Weather radar at 8:50 AM. Precipitation ongoing in locations below freezing is sleet or freezing rain.

A quick update this morning for the ongoing winter weather in parts of the Hill Country and southern North Texas. Confidence in more substantial accumulations of sleet and freezing rain has increased and is already being observed. Specifically, a relatively narrow corridor from Junction to Brady to San Saba east into the Austin Metro, Temple, Waco, and Cameron. Ice accumulations around or a bit higher than one-quarter of an inch are expected. In addition to turning roads into skating rinks, those increased ice accumulations may result in some power outages and tree damage.

13Z HRRR: Simulated weather model radar through this afternoon. Pinks are frozen precipitation.

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Short-term high-resolution weather model guidance shows scattered heavier showers and even thunderstorms continuing through the early afternoon across the eastern Hill Country and southern North Texas. I’m hopeful we can get temperatures a few degrees above freezing in the Austin metro this afternoon. Where temperatures manage to remain below freezing in juxtaposition with heavier precipitation is where we’ll see a small corridor of higher ice accumulations. Freezing drizzle ongoing across West Texas, the Permian Basin, Big Country, and North Texas should decrease as we get into the afternoon hours. Temperatures probably won’t make it above freezing, so we’ll have to hope for some sublimation to melt off any icy roadways.

We’ve had a number of serious vehicle collisions this morning. At least three are dead in Fort Worth after a 100+ vehicle pileup on Interstate 35W. Austin Fire is working a 25+ vehicle pileup, and roads across southern North Texas and Central Texas will only get worse as heavier sleet/freezing rain moves in this morning. Please stay home if you can. It may not look pretty like snow or sleet, but freezing rain and freezing drizzle is a killer.