Snow Showers (Houston, Pasadena, Texas City: tax, versus, safe)

[Weatherguy]

Originally Posted by jfre81

It was heavier along the immediate coast, where I was. I was living in Alvin and working in Galveston at the time. I worked that Christmas and drove over to the island....still covered in snow everywhere.

There was upwards of a foot of snow down in the Valley.

During the Christmas Eve 2004 snow event, there was 4-6 inches in the southern metro around Alvin, Angleton, Freeport, etc.. The heaviest was 14 inches down at Victoria. Central Houston had only about an inch. One of the heaviest snows in the city was in 1960 (Valentine's Day) when I was in first grade. It was about 4 inches at our house. In 1973, there were several snow events, including 2-3 inches around January 11. I moved away after that so I don't recall what happened until 2004, although I heard about the horrendous ice storm about 15 years ago that caused great damage to the city's tree canopy.

To the northerners who like to make fun of southerners getting excited about snow or ice, please don't spoil our fun. We know you get more where you're from. We know you're used to driving in it. Thanks.

[Weatherguy]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

Yep! This is Texas...it happens that way around these parts. We are used to the rather sudden weather changes. Several years ago we went from a balmy 75 in the AM to a raging ice storm in the PM, like I said...it's Texas.

In Austin we had a low of 22 the other night. By yesterday, the high was a record breaking 81. Within five hours of hitting the record high, we were having sleet and snow. Pretty dramatic! I know people in other states make the same claims (probably true).

[Weatherguy]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I don't think I have ever seen it snow this early--anyone else? It's a nice birthday present!!

I recall an ice storm during Thanksgiving sometime in the early or mid 70s in Houston, but the snows I recall were generally in January and February (except for the 2004 event).

[Poltracker]

I measured 3 inches accumulated on my car and 2 inches on my patio table. My yard is covered in snow, not one blade peaking out. Glad I got the tender plants covered.

[ErikU19]

HA! I'm moving to Houston to escape the snow....reading these threads makes me laugh

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by ErikU19

HA! I'm moving to Houston to escape the snow....reading these threads makes me laugh

Well for folks up north, this isn't much, but for us it is an event that doesn't happen too often.

[Angel713]

Nope. I had family down here from the Washington DC suburbs when it snowed in 2004, and they were laughing at us.

"Are you serious? This is snow??"

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Weatherguy

During the Christmas Eve 2004 snow event, there was 4-6 inches in the southern metro around Alvin, Angleton, Freeport, etc.. The heaviest was 14 inches down at Victoria. Central Houston had only about an inch. One of the heaviest snows in the city was in 1960 (Valentine's Day) when I was in first grade. It was about 4 inches at our house. In 1973, there were several snow events, including 2-3 inches around January 11. I moved away after that so I don't recall what happened until 2004, although I heard about the horrendous ice storm about 15 years ago that caused great damage to the city's tree canopy.

I'd have to go consult a former life of mine for a personal first-hand account but I gather there were some snows in the 70s. I've also heard of one around 1978, three years before I was born.

Like I'd mentioned, there was a December snow in 1989 that I remember quite well. Before '04 it was the closest to a White Christmas that I'd known. I don't know what it did in Houston but I lived in Texas City then and we had a good couple inches in the yard. Some people built, erm, snow midgets (or would "snow little people" be more politically correct?) that were maybe a couple feet tall and took most of the snow in the yard.

In '04 I was out in the street having a snowball fight at 1am on Christmas morning. Most of the kids out there were half my age, but it didn't matter. That night we were all 12 years old.

[Weatherguy]

Originally Posted by ErikU19

HA! I'm moving to Houston to escape the snow....reading these threads makes me laugh

Glad you're moving down, but before you come, you probably will want to leave your "laughing" back home. You'll find yourself unwelcomed very quickly otherwise.

[jfre81]

Go ahead, laugh. I couldn't care less.

When I was in the sixth grade, it was mid-February (1994) and we had a few snow flurries, maybe on a 1/3-scale of what we had today. They actually let us out of class to go play in the "snow." Some newspaper up north picked up a photo, ostensibly from one of the local papers, and riffed on it. It is what it is.