NEWS
Thunder sleet brings new aspect to winter storms
Residents of the southern Plains witnessed a rare wintry phenomenon Wednesday morning known as “thunder sleet,” spawned by the cross-country storm rumbling through the region. Like thundersnow, thunder sleet occurs when thunder or lightning is observed while wintry precipitation is falling — in this case, with sleet, also known as ice pellets.
Thundersnow itself is rare in the sense that it does not occur with every snowstorm, AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Travis explained. The same can be said about thunder sleet and thunder with freezing rain with the phenomenon not occurring every time that the wintry precipitation falls.
“Whether they result in thundersnow, thunder sleet or thunder with freezing rain, winter storms that spawn the rare events all have some similar components,” Travis said. “The bottom portion of the storm is winterlike, while the middle and upper portions of the storm are more convective, which is more typical of a spring or summer storm. In these situations, there is also an increased risk of heavier freezing rain or sleet accumulations.”
Lightning strikes are shown along with snow (blue) and mixed sleet and snow (purple) on the AccuWeather radar at 9 a.m. CT on Feb. 23, 2022.
That proved true on Wednesday with areas in northern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas recording 1.5 to 2 inches of sleet through 1 p.m. CST, including Paris, Arkansas; McAlester, Oklahoma; and Quanah, Texas.
In Wichita Falls, Texas, flashes of lightning illuminated the sky Wednesday morning. The airport began reporting thunder sleet and thunder with freezing rain around 4:30 a.m. CST, with the reports still coming in by the afternoon hours.
Reports of thunder sleet, thunder with freezing rain and thundersnow continued throughout the morning across Texas and Oklahoma. Portions of each state were under a winter storm warning.
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While the combination of sleet or freezing rain with lightning and thunder is rare, Wednesday morning’s outbreak of thunder with sleet, freezing rain and snow was unusually widespread with more than 1,500 strikes connecting with the ground through 2 p.m. CST, AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell said, citing data from Vaisala, a lightning research firm based in Finland.
“Temperature readings were also unusually low to be recorded with lightning,” Ferrell said. “Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, reported heavy thundersnow and sleet with winds gusting to 33 mph at 7:11 a.m. CST, while it was 14 degrees Fahrenheit with an AccuWeather RealFeel® of 16 below zero. That’s a miserable morning!”
This week’s storm arrived on the heels of a dramatic warmup across the region, with many places such as the Dallas area reporting temperatures as high as 85 F on Monday. On Tuesday, temperatures across the state ranged from 25 degrees in Perryton, Texas, to 100 at Zapata.
Dallas still had temperatures in the 70s on Tuesday morning, but those readings quickly dropped into the 30s before noon Tuesday, according to Travis. Temperatures were near 30 degrees on Wednesday morning when thunder sleet and thunder with freezing rain were reported.
Members of the Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25 to finalize the budget and conduct a public hearing on a proposed tax rate.
The ordinances adopting both the 2026-27 budget and the 2026 tax rate are on the agenda for action. The public hearing on the tax rate presents a rate of .5750 cents per $100 in property value, which is slightly higher than the 2025 rate that is .5430.
The new rate is projected to generate $2,990,998, compared to $2,703,176 from last year’s rate. This is the first significant change in the rate since 2019, when it was .5445 cents. The next year it went to .5447 cents, where it stayed until 2023, when it went to .5430 cents, through 2025.
A bid will be awarded for the Rock and Pillar Street drainage project. Wall Contractors will be recommended by the city engineer and staff review. The bid came in about $1.3 million, which was lower than the estimated $2 million. It is expected to straighten the channel and get this intersection reopened for traffic after more than a year of closure to collapse of a portion of the pavement on the street.
The council will consider stop signs regulating traffic flow around the Kingdom Ridge Subdivision next to the elementary school.
In the city manager’s report Bert Cunningham will provide information on the hazard mitigation plan, the 2025-26 audit preparation and the bid for the Rock and Pillar project.
Montague County Commissioners will adopt a budget and tax rate when they meet at on Aug. 24 in the courthouse annex.
The budget hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 24, followed by a public hearing for the proposed tax rate at 8:45 a.m.
During the regular meeting at 9 a.m., there will be one final budget workshop for any last minute tweaks or changes, followed by adoption of the 2026-27 budget and 2026 tax rate.
The proposed tax rate is .4961 cents per $100 in property value, which is the same rate as 2025. Due to the increase in property values despite the same rate, the total tax levy on all properties will see a 3.64% increase.
A copy of the proposed budget is available on the county website at https://www.co.montague.tx.us/.
Several other financial related items are on the agenda. Accumulated comp time in the sheriff office and jail will be discussed. The commissioners also will consider any year-end expenditures utilizing any or the budget year contingency funds.
Other items on the agenda will include: Acceptance of the District Attorney’s 2023- 2024 and 2025 Chapter 59 asset forfeiture reports and authorize DA Katie Boggeman to sign them; imposition of optional fees from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for 2027; House Bill 3834 cybersecurity and AI training certification for state and local governments compliance reports; interlocal cooperation agreement between the Department of Public Safety and the county court and district court; review the sherif office application for sheriff immigration law enforcement grant program Senate Bill 8; consider distribution of state grant HB 3000; and consider using Real Estate Station LLC Agent Denise Thurman to sell 5.9 acres on the corner of U.S. 81 and State Highway 59.
It should be no surprise, the month of July is recorded as the hottest month on record for the country.
July wrapped up with seven straight days of 100 degrees or higher July 25-31. August also opened hot with the first 100-plus degree day on Aug. 3 and it has topped that marked through Aug. 19. On Tuesday the high was 107 degrees at the water plant, but in town thermometers recorded 108 and 109 degrees.It was expected to top that mark on Wednesday.
There was no rainfall recorded in July or in August. Bowie has only 21.71 inches for the year so far and Nocona has 22.35 inches.
Lake Amon Carter
Aug. 19 –
917.22 msl, 80.2% full
July 19 – 918.10 msl, 86.1%
Aug. 19, 2025 – 919.84 msl, 98.8% full
Lake is full at 920msl
Lake Nocona
Aug. 19 – 823.48 msl, 76.3% full
July 19 – 824.41 msl, 81.05%
Aug. 19, 2025 – 826.878 msl, 95.85%
Lake full at 827.5msl
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