Ice Storm — Johnson, Texas

2011-02-01 · Johnson, Texas

Event narrative

Freezing rain and heavy sleet blanketed the county followed by less than an inch accumulation of snow. The sleet and ice made travel treacherous around the county. Most of the vehicle incidents reported were due to stuck vehicles or vehicles that had slid off the roadway. The prolonged cold that settled in after the ice storm kept the roads treacherous for the next four days and many schools and businesses were closed for just as long. The icy roads resulted in a fatality on the night of the 3rd. A man was killed when his truck slid into a ditch and hit a tree on CR 915A near Joshua.

Wider weather episode

The first week of February 2011 was plagued with two winter weather events and persistent cold temperatures. The first winter storm began late on January 31st and ended during the morning hours of February 1st. A strong cold front blew through the region ushering in very cold air ahead of an approaching upper level system. Before the snow began, periods of rain, freezing rain, and sleet provided a sheet of ice underneath the snow. At times, thundersleet was observed. The highest snowfall totals fell across the northwestern counties of the CWA where 5-8 of snow was reported. Elsewhere, up to 3/4 of ice and 2 of sleet were reported in some counties. The combination of winter precipitation types resulted in hazardous conditions across much of the region. To make things worse, the cold air stayed in place for the next 3-4 days and another winter storm affected the region a few days later on the 3rd-4th. Schools and businesses were shut down for days and rolling blackouts were needed on the 2nd to account for the extreme demand on the state's electricity grids. The winter storm also affected airports across north Texas, and the economic toll from the winter storms and cold air was large due to the fact that this was the week leading up to Superbowl 45 in Arlington. In Erath County, one man died from exposure to the cold temperatures on the 1st.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 286231. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.