New Information:
- A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for areas along and north of Highway 90, but excluding Val Verde County from 12am Tuesday morning through 6pm Tuesday afternoon. For more details check out the graphic attached below.
- The Winter Storm Warning includes both Austin and San Antonio metro areas.
- A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for areas along and south of Highway 90 including Val Verde County and the Coastal Plains from 6am Tuesday through 12am Wednesday morning.
Headline:
- Confidence Continues to Increase in Winter Precipitation and Significant Impacts Tuesday across South Central Texas
Area of Concern:
- Freezing Rain and Sleet: All of South-Central Texas. Potential for greatest accumulation will be in the Winter Weather Warning area (see attached map).
- Sleet and Snow: Hill Country, southern Edwards Plateau, and portions of the Rio Grande (near and north of a Del Rio to Medina to San Marcos to Giddings line)
Threats & Impacts:Expected Accumulations:
- Freezing Rain & Sleet: A few hundredths of an inch to 1/10 of an inch of freezing rain and sleet accumulation is expected with up to 1/4 of an inch possible.
- Snow: Less than 1/2 inch
Temperatures and Wind Chills:
- Air temperature dropping into the mid 20s to low 30s by noon Tuesday for much of the area.
- 25-35 mph wind gusts will produce Wind Chill values Tuesday in the teens to mid 20s. Some single digit wind chill values in the single digits are possible across the Hill Country
- Low temperatures Wednesday morning in the upper teens to upper 20s
Impacts: Travel is discouraged Tuesday in the Winter Storm Warning area as many roadway surfaces will become slick and dangerous potentially causing vehicle accidents. Exposed outdoor objects, including trees, utility lines, and vehicles will become ice and snow covered. Isolated power outages are possible.
A hard freeze will have a significant impacts on sensitive plants and pets. Elderly persons or young children could suffer hyperthermia if exposed to long duration of extremely cold temperatures. Exposed water pipes could break.
Timing and Overview:
Tonight Through Tuesday Evening:
Confidence continues to increase this morning on a significant winter weather event set to start late tonight and persist through Tuesday Evening. A strong, arctic cold front will move into the Hill Country and southern Edwards Plateau around midnight tonight and through southern areas of the region near sunrise Tuesday morning. Temperatures will plummet behind the front, falling by late Tuesday morning into the mid to upper 20s across the Hill Country and southern Edwards Plateau and upper 20s to low 30s elsewhere.
Most models are indicating the potential for freezing rain and sleet behind the front, beginning across the Hill Country and southern Edwards Plateau, including Austin, between 12AM tonight and 6 AM on Tuesday and for the remaining southern areas, including San Antonio, between 3 AM and 9 AM Tuesday and south of Highway 90 between 9 AM and 6 PM. A changeover to light snow could occur across portions of the Rio Grande, southern Edwards Plateau and Hill Country, including Austin, before precipitation ends Tuesday evening.
This has the potential to become a more significant winter weather event, than just the traditional bridges and overpasses. Given the forecast temperatures in the mid 20s to around 30. Around 1/10 of an inch of ice is generally expected, however pockets up to 1/4 of an inch of ice are possible. Snow amounts, should it occur, are currently forecast to remain less than 1/2 inch.
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for most of the northern part of south central Texas. Preparations should be ongoing now with an expectation for significant travel impacts.
Wednesday Night through Thursday Morning:
Finally, models continue to advertise another possible winter weather event Wednesday night through Thursday morning, with the potential for a wintry mix of accumulations. Details on locations and impacts with this event are currently low to moderate. We will update you further in the coming days on this potential as confidence increases.
Confidence:
- Cold Air: Very High
- Freezing Rain and Sleet: Moderate to High
- Snow: Low to Moderate
- Travel Impacts: Moderate to High