Frost/Freeze — Zapata, Texas

2025-01-21 to 2025-01-22 · Zapata, Texas

Event narrative

The Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) platform in Zapata recorded 23.5 hours of freezing temperatures (32 degrees or lower) from 12:30am to 11:20am on January 21, and from 7:15pm on January 21 to 7:55am on January 22. A minimum temperature of 23F degrees occurred at 6:35am on January 22.

Wider weather episode

An Arctic Express with air that originated in Siberia and moved near the North Pole before surging south through northwest Canada and deep into the United States and northern Mexico January 20-22, 2025 resulted in widespread, in some cases record setting, cold temperatures across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas. This Arctic Cold Snap resulted in widespread sea turtle cold stunnings along the Lower Texas coast. Furthermore, light precipitation resulted in light accumulations of ice for all but the lower Valley (eastern Cameron and Willacy) during this time period.

Along the coast, a second sea turtle cold-stun event occurred in lower Laguna Madre Bay, with around 375 turtles affected - the most since the January 15-17, 2024, event.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1232009. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.