Winter weather hits Central Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — Winter weather has arrived. Here’s the latest from CBS Austin meteorologists.

WEATHER ALERT UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING FOR WINTER PRECIPITATION

– WINTER STORM WARNINGS are in effect for points along the I-35 corridor east until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

• Includes Williamson, Travis, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Lee and Fayette counties
• A mix of snow, sleet and graupel could accumulate up to 1.5″ with isolated higher levels possible in Fayette County.

-WINTER WEATHER ADVISORS are in effect for the Hill Country until 6 p.m. Tuesday and for Milam County until 9 a.m. Tuesday.

• Includes Mason, Llano, Burnet, Gillespie, Blanco and Milam counties
• A mix of snow, sleet and graupel could accumulate up to 1/2″

-COLD WEATHER ADVISORY in effect throughout our territory until Wednesday noon

• Temperatures and/or wind chills of 20 or lower are expected
• Remember the 4 Ps: protect people, pets, plants and pipes.

WINTER STORM IN PROGRESS – TRAVEL NOT ADVISED DUE TO SLIPPERY AREAS ON THE ROADS

Clouds arrived early and kept temperatures at just 33 for a high in Austin on Monday. It didn’t take long for the weather to drop to freezing as light precipitation developed and arrived from the south Monday evening. This precipitation was mixed in our area, with reports of sleet, snow, and graupel (snow pellets). Further south, freezing rain was reported.

Overnight we will see precipitation gradually moving from west to east. As colder air wraps around the back of this system, we will likely transition to snow since the column of air from top to bottom should be at or below freezing. The reason we started with mixed precipitation is that initially some layers of the atmosphere were not saturated due to the large amount of dry air, then pockets of warm air aloft partially melts some snowflakes into sleet.

Because we saw more mixing initially, overall accumulations might be a little lower than what might have been had we not seen sleet and/or graupel. Many areas had a light dusting of rain Monday evening as of 10 p.m., and most of the precipitation is expected to be over before sunrise. The highest precipitation and best potential for over 1″ of accumulation will occur in our southeastern counties: Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee and especially Fayette. I would not be surprised to see reports of over 2″ in due to thicker snow bands. up there. Texas’ “jackpot” snow totals will likely be to the east, in the Houston area, while even higher totals are expected in Louisiana.

The biggest concerns will be impacts on travel. Even with just a coating of sleet/snow/ice, some roads were reported to be slippery. Although precipitation will end Tuesday morning, temperatures will warm above freezing in the afternoon and sunshine will be likely during the second half of the day. Any melting that does occur is subject to refreezing Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, so watch out for black ice. even after the storm has long passed.

RELATED | TxDOT Tips for Driving in Ice/Snow Conditions

WEDNESDAY – THE COLDEST MORNING

After the storm, we will see temperatures drop to probably the coldest level of this bitter week. I anticipate 22 people in Austin and teenagers in many remote areas. Although we won’t set any records, it will be dangerously cold, so take precautions to protect yourself.

FROST MONITORING

Camp Mabry has experienced 5 freezes this season. Coldest so far: 24 on January 20. The average per season (1991-2020) is 12.

The average last frost is February 15 and the last recorded frost is April 9, 1914.