February: Clear Skies & Moderating Temps To End The Month

[Andrew]

I amazing what a nice short wave can do. Was looking at analysis last night and 300mb definitely looked pretty noisy with a lot of upper level divergence across West Texas. Really translated well as it moved East and could tap into better moisture profiles from the Gulf

[Mr. T]

Snow grains lightly covering some roofs and cars... Pretty surprised!

[Andrew]

More pics

[wthrwave]

Very cool white stuff here; looks like sleet, feels like snow. Got a good close-up shot, but can't find the file, duh, maybe later.

[nuby3]

Good source reported heavy snow shower in Huntsville

[nuby3]

31 here dew point 24. I am right at the intersection of Spring Creek and I-45

[Kingwood31]

Well.played.mother nature. WELL.PLAYED

[djmike]

HEAVY SNOW IN BEAUMONT!!!!! Just goes to show ANYTHING can happen!!! No matter how hard we study graphs, maps and models!!!! I agree with the above post! WELL PLAYED MOTHER NATURE, WELL PLAYED.....

[Kingwood31]

Wonder where txjohn is..think he's making a snow angel? Lol

[snowman65]

Snow/rain/sleet mix here in Bridge City.

[nuby3]

the better one will be on Friday I think. just my amateur opinion. based on what I've observed

...TWO ROUNDS OF LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE TODAY INTO
FRIDAY...

COLD TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AN
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS TEXAS THIS MORNING TO
GENERATE A BRIEF PERIOD OF MAINLY LIGHT SNOW. HOWEVER...A BAND OF
LIGHT SLEET AND LIGHT SNOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SAN ANTONIO TO
BASTROP TO GIDDINGS AREAS. A DUSTING OF SNOW AND SLEET CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS BAND. ELSEWHERE...NO ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
CAN BE EXPECTED. THE SLEET AND SNOW WILL END BY NOON AS THE
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES AWAY FROM OUR AREA. TEMPERATURES
WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 40 WITH MOST AREAS ONLY WARMING INTO THE
30S.

ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS TEXAS ON FRIDAY
TO GENERATE LIGHT DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE. TEMPERATURES
WILL BE BELOW FREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WITH PRECIPITATION
STARTING OUT AS FREEZING DRIZZLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT FREEZING
DRIZZLE COULD EXTEND FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE MORNING.
TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY RISE TO ABOVE FREEZING BY MIDDAY CHANGING
THE FREEZING DRIZZLE TO DRIZZLE. THE DRIZZLE WILL END DURING THE
AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. PRECIPITATION RATES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
VERY LIGHT...WITH LITTLE OR NO ICE ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
HOWEVER...EVEN A LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION ON ROADWAYS...BRIDGES AND
OVERPASSES CAN MAKE THEM HAZARDOUS. SOME LIGHT GLAZING OF ICE ON
WINDSHIELDS AND OTHER EXPOSED OBJECTS IS AGAIN POSSIBLE.

THE COLD AND BREEZY CONDITIONS BRING OTHER CONCERNS FOR PEOPLE...
PETS...PLANTS...AND PIPES WITH PROLONGED PERIODS BELOW FREEZING
AND WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS AND 20S. STAY UP TO DATE
WITH THE FORECAST...AND PREPARE FOR MORE COLD TEMPERATURES AND
POSSIBLE WINTER WEATHER ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

$$

[srainhoutx]

the better one will be on Friday I think. just my amateur opinion. based on what I've observed

...TWO ROUNDS OF LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE TODAY INTO
FRIDAY...

COLD TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AN
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS TEXAS THIS MORNING TO
GENERATE A BRIEF PERIOD OF MAINLY LIGHT SNOW. HOWEVER...A BAND OF
LIGHT SLEET AND LIGHT SNOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SAN ANTONIO TO
BASTROP TO GIDDINGS AREAS. A DUSTING OF SNOW AND SLEET CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS BAND. ELSEWHERE...NO ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
CAN BE EXPECTED. THE SLEET AND SNOW WILL END BY NOON AS THE
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES AWAY FROM OUR AREA. TEMPERATURES
WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 40 WITH MOST AREAS ONLY WARMING INTO THE
30S.

ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS TEXAS ON FRIDAY
TO GENERATE LIGHT DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE. TEMPERATURES
WILL BE BELOW FREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WITH PRECIPITATION
STARTING OUT AS FREEZING DRIZZLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT FREEZING
DRIZZLE COULD EXTEND FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE MORNING.
TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY RISE TO ABOVE FREEZING BY MIDDAY CHANGING
THE FREEZING DRIZZLE TO DRIZZLE. THE DRIZZLE WILL END DURING THE
AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. PRECIPITATION RATES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
VERY LIGHT...WITH LITTLE OR NO ICE ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
HOWEVER...EVEN A LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION ON ROADWAYS...BRIDGES AND
OVERPASSES CAN MAKE THEM HAZARDOUS. SOME LIGHT GLAZING OF ICE ON
WINDSHIELDS AND OTHER EXPOSED OBJECTS IS AGAIN POSSIBLE.

THE COLD AND BREEZY CONDITIONS BRING OTHER CONCERNS FOR PEOPLE...
PETS...PLANTS...AND PIPES WITH PROLONGED PERIODS BELOW FREEZING
AND WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS AND 20S. STAY UP TO DATE
WITH THE FORECAST...AND PREPARE FOR MORE COLD TEMPERATURES AND
POSSIBLE WINTER WEATHER ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

$$

You can already see the next disturbance quickly trekking E across Southern California via water vapor imagery.

[redneckweather]

Still light snow flurries here in central Montgomery County. Probably will be spitting them out here and there for a few more hours. Very nice.

Looks like Friday night will be a cold rain? Next week looks interesting.

[djmike]

Still snowing in Beaumont! THIS sure beats ice any day! Even if it not accumilating!!
Can someone elaborate on whats supposed to happen Friday? More cold? Sleet? Snow? Rain? Or Fun-derstorms?

[djmike]

Our met here is stressing to everyone its just graupel!! Well, I have to disagree, yes some of it is, but everything else Im seeing is FLOATING left, right, UP and down...I dont think graupel floats up! Anyway...

[nuby3]

snowing today out west of here as well....

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?prod ... t&loop=yes

returns increasing over central Texas....

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?prod ... k&loop=yes

[redneckweather]

Our met here is stressing to everyone its just graupel!! Well, I have to disagree, yes some of it is, but everything else Im seeing is FLOATING left, right, UP and down...I dont think graupel floats up! Anyway...

It's mainly graupel (which is nice) with snow flurries mixed in. Right now I'm just getting stray snow flurries.

[srainhoutx]

Update from Jeff:

Winter precipitation ending across the area.

Temperatures remain below freezing from Katy to Cypress to The Woodlands to Kingwood with minor accumulation of snow/sleet on elevated surfaces and grassy area across.

TXDOT road crews indicate ice has formed on portions of US 290 from the Waller/Harris County line to Hempstead with all bridges and overpasses currently being sanded. Numerous bridges and overpasses have ice in portions of Washington, Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, and Austin Counties including portions of HWY 6 from Navasota to College Station and nearly all of Hwy 21 from Caldwell to College Station.

There has been no reports of icy bridges in Harris, Fort Bend, or Montgomery counties…although portions of Montgomery County likely do have some icy spots given temperatures in the upper 20’s.

Temperatures should begin a very slow rebound, but will remain below freezing for many northern areas into the early afternoon and do not expect much road improvement in these areas with temperature currently hovering between 27-29. Temperatures across Harris County range from 31 to 35 degrees and expect accumulation on elevated surfaces to melt in the next few hours with very few if any bridge problems.

Very cold conditions will continue today with north winds, clouds, and frozen precipitation accumulation in some areas. Think most locations will not reach 40 degrees.

Will be taking a close look at the next incoming disturbance later this morning for Friday as cold air will still be in place…currently thinking is that temperatures at the surface and aloft may be a few degrees warmer resulting in more of a light rain/drizzle than snow/sleet. Will address this system later this morning or early afternoon.

[wxman57]

Graupel is simply a semi-melted snowflake. The flake melts passing through a warm layer then re-freezes just above the surface. It's like a little snowball, much lighter than sleet. Yes, they can blow up and down like snowflakes.

As for tomorrow, models indicate significant low-level warming between now and tomorrow afternoon. So much so that all the clouds and precip are in an above-freezing layer.

[dac]

wxman - thanks for the explanation...so this is graupel! Looked like Dipping Dots or styrofoam pellets when i first went out this morning.

graupel.jpg