Christmas Snow in San Antonio?

[Hook Dem]

Christmas Snow in San Antonio?
LAST UPDATE: 12/14/2004 3:22:16 PM
Posted By: Jim Forsyth

Those dreaming of a white Christmas may be in luck, at least according to one computer prediction from the National Weather Service.

The NWS Global Positioning System computer says all of Texas west of Interstate 35 and some areas to the south of Interstate 10 could see three to six inches of snow on Christmas Eve, with noontime temperatures no higher than 25 degrees.

NWS Chief Regional Meteorologist Larry Eblen in New Braunfels told 1200 WOAI's Bud Little with Christmas eleven days away, it is 'way too early' to make such a bold prediction.

"I could't rule out the possibility that something could happen around Christmas, snow definitely is a four letter word and certainly causes quite a reaction."

San Antonio, Austin, and Houston have never had snow on Christmas Day, although NWS records indicate three inches of snow fell in Austin on December 22 of 1929.

Dustings of snow happen frequently during the winter in San Antonio. The last time it snowed near Christmas or New Year's was snow flurries on January 1, 2002. The last measurable snowfall in San Antonio was February 13-14, 2004.

"There are many things that might take place, and I guess we might have to list snow as one of the possibilities," Eblen said.

While this particular computer forecast is being generally discounted, several long range forecasts include a blast of arctic air in the region by December 22 which could depress temperatures Christmas weekend. The last two weeks of December is historically the coldest period of the year. A temperature of six degrees was recorded in San Antonio on December 23, 1989, one of the coldest readings ever in the city. San Antonio has never recorded a reading below zero, although Austin recorded -2 on January 31, 1949.

[Kori Ellis]

Hopefully it will happen. timvp has never seen snow. We are going to go on a trip in February so that he can experience it. But White Christmas in San Antonio would be nice.

[Spurgal]

SNOW..........

:elephant

[Duff McCartney]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002JQ0.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Shelly]

Figures it will snow since I won't be here. :cuss

[MannyIsGod]

It's not going to happen, it's one model and it's still to far out.

[ZStomp]

Hopefully it will happen. timvp has never seen snow. We are going to go on a trip in February so that he can experience it. But White Christmas in San Antonio would be nice.


WHere ya going???

[travis2]

Hopefully it will happen. timvp has never seen snow. We are going to go on a trip in February so that he can experience it. But White Christmas in San Antonio would be nice.

Never???

Hey timvp...where were you in January 1985?

[Hook Dem]

It's not going to happen, it's one model and it's still to far out.
You are probably right but you are not "qualified" to say "it's not going to happen". I would bet it won't happen either but I don't know . It's just an article posted to start conversation which is what this forum is all about. One does not have to be politically correct all the time. Okay???? Sorry if the article offended your intellegence!

[Useruser666]

It's to cold for snow.

[Shelly]

S.A.'s cold snap is just for starters

Web Posted: 12/15/2004 12:00 AM CST

Scott Huddleston
San Antonio Express-News

As local homeless shelters call for help and brace for one of the coldest days in recent years, San Antonio is being told to be ready for a long winter — but probably no snow.

(Bahram Mark Sobhani / Express-News)

John Ross makes his bed on a mattress between two bunks Tuesday at the Salvation Army. The shelter has added extra bedding to accomodate more people due to the cold weather.

Volunteers at SAMMinistries Commerce Street shelter prepared late Tuesday for an overflow crowd, adding 50 extra foam mattresses to the facility's 313 beds.

"It gets crazy over there, but we know there's a need," said Amy Phipps, the agency's vice president of development.

She is concerned about the city's overall availability of food pantries, soup kitchens and other places for itinerant souls to seek refuge.

"I think we have needs that we're not meeting," Phipps said. "But there are enough people who are talking about it that I think we know it's a priority."

Although the city officially had lows of 29 in February and a light fall freeze Dec. 1, today's expected morning low in the 20s would be the coldest since the mercury dipped to 17 on Feb. 27, 2002.

This week's arctic front prompted the National Weather Service to issue a freeze warning for South Texas. The service's three-month outlook for most of South Texas calls for a cooler-than-average winter and above-average precipitation.

But David Schumacher, a weather service meteorologist in South Texas since 1981, said it would be wrong to assume that the forecast means a higher likelihood of ice or snow. Both are rare here, since it seldom gets cold enough when clouds are present.

South Texans can expect dry conditions for the rest of December before the region returns to a weak El Niño weather pattern that produced a wet, mild fall, Schumacher said.

"We tend to not get cold enough" for snow, sleet or ice under that scenario, he said.

The recent mild fall weather suggests a late winter cycle.

"Winter could last a little longer, but I don't know if will be a harsh winter," he said. "We've had similar weather scenarios but it was always timing, lack of moisture or it just wasn't cold enough."

Today's cold snap is forcing the SAMMinistries shelter to look for help from the public. Donated coats and blankets are needed and can be dropped off at the rear of the shelter at 910 W. Commerce St., Phipps said.

The shelter is seeing more homeless women, including one with a newborn infant who arrived this week and two elderly women who recently knocked on the door at about 10 p.m., long after the normal intake period before dinner.

"Someone's begging at the door, 'Please, please, let me in,' so we let them in," Phipps said. "We don't want to turn anyone away. It's hard for us to take in women, because we must keep them apart from the men. But we manage somehow."

Salvation Army spokeswoman Sara Kirby said her agency added extra bedding for about 50 people at its 150-bed men's shelter at 226 Nolan St., and enough for 78 newcomers at its 72-person women and children's shelter at 515 W. Elmira St.

The agency also seeks donation of blankets and pillows at its shelters.

"We have an open-door policy, especially in emergency weather situations like this," Kirby said. "This year we've seen more intact families with a husband, wife and children, and five or six single men with children — that's a new twist."

A high in the upper 50s and east winds at 10-15 mph are forecast today for San Antonio. A 20 percent chance of rain is expected Thursday and Friday, with the sky clearing this weekend.

Temperatures are expected to run from near 40 to the mid-50s Thursday, low 40s to mid-50s Friday, mid-30s to mid-60s Saturday and mid-30s to upper 60s Sunday.

link (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/weather/stories/MYSA121504.1B.weather.9ef3ea9.html)