Expected Accumulations:
- Freezing Rain & Sleet: Around 1/10 of an inch of freezing rain and sleet accumulation is expected with up to 1/4 of an inch possible
- Snow: Less than 1/2 inch
Temperatures and Wind Chills:
- Air temperature dropping into the mid-20s to low 30s by noon Tuesday for much of the area.
- 25-35 mph wind gusts will produce Wind Chill values Tuesday in the teens to mid-20s. Some single digit wind chill values in the single digits are possible across the Hill Country
- Low temperatures Wednesday morning in the upper teens to upper 20s
Impacts: Travel is discouraged Tuesday in the Winter Storm Warning area as many roadway surfaces will become slick and dangerous potentially causing vehicle accidents. Exposed outdoor objects, including trees, utility lines, and vehicles will become ice and snow covered. Isolated power outages are possible.
A hard freeze will have a significant impact on sensitive plants and pets. Elderly persons or young children could suffer hypothermia if exposed to a long duration of extremely cold temperatures. Exposed water pipes could break.
Latest model runs show the cold front — and potential freezing rain — to arrive earlier, possibly shortly before midnight.
After a mild Monday in the 60s, and arctic front approaches Monday night, bringing the potential of subfreezing temperatures from Tuesday morning through midday Wednesday (more than 24 hours).
Accompanying the front, there is high confidence that light rain will transition to some type of wintry precipitation: sleet, freezing rain or snow.
Cold showers start Monday night, transitioning to a chance of freezing rain midnight and during the Tuesday commute, possibly mixing in with sleet midday and getting cold enough for pure snow during the afternoon. Temperatures on the ground and above us that change only a few degrees could drastically change the type of precipitation we see, so prepare yourself for all modes of wintry precipitation Tuesday.
This setup has the potential to affect travel and commutes on Tuesday. Stay off the roads in the morning if you can. Tuesday afternoon will be bitterly cold and blustery, forcing bridges and overpasses to cool down more quickly. Most communities will not even climb above freezing (32°) Tuesday afternoon.
