NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts

1. NWS Situational Awareness Update:Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office – Fort Worth/Dallas 930 AM Friday February 7, 2014 Weather Forecast Office Fort Worth/Dallas Helping Texans make decisions that save lives and enhance commerce

2. Key Points • Event(s): • Southern Event (Freezing drizzle): South of a Goldthwaite-Hillsboro-Athens line. Light freezing drizzle ongoing through 6 PM. Some of the freezing drizzle may convert to liquid drizzle by midday in the southeast counties, SE of a Temple to Athens line. Temperatures in the upper 20s, rising into the lower 30s by afternoon. • Northern Event (light snow): Along/north of an Comanche - Cleburne -SulphurSprings line. Snow likely, spreading from west to east through 4 pm. Weaker system than the one Thursday: Most areas would receive a half inch or less, though 1 inch amounts are possible in a band from Graham to Denton to Sherman. Temperatures in the 20s this morning, rising to around freezing by afternoon. • Existing icy spots north of I-20 will gradually improve through the day, due to slow warming. • Overall Timing of Events:Ongoing through 7 PM Today • Amounts:Snow amounts ¼” to ½” most areas in the north. Isolated 1” amounts. Less than 0.03” accumulation of freezing drizzle south. • Impacts: • Freezing drizzle south of Goldthwaite-Hillsboro-Athens will likely produce slick conditions on bridges, overpasses, and many surface roads. • Light snow will produce minor additional slick spots in the northern counties, except where any isolated banding may setup. Where these bands occur, amounts of 1” are possible, likely producing significant additional slick spots on roads. • Confidence:Moderate to High confidence in occurrence of both light snow and freezing drizzle events, but lower confidence on total amounts and exact spatial placements. • Worst case scenario (quite unlikely): Isolated heavier freezing drizzle amounts south of Goldthwaite-Hillsboro-Athenscould lead to more widespread and more significant icing

3. Winter Precipitation Forecast Today Locally heavier snow to 1”; More slick conditions developing Light snow possible (blue areas)– accumulations generally < ½” Small chance of very light snow or freezing drizzle; impacts not significant Light freezing drizzle possible – producing slick conditions on roads and bridges