Winter Storm — Denton, Texas

2013-12-05 to 2013-12-06 · Denton, Texas

Event narrative

Up to 3-4 of ice and sleet accumulated in Denton County. Most of the accumulations were due to sleet and the heaviest amounts were across the northern parts of the county. A trained spotter reported 2.5 of sleet with 0.3 of freezing rain to the NW of Sanger. The public reported 3.5 of sleet in Little Elm. Up to 4 of ice and sleet was reported on the streets in Lewisville. Numerous traffic accidents occurred on the icy streets and hundreds of tree branches broke due to the weight of the ice. Interstate 35 between Denton and Oklahoma was closed at one point due to the icy conditions and motorists were stranded in their vehicles along I-35E. On I-35E on the bridge over Lake Lewisville, a 21-year old female died during the early morning hours on the 7th when she lost control on the icy bridge and her car plunged over the guardrail into the lake below. Also at Lake Lewisville, a portion of the Pier 121 Marina collapsed on the 6th, damaging at roughly 50 boats. The popular TopGolf in The Colony sustained damage to several poles that hold the net up and remained closed for several days. Several power lines across the county also snapped due to the weight of the ice. As temperatures began to warm by the 8th and 9th, falling ice continued to be a hazard for several days and several more roof collapses were reported as the thaw continued. One large business sign in Sanger crashed into a parking lot on the 9th. In Lewisville, 2 people were injured when a carport collapsed on the 11th from the weight of the ice. The clean-up from the ice storm took several weeks.

Wider weather episode

A winter storm affected much of North and Central Texas for an extended period from December 5th through the 10th. A combination of freezing rain, sleet, and a little snow began falling during the day on the 5th and continued through the morning hours of the 6th. As the ice and sleet settled on the 6th, a thick layer of ice paralyzed most of the area north of a line from Goldthwaite to Cleburne to Ennis to Sulphur Springs. In this area, accumulations of sleet and ice measured up to 5 with the highest amounts from Denton to Sherman to Bonham. Temperatures remained below freezing until the 9th and 10th resulting in a prolonged winter event. Most residents were forced to remain at home for several days. A new term, coined cobblestone ice, was used to describe the condition of the ice on the interstates and highways due to the compaction of ice and sleet. South of this area, lighter amounts of icing occurred producing mainly icy bridges, overpasses, and elevated surfaces.

As a result of the ice storm, significant tree damage occurred with thousands of tree branches falling under the weight of the ice. Power lines were also brought down, and at the peak of the storm, 275,000 customers were without power in the North Texas region. Most schools, especially in the hardest hit areas, were closed for several days. Some businesses were forced to close for a day or two also. Hundreds of injuries were reported due to falls on the ice but exact numbers were not available. Seven fatalities occurred during this event; 4 in vehicles, 2 from exposure, and 1 from a fall on the ice. Early estimates from the insurance council estimated $30 million in residental insured loses. The estimate did not include damage to vehicles or roads. Many roads and bridges were damaged from the ice and/or from attempts by TXDOT to remove the ice using plows and graders. Hundreds of people and semis were stranded for long periods on many of the main highways and interstates including I-35 from Fort Worth to the Oklahoma border and Interstate 20 from Fort Worth going west. The clean-up from this event took weeks and even a few months is some places.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 488073. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.