Multiple rounds of freezing rain in the forecast through Wednesday

Winter storm warnings are in effect for all of Central Texas as multiple rounds of freezing rain and/or sleet move through for the next few days. For more information on this week’s winter storm, click here for everything you need to know. Today will be the transition day into the rainier and wintry weather conditions that’ll hang around through at least Wednesday morning. Temperatures today along and west of I-35 will stay close to or even below freezing throughout the entire day meaning that precipitation would fall either as rain or freezing rain. Temperatures east of Highway 77, especially in Robertson, Leon, Limestone, and Freestone County, temperatures may hover just a little above freezing and all liquid precipitation is expected. Today’s rain chances are near 50% with scattered rain or freezing rain moving through midday, this afternoon, and into the early evening. Since the rain won’t be widespread, we’re not expecting widespread travel issues or icy roadways, however bridges and overpasses especially could become slick during the afternoon and especially tonight wherever rain has moved through.

Today’s precipitation chances come to a close a little before midnight. The next wave of rain is the one that’ll cause most of the impacts. Starting shortly before sunrise tomorrow and lasting off-and-on through much of the day, widespread freezing rain will move through the area. The heaviest precipitation totals will be along and west of I-35 especially but freezing rain is possible anywhere in Central Texas. With heavier bursts of rain and sub-freezing temperatures pretty much all day long Tuesday, bridges and overpasses should by icy throughout much of the day with road conditions continuing to deteriorate throughout the day as more waves of rain move through. Ice accumulation may approach or even exceed a quarter-inch on Tuesday alone making travel hazardous (if not impossible) and potentially causing power issues. Unlike with the 2021 winter storm, the power issues likely won’t be from power generation issues but from ice bringing down power poles. Wednesday’s weather could start out as freezing rain or sleet and then potentially switch over the liquid rain as temperatures warm up above freezing and then likely stay there until at least Friday morning. Wednesday’s precipitation chances are high, near 90%, but a big question mark is how warm temperatures will get. With ice potentially on the ground from Tuesday’s rain, it could potentially keep temperatures close to freezing so another round of freezing rain may be possible. The storm system departs Thursday after bringing us warmer temperatures and another round of liquid rain, but some icy roads are still possible through midday Friday.

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