, with overnight lows ranging from 10 degrees across the Big Country, to the lower 20s along the I-10 corridor. Wind chill readings by daybreak will range between zero to minus 5 degrees across the Big Country and mainly in the single digits elsewhere late tonight and early Sunday morning. A wind Chill Advisory will remain in effect for the Big Country tonight through noon tomorrow due to sub-zero wind chills. Although winds will diminish across the area tomorrow, temperatures will be very cold, with afternoon highs ranging from the lower 20s across the Big Country, to the upper 20s and lower 30s over far southern sections. Far southwest counties (Crockett and Sutton) may see a bit warmer temperatures, with highs in the mid/upper 30s. Cloud cover will increase tomorrow, with some light post frontal precipitation expected to develop by tomorrow afternoon, primarily south of Interstate 20. Will keep mentionable POPs (20 percent) confined to southeast sections tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow night, where a combination of light freezing rain and sleet is expected. Elsewhere, some light freezing drizzle is possible farther west across the Concho Valley and northern Edwards Plateau tomorrow afternoon and evening. At this time it appears that any ice accumulations will be light, but even light accumulations with such cold temperatures will result in some travel impacts. Thee most favored area to see measurable ice accumulations will be across the Heartland and northwest Hill Country counties, where a few hundredths to perhaps as much as 1/10 inch is possible. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for this area from noon tomorrow through noon on Monday. Temperatures will be very cold again Sunday night, with overnight lows mainly in the teens. At this time, it appears that wind chill readings will remain above zero Sunday night, so will not extend the current Wind Chill Advisory for the Big Country at this time. && .LONG TERM... (Monday through next Saturday) Issued at 157 PM CST Sat Jan 13 2024 ...Bitterly cold temperatures through Tuesday with widespread sub-zero wind chills Tuesday Morning. Warming trend expected through Thursday before another arctic surge Friday... By 12Z Monday, the bulk of the light precipitation should be east of our area, though far eastern portions of the Heartland and NW Hill Country could see a lingering light wintry mix into the late morning hours. Skies for the rest of the afternoon should stay overcast for much of the area, leaving most places with highs below freezing in the 20s. Areas mainly in the Northern Edwards Plateau could begin to see some clearing and hence slightly warmer highs in the mid 30s. A secondary upper trough axis swings through the Southern Plains Tuesday which will work alongside the surface high in northeast Texas to keep the cold air firmly entrenched over the area. Though lows Tuesday morning will be similar to Monday morning in the single digits to low 10s, apparent temperatures will be much colder with almost the entire area seeing the potential for sub-zero wind chills. Should this trend continue, and we expect it will, a Wind Chill Advisory will likely be needed for all of West Central Texas Tuesday Morning. With the cold air well in place, highs Tuesday will struggle to reach freezing areawide with most places seeing highs in the upper 20s to low 30s. Skies will begin to clear during the afternoon allowing for some weak diurnal warming by the afternoon hours. As the surface high begins the drift east late Tuesday into Wednesday, winds are expected to veer back to the south, re- introducing warm air advection into the area. This will allow for a warming trend Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will warm above freezing across the area Wednesday with highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s and by Thursday into the upper 50s to mid 60s. Unfortunately, this warm up will be brief as another cold front is expected to move through the area late Thursday into early Friday with another strong Alberta high dropping south into the Central Plains, pushing cold arctic air back into the region. The good news is that this arctic surge looks weaker and shorter-lived than the one we're seeing this weekend. No precipitation is expected with this front either meaning no winter impacts are currently anticipated with this late week system. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 457 PM CST Sat Jan 13 2024 Cold front will move through KSJT at 00Z, KBBD at 1Z, KSOA and KJCT around 2Z. Gusty north winds 20 to 24 kts expected with the frontal passage, but winds will diminish overnight. Marginal MVFR ceilings otherwise develop Sunday morning across the terminals. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 11 24 14 24 / 0 10 10 0 San Angelo 17 28 15 28 / 0 10 10 0 Junction 21 30 17 32 / 0 10 20 10 Brownwood 15 27 15 26 / 0 20 20 20 Sweetwater 12 22 15 23 / 0 10 10 0 Ozona 20 37 20 37 / 0 10 10 0 Brady 17 28 17 26 / 0 20 20 10 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Chill Advisory from 11 PM this evening to noon CST Sunday for Callahan-Fisher-Haskell-Jones-Nolan-Shackelford-Taylor- Throckmorton. Winter Weather Advisory from noon Sunday to noon CST Monday for Brown-Coleman-Concho-Kimble-Mason-McCulloch-Menard-San Saba. && SHORT TERM...24 LONG TERM....50 AVIATION...04
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service San Angelo TX 250 PM CST Sat Jan 13 2024 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-142100- 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- 250 PM CST Sat Jan 13 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A Wind Chill Advisory will be in effect across the Big Country for Saturday night and Sunday morning. Winds chills will be at, or below, zero. Elsewhere, wind chills will be in the single digits. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday A prolonged period of below freezing temperatures will continue on Sunday and remain in place through Wednesday morning. Wind chills Tuesday morning will be sub-zero across the area and a Wind Chill Advisory will likely be needed areawide. A wintry mix of freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet will be possible Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon. Slick spots on roads and bridges are possible. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from Noon Sunday through Noon Monday for the Heartland, NW Hill Country, and Eastern Concho Valley. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Haskell County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Nolan County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Callahan County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across McCulloch County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Tom Green County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Jones County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Fisher County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Taylor County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Coke County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Coleman County on January 13-14.
Wind Chill values ranged from -5 to -12 degrees across Brown County on January 13-14.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 2024
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: 1158103, 1158104, 1158105, 1158106, 1158107, 1158108, 1158109, 1158110, 1158113, 1158115, 1158117.