Ice Storm — Oldham, Texas

2015-11-26 to 2015-11-28 · Oldham, Texas

Event narrative

One inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported at Vaga. Some sleet also occurred. At 10:00 PM on the 26th, a vehicle accident was reported on Interstate 40 near Vega resulting in three fatalities. One quarter inch of ice accumulation was reported at that time.

Wider weather episode

A cold front moved through the Texas Panhandle on the night of the 25th resulting in a layer of shallow cold air across the area on the 26th. A strong storm system approached from the west bringing moisture and relatively warm air atop the cold shallow layer. This is an optimal setup for freezing rain and sleet. Amounts ranged from around a quarter of an inch of ice in the northwest Texas Panhandle to as much as an inch in the eastern Texas Panhandle. Roads became slick causing hazardous travel conditions. Some power outages occurred, especially in the southeastern portion s of the Panhandle where ice amounts were greatest.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 608643. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.