More Winter For Texas The South Central US

ballscout1

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South Central US is bracing for another brutal round of sub-freezing temperatures, snow and ice


Updated 5:31 AM ET, Sun February 14, 2021

Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation employees cover trees in Bayfront Park ahead of the weekend winter weather, Saturday, February 13, 2021, in Corpus Christi, Texas
(CNN)There's "no shortage of winter weather hazards" across the US Sunday morning, with more than 150 million Americans under weather warnings, watches or advisories, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

But there's one particularly ferocious winter storm that's taking aim at the South Central US, parts of which are still reeling from the deadly conditions a separate storm system created last week. And the worst part: it will be followed by another strong storm system that's likely to hit Tuesday.

"For long-time residents of southeastern Texas, southern Oklahoma, northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, this will likely be the worst week of winter weather in your lifetime so far," CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam said.


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The winter storm making its way into the region Sunday has put parts of southern Texas under winter storm watches for the "first time in a decade," the prediction center said.


Heavy snowfall is forecast in areas from New Mexico to the Mississippi Valley Sunday, the center said, while ice will glaze over the Texas coast to the Tennessee Valley into Monday.

"The swath of accumulating ice and snow on Monday is impressive, stretching from south Texas to the northern Mid-Atlantic," it added. "Heavy snow on Monday will also blanket much of the Lower Mississippi, the Ohio Valley, into the Northeast."

How much snow?

Parts of central Oklahoma could see up to 12 inches of snow by Tuesday -- with some areas possibly seeing more, according to the center. Areas from eastern Texas and the Ohio Valley all the way to the Northeast could meanwhile see up to eight inches. And up to half an inch of ice from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Tennessee Valley could make for treacherous travel conditions, power outages and tree damage, the center added.

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As ice accumulates, another storm takes aim

Last week, at least nine people died in car crashes in the wake of winter storms that brought freezing rain and ice across the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.
Now, parts of the region are expected to see the worst ice-related impacts Monday, while another storm will be gaining strength to begin only a day and a half later.
"With two crippling storms in five days, some people in remote areas will struggle to cope as temperatures remain below freezing and snow and ice remain on roadways," Van Dam said. "The cumulative potential economic impact for these regions cannot be overstated."

"Long duration, brutally cold temperatures in combination with significant ice and heavy snow will put a strain on the energy sector not experienced in years," he added.
Impacts from the second winter storm are likely to be felt through Thursday, while details on just how powerful it could be will become clearer in the coming days.
Ahead of the concerning weather conditions, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Saturday he would request a Federal Emergency Declaration from the White House to make resources available for the affected communities.

"Every part of the state will face freezing conditions over the coming days, and I urge all Texans to remain vigilant against the extremely harsh weather that is coming," the governor said in a statement. "Stay off the roads, take conscious steps to conserve energy, and avoid dangerous practices like bringing generators indoors or heating homes with ovens or stovetops."

TRACK THE STORMS

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140 temperature records could be shattered

And it won't just be freezing this week -- it will be so numbingly cold, that there will likely be more than 140 record-low temperatures shattered from Sunday morning through Tuesday morning, Van Dam said.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/12/weat...reezing-historic-temperatures-trnd/index.html

And more records could come by mid-week, he added.

More than 55 million people are already under wind chill alerts from North Dakota southward to Texas and from Indiana west to Montana, Van Dam said.
Wind chills will range from about -60 degrees Fahrenheit near the Canadian border to -20 degrees across central Texas, he added.

"This initial cold blast will last through Tuesday morning with another reinforcing shot of cold arctic air entrenching itself southward to the Gulf Coast by midweek," Van Dam said.

In Northwest, more snow coming

As the South Central US is getting battered with cold weather, snow and ice, another storm will blanket parts of the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies Sunday, Van Dam said.

The Northwest could see a year's worth of snow this weekend


Seattle already received more than a years' worth of snow from a storm that cleared out late Saturday.
The city saw about 8.9 inches of snow Saturday, marking a tie for the 12th snowiest day in more than 125 years of records, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

"The last time Seattle had more than 8.9 inches of snow in a day was January 27, 1969," the service wrote.
The storm moving in Sunday will likely drop about another one to two inches of snow before that transitions to rain in lower elevations.
Meanwhile up in the Cascades and the Northern Rockies, snow "will be measured in feet," Van Dam said.


 

Helico-pterFunk

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big enos burrnet

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BGOL Investor
this is crazy....this has to be the coldest jet stream i seen that far south of the mason line since that other one two years ago....
 

vertigo

Rising Star
Platinum Member
Was doing the calculus last October when I was picking my vacation weeks for 2021 at work. Since I work outside, I want to be off when the weather is absolute shit. Typically take vacation the first week of the new year- but the weather has been so mild lately, decided to move it out a bit.
Made a bet against the farmer's almanac...
Sooooo, I will be off this coming week. :thumbsup:

I will be in the house ( in Ohio) bundled up under the electric blanket playing Final Fantasy 14 lol, let that snow fall. Gas bill gon' be outrageous next month tho...
 
