Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Winter Storm Waning HOUSTON!

You just don't get to say that every day (or even every 10 winters), so hang on Houston, this should get interesting! - HLG

1144 AM CST WED FEB 2 2011

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL
COMBINE WITH INCREASING MOISTURE AND COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE
ATMOSPHERE TO GENERATE A MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN
ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON
ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA...AND SPREAD AREA
WIDE BY EARLY EVENING. THE WINTRY MIX WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY NIGHT
THEN TAPER OFF AROUND MID MORNING FRIDAY.

A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED EAST OF
A LINE FROM MATAGORDA TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON TO RYE IN LIBERTY
COUNTY. OVER THE COASTAL SECTIONS OF BRAZORIA COUNTY...AND MOST OF
GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...AND LIBERTY COUNTIES THIS COULD END UP A
PRIMARILY ICE EVENT WITH SIGNIFICANT GLAZING ON ROADWAYS. TO THE
NORTH AND WEST OF THIS LINE...A MIX OF SNOW AND SLEET ARE
EXPECTED...WITH ALL SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.

SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED...WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. IN THE FREEZING RAIN THREAT
AREA...ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE-TENTH OF AN INCH ARE
EXPECTED. THIS INCLUDES THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE
METRO HOUSTON AREA AND THE GALVESTON AREA AS WELL.

SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MID 20S TO LOWER
30S THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE EVENT. THIS MEANS THAT
ROADWAYS...ESPECIALLY ELEVATED SURFACES LIKE BRIDGES AND
OVERPASSES...ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO ICE OVER THAN DURING THE
EVENTS SOUTHEAST TEXAS EXPERIENCED LAST WINTER. ROADWAYS WILL
LIKELY BECOME ICY AND HAZARDOUS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING.

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