Wx Infinity Forums

This is getting scary fast. Could we have a 'reverse bust' situation developing? That's a lot worse than forcasting the worst and getting the best...

Just got back from running errands. Almost .4 inches of liquid here in the old rain gauge. It was pouring while I was out. Freezing rain is not a good mix for our area, or anywhere for that matter.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1113 AM CST WED FEB 9 2011

...THREAT FOR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE TODAY...

.UPDATE...
MORNING FORECAST UPDATE. MAIN UPDATES TO THE FORECAST WERE TO
BRING THE FORECAST MORE IN LINE WITH ON GOING TRENDS. COLD FRONT
IS MOVING A LITTLE FASTER THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST. AREAS OF
FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE HAVE DEVELOPED BEHIND THE
FRONT AT KCLL TO KUTS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
COMPLICATED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS AS STRONG COLD FRONT
MOVES THROUGH SE TX. FRONT AT 17Z LOOKS TO BE LOCATED HALF WAY
BETWEEN THE HOUSTON AREA WITH TEMPS AT KDWH AND KIAH AS WELL AS
KSGR AND KHOU. FRONT IS MORE N/S ORIENTED AT THIS TIME WITH THE
FRONT BETWEEN CONROE AND CLEVELAND AS WELL AS PALACIOS AND BAY
CITY. THERE IS A SHARP 10-15 DEGREE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT ACROSS
THE FRONT WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 40S AHEAD OF IT AND MID/UPPER
20S BEHIND THE FRONT. THERE IS A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH AHEAD OF THE
FRONT JUST ALONG THE COAST WHERE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS STRONG
ALLOWING FOR STEADY RAIN TO FALL. FRONT WILL CATCH UP WITH THE
TROUGH AND PUSH WELL OFF THE COAST. POST FRONTAL PRECIPITATION IS
THE MAIN CONCERN AS THIS WILL FALL THROUGH THE COLD AIRMASS BELOW
FREEZING. MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO RIDE OVER THE SHALLOW FRONTAL
SURFACE WHICH MAY ONLY BE 2000FT DEEP AND THE MAIN THREAT THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON WITH WILL LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE.
ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN A FEW
HUNDERTHS. THIS STILL MAY BE ENOUGH TO FORM A GLAZE OF ICE ON
ELEVATED SURFACES...BRIDGES... AND OVERPASSES. WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE UNTIL PRECIPITATION END WHICH IS EXPECTED
TO DO SO AROUND 00Z THUR OR 6PM CST WED. FORECAST WAS UPDATED TO
MENTION FREEZING DRIZZLE WITH THE FREEZING RAIN. TEMPERATURES
WERE UPDATED TO FALL IN LINE WITH ONGOING TRENDS BUT MAY STILL BE
A COUPLE OF DEGREES WARMER THAN OBS.

Okay - so are we going to see more warnings? Getting concerned about my employees as well. Nothing frozen here as of yet, but plenty of standing water that could make for an interesting drive home.

Radar continues to show frozen precip over W and NW Houston. Some ground reports are confirming this, but hopefully this will be over soon, based on radar. Right now it looks like one more round coming in from the SW. Part of the call on icing is the fact that humidities are still high and that will slow the drying process some. Still nothing frozen at my house in Spring Branch with a temp of 30.4f and light rain falling. Tough call on sending people home. Personally I would err on the side of safety. Trucks are out and on standby at strategic locations according to the noon news.

Lake Olympia (this is through Wunderground.com) is reporting light snow RIGHT NOW. This is between Missouri City and Sienna Plantation:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... uery=77459

http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/cctv ... _Northwest

check this camera out - definitely ice on the lens. Is that proof enough?

In my area, I already have as much ice accumulation on surfaces as I did last week, if not a little more. The precip is still falling, and I'm starting to see icicles on the power line crossing over my backyard.

Texashawk wrote:Lake Olympia (this is through Wunderground.com) is reporting light snow RIGHT NOW. This is between Missouri City and Sienna Plantation:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... uery=77459

Steve..Wxman57... I am so not understanding this. The column of air above is still above freezing. This is not making sense....

tireman4 wrote:

Texashawk wrote:Lake Olympia (this is through Wunderground.com) is reporting light snow RIGHT NOW. This is between Missouri City and Sienna Plantation:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... uery=77459

Steve..Wxman57... I am so not understanding this. The column of air above is still above freezing. This is not making sense....

Use caution with those weather reporting stations. If it is, we'll know soon enough.

I'm seeing things that don't make sense either! I think "everyone" is underestimating this system by ALOT!

34 at IAH now. It will drop to freezing by the 1 pm ob...

33 here in Kingwood

I can confirm freezing rain/drizzle in Spring Branch with icing beginning on vehicles, etc. 29.5f and still dropping. I will be calling my wifes office shortly if this doesn't stop right away and recommending they go home.

S Beltway @ 45, down to 38.5 from ~46 at noon. Strong wind and driving rain just calmed down a bit...wind still gusting but rain is a light drizzle right now.

vbhoutex wrote:I can confirm freezing rain/drizzle in Spring Branch with icing beginning on vehicles, etc. 29.5f and still dropping. I will be calling my wifes office shortly if this doesn't stop right away and recommending they go home.

thanks for the update. i am at work in greenspoint but live in spring valley.
going to be an interesting afternoon/evening....

Shall we call Wxman57 to the Batphone to explain.....LOL ( A reference to the old board when someone hacked a member's screen name and started cursing on the board). I asked Dan to come to the Batphone...to help....LOL

39 and raining here at Gulfgate. The folks that are building our new building on campus, well they are still here digging and using bulldozers. Hummm.

In terms of now casting. What is the big concern. It is getting colder but it looks like the rain is ending as well. Are we concerned about more moisture coming or what's already on the ground freezing?

gregco31 wrote:In terms of now casting. What is the big concern. It is getting colder but it looks like the rain is ending as well. Are we concerned about more moisture coming or what's already on the ground freezing?

More than likely a little of both. The precip shield is translating E, but there may well be some mist or light drizzle yet to come. We will see. I'm down to 27.0F and still slowly falling and light freezing precip as well. Edit to add: about a 1/8th of an inch of ice covering trees and plants and icicles hanging of roof ledges.

My sister is reporting snow in Cypress right now (Grant/Jones).

gregco31 wrote:In terms of now casting. What is the big concern. It is getting colder but it looks like the rain is ending as well. Are we concerned about more moisture coming or what's already on the ground freezing?

I am concerned about what is on the bridges and overpasses freezing. If this precip ends qucikly it hopefully won't be too bad with the winds that should dry it out. I'd be on the lookout for patchy ice anyway though.