NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office...

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NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office – Fort Worth/Dallas 230 PM Thursday February 6, 2014 Helping Texans make decisions that save lives and enhance commerce Weather Forecast Office Fort Worth/Dallas

Transcript of NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office...

Page 1: NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office – Fort Worth/Dallas 230 PM Thursday February 6, 2014.

NWS Situational Awareness Update:Winter Weather Impacts

National Weather ServiceForecast Office – Fort Worth/Dallas230 PM Thursday February 6, 2014

Helping Texans make decisions that save lives and enhance commerce

Weather Forecast Office Fort Worth/Dallas

Page 2: NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office – Fort Worth/Dallas 230 PM Thursday February 6, 2014.

Key Points• Event(s):

– Southern Event (Freezing drizzle): South of a Goldthwaite-Hillsboro-Athens line. 30-40% chance for light freezing drizzle from 4 AM through 4 PM. Temperatures in the 20s, to near 30 by afternoon.

– Northern Event (light snow): Along/north of an Eastland-Dallas-Sulphur Springs line. 20-30% chance for light snow from 6 AM to 4 PM. Much weaker system than today’s: small potential for a dusting in isolated areas, with no accumulations expected in most areas. Temperatures remaining in the 20s.

– Existing icy spots north of I-20 will persist through mid-morning Friday, as temperatures remain below freezing. Only minimal improvement through time due to evaporation/drying

• Overall Timing of Events: 4 AM – 4 PM Friday

• Amounts: Less than 0.03” accumulation of freezing drizzle south; no significant accumulation of snow with the northern event.

• Impacts: – Freezing drizzle south of Goldthwaite-Hillsboro-Athens could produce slick conditions on bridges, overpasses, and many surface

roads. Best chances of icing – if it occurs - would be east of a Waco-Athens line – Along and north of I-20, just some ongoing patchy ice from today’s event, slowly improving through Friday morning.

• Confidence: Moderate confidence in occurrence of both light snow and freezing drizzle events. High confidence on amounts

• Worst case scenario (quite unlikely): Isolated heavier freezing drizzle amounts than expected south of Goldthwaite-Hillsboro-Athens, leading to more extensive icing

Page 3: NWS Situational Awareness Update: Winter Weather Impacts National Weather Service Forecast Office – Fort Worth/Dallas 230 PM Thursday February 6, 2014.

Areas of Potential Winter Precipitation Friday

Light freezing drizzle possible – producing slick conditions on roads and bridges

Greatest potential for freezing drizzle during the morning hours

Light snow possible (blue areas)– no significant accumulations

Patchy ice from Thursday’s snow

persists through morning