NWS Lubbock, TX, Events Page, Sleet, Wintry

Wintry Weather - 26-27January 2009

Radar and satellite combination image during the winter weather event on 27 January 2009.

Radar and satellite combination image taken during the winter weather event on 27 January 2009.The image displays enhanced cloud tops (in yellow and dark blue) and light precipitation (in light blue and green) from the South Plains through much of Oklahoma. Click on the image for a larger view.

A cold Canadian air mass pushed through the South Plains late Sunday (25 January), dropping temperatures below freezing and setting the state for a round of wintry precipitation across West Texas. After the cold air invaded, moisture continued to increase with time. Initially, this moisture produced widespread low clouds and areas of freezing fog early Monday (26 January). However, as the moisture continued to increase and weak lift developed, light precipitation began to fall in a variety of forms including snow, sleet, freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Although generally on the light side, the precipitation did result in tricky travel given the very cold temperatures in place.

Visible satellite image taken after the winter weather on 28 January 2009.

Visible satellite image taken after the conclusion of the wintry precipitation on 28 January 2009. The white shading from the South Plains and Texas Panhandle eastward into Oklahoma is snow, sleet and ice. Some low clouds are also displayed as white from near Robert Lee and southward and east and southeast of Dallas. Click on the image for a larger view.

The precipitation continued to fall, off and on, into Tuesday (27 January), with occasional moderate bursts as an upper level storm system drew closer and increased the lift across the region. The wintry weather finally came to a close from west to east Tuesday afternoon and evening as the upper level storm system shifted off to the east. Still, hazardous travel conditions persisted into early Wednesday as temperatures plummeted into the single digits and lower teens. Conditions finally improved later on Wednesday as high temperatures climbed into the 50s and 60s for most locations, and the icy mess melted away.

Even though precipitation event lasted for two day, the total melted liquid water precipitation was rather light, with around a tenth of an inch falling across much of the South Plains, ranging up to around two tenths of an inch over parts of the Rolling Plains.



Images of ice, snow and sleet taken from around the Lubbock area on 27 January 2009. The lower right-hand picture is of a plane that crash landed at the Lubbock Airport early on the 27th. Click on the images for a larger view.

Above are couple of pictures of the wintry conditions taken from around the Lubbock area. Also shown is a rain gage with a potpourri of precipitation that was collected throughout the winter weather event. Finally, the lower right-hand picture is of a plane that crash landed at the Lubbock Airport early on the 27th.



Images of ice, snow and sleet accumulations taken from southern Lubbock on 27 January 2009. Click on the images for a larger view.