February 1-5, 2011 Arctic Blast/Winter Storm Discussion

[sambucol]

Keep an eye on your PM's folks...

All of us getting a PM, CC? Hope it's good news!!

[Portastorm]

Finally getting some action here in SW Travis County. Snow grains, albeit very light, are falling.

[TexasMetBlake]

Keep an eye on your PM's folks...

All of us getting a PM, CC? Hope it's good news!!

No. I'm PM'ing the ones who are reporting snow/ice or bad road conditions...cough...Jeff...cough.

[Katdaddy]

rnmm: Lift with moisture should bring more precip to SE TX

[txsnowmaker]

Is the effect of falling frozen precip strong enough to send surface temps from 35F to freezing or below freezing?

yes, NWS mentioned the possibility of evaporative cooling once the precip starts falling (they said these could be 5-7 degree drops)

Thanks very much!

[rnmm]

rnmm: Lift with moisture should bring more precip to SE TX

Thank you Katdaddy

[vci_guy2003]

Is anything hitting the ground from all the radar echos SW of Houston?

[jasons2k]

Look at the radar

[perk]

I'm getting some lite freezing rain here in Richmond.

[helloitsb]

Look at the radar

http://i52.tinypic.com/ehxmdc.png

which direction is that moving?

[vbhoutex]

Currently 30.4 with VERY VERY light intermittent flurries here at the house. As I told Jeff in my text I was reluctant to report it, but I confirmed the moisture on my windshield. If nothing else the lower levels are definitely starting to moisten. I still expect the snow, but maybe not as much as was previously forecast. However with some of the reports coming in from S and W TX, I am not sure we should back off on the amounts. Also receiving confirmation of snow in Austin at S2K as Portastorm has reported, but these are around Pflugerville.

[MRG93415]

Light snow here in Hockly...Sticking to the car and winshield too.

[Ptarmigan]

The area southwest of Houston is sleet and snow. This gives me a feeling of Ike. It was mostly wind and it went downhill after 1:00 AM.

[relic57]

Very light flurries here in Atascocita!

[nuby3]

I like what I am seeing. I think we're gonna get what we want.

[Katdaddy]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
LOCAL AREA EMERGENCY
TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
843 PM CST THU FEB 3 2011

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY OF
CORPUS CHRISTI EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

DUE TO ICING AND NUMEROUS MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS ALL MAJOR
FREEWAY SYSTEMS IN THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI ARE BEING CLOSED.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 37...STATE HIGHWAY 286 (CROSSTOWN
EXPRESSWAY)...AND STATE HIGHWAY 358 (SOUTH PADRE ISLAND DRIVE)...
STATE HIGHWAY 181...THE HARBOR BRIDGE...AND THE JFK CAUSEWAY.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALL CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY
OFF THE STREETS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

[srainhoutx]

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
841 PM CST THU FEB 3 2011

.DISCUSSION...
FIRST BATCH OF 00Z MODEL DATA ARRIVING THIS EVENING STILL SUPPORTS THE
OVERNIGHT SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST OF MIXED FROZEN PRECIPITATION TRANSITIONING
OVER TO MOSTLY SNOW BY MORNING. STATE RADAR IMAGES ARE STARTING TO SHOW
WEAK ECHOES (ESPECIALLY JUST TO OUR WEST)...AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS
ALONG WITH PUBLIC/MEDIA/EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DOWN TO OUR SOUTH ARE INDICATING
ENOUGH FREEZING RAIN IS FALLING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FORCE THE CLOSING
OF SOME MAJOR ROADS AND INTERSTATES. THE 00Z NAM APPEARS TO BE CORRECTLY
NAILING THE 03Z HILL COUNTRY AREA BURST...AND THE MODEL FILLS IN MUCH
OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS WITH LOW PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BY 09Z. CURRENT THINKING
HAS CHANGED LITTLE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST PACKAGE (REFER TO THE
WINTER STORM WARNING - WSWHGX - AND THE PREVIOUS FORECAST DISCUSSION
BELOW).

[TeamPlayersBlue]

i can confirm very light sleet in Sugar Land/Missouri City area

[southerngale]

groves, tx city officials sent a phone recording out a few minutes ago saying for everyone in the city to stay off the roads cause there is a possibility of 1/4 inch of ice tonight...could that really be possible for this area?

Yes. There's already ice in the area.

There have been several major accidents in this area, including a 4-car pile up on top of the overpass between Twin City Hwy and Hwy 73, a car was reported to have gone off the hwy at the 32nd St overpass on Hwy 73, and police say there have been lots of reports of single car and minor accidents.

And the Texas Department of Public Safety closed the Rainbow Bridge and Veterans Memorial Bridge because of ice.

[Paul]

Finally getting some action here in SW Travis County. Snow grains, albeit very light, are falling.

Porta I am glad to hear you are getting something....I was about to ship you some cheese to go with all that whining over on 2K.......