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Helico-pterFunk

Rising Star
BGOL Legend
Was doing the calculus last October when I was picking my vacation weeks for 2021 at work. Since I work outside, I want to be off when the weather is absolute shit. Typically take vacation the first week of the new year- but the weather has been so mild lately, decided to move it out a bit.



Well played.
 

ballscout1

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
Over 1.5 Million Texans Without Power As Snow, Ice Blanket Southern Plains
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for all of the state’s 254 counties.
Jamie Stengle



DALLAS (AP) — A winter storm dropping snow and ice also sent temperatures plunging across the southern Plains, prompting a power emergency in Texas a day after conditions canceled flights and impacted traffic across large swaths of the U.S.

Rotating power outages were initiated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, early Monday morning, meaning thousands went without electricity for short periods as temperatures fell into the teens near Dallas and 20s (about minus 5 degrees Celsius) around Houston.

“We urge Texans to put safety first,” the council tweeted as it urged residents to reduce electricity use. ERCOT manages the flow of electric power in the state.

“Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporarily without power,” ERCOT said.

The council described the rotating outages as a “last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric system as a whole,” adding that utility transmission companies are tasked with determining how to reduce demand on the system.

“Every grid operator and every electric company is fighting to restore power right now,” ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness said in a statement.

The rotating outages were expected to last throughout Monday morning.

More than 1.6 million customers were in the dark as of 5 a.m. local time, according to poweroutage.us, a utility tracking site.

Around 5,000 Oklahoma Gas & Electric customers were without power overnight, and Entergy Arkansas logged about 3,000 outages. Both states have much smaller populations compared to Texas.

Officials in Houston had warned people to prepare for outages and hazardous roads — conditions similar to what residents might see in the wake of a Category 5 hurricane.

“There (have) been numerous reports of accidents from icing recently,” National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec said Monday. “I think there’s going to be a big threat today as the system pushes northeastward.”

Accumulating ice between a tenth and a quarter of an inch (0.25 and 0.6 centimeters) was possible across eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, central Tennessee, Kentucky and over into the West Virginia and Ohio border region, Oravec said.

Up to 12 inches of snow was expected across parts of the southern Plains into Monday, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.





The region had been gearing up for the winter weather for the better part of the weekend. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for all of the state’s 254 counties. Abbott, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson each activated National Guard units to assist state agencies with tasks including rescuing stranded drivers.

President Joe Biden also declared an emergency in Texas in a statement Sunday night. The declaration is intended to add federal aid to state and local response efforts.

More than 760 flights were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and at Dallas Love Field most of the nearly 200 flights for Southwest Airlines, the airport’s main carrier, were canceled on Sunday.

American Airlines said about 345 of their flights were canceled at DFW Airport, its hub, by early Sunday afternoon. The airline said the storm was also affecting their flights across the region, with operations reduced and canceled at airports across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

The National Weather Service said Sunday that the forecast through early Tuesday calls for 8 to 12 inches of snow in central Oklahoma, and 4 to 8 inches in an area extending from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley in the Northeast.

In Memphis, Tennessee, snow started falling Sunday afternoon, and while main roads were still passable, lines formed during the day at grocery stores as people rushed to stock up.

In Mississippi, sleet in Jackson and other central parts of the state left roads and bridges slick. Bill Parker, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Jackson, said up to three-quarters of an inch of ice could accumulate in central Mississippi, bringing the possibility of power outages or falling tree limbs.

Parts of Kentucky and West Virginia still recovering from an ice storm last week are expected to get up to a quarter-inch of ice or up to 8 inches of snow by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest, tens of thousands of people were without power after a winter storm blanketed the region with ice and snow and made travel treacherous.

Through the wintry conditions Sunday, florists stayed busy for Valentine’s Day.

In Fort Worth, Texas, Gordon Boswell Flowers’ general manager said delivery drivers worked to wrap up deliveries before the weather worsened.
“It is icy and snowing and they’re calling for more snow,” Cheri Kirkman said.

Despite the weather, she said they still had some people coming in to pick up gifts. “We’ve got plenty all made up, ready to go,” Kirkman said.
 

Mask

"OneOfTheBest"
Platinum Member
Yeah it's sticking to the ground here where I am in Houston (Humble, Tx)... not just the grass... nice layer of snow and ice on the cars too... I've never seen it like this here... one year I was in Dallas it got real thick... but not Houston

What’s about 3 years ago, I know it was rough but didn’t know how bad it was for you’ll up there. I was in PA at the time. It was the beginning of December, actually 8-10.
 
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