Winter Storm Warning Issued as Cold, Freezing Precipitation Loom

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

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