Rare thundersleet reported in Texas as major winter storm leaves behind icy roads, U.S.

Rare thundersleet occurred in Texas during a major winter storm that struck much of the United States on January 23–25. Residents across the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area, Waco, and portions of Central Texas reported flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder while sleet fell steadily.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Fort Worth, radar and lightning detections confirmed isolated lightning strikes within sleet bands moving through North Texas late on January 24.

Temperatures across North and Central Texas remained well below freezing throughout the event, generally ranging from −9 to −6°C (15–21°F). Wind chills fell below −15°C (5°F) at times. Widespread sleet and ice coatings made roads impassable in several counties, forcing closures along Interstate 35 and multiple regional highways.

Thundersleet forms when a shallow layer of subfreezing air near the surface coincides with convective activity higher in the atmosphere.

In such cases, snowflakes melt partially in a warm layer aloft before refreezing into ice pellets during descent, while lightning originates in the elevated convective portion of the storm. The combination of these processes results in the simultaneous occurrence of sleet and thunder.

Multiple media reports state that the last time comparable thundersleet was seen in the state was in February 2021, when another powerful winter storm had swept across the region.

While the storm threat ended for the state on January 25, sleet and freezing rain have left dangerous, icy roads across multiple regions, including the Hill Country and the Austin metro area, the NWS office in San Antonio said.

The thundersleet was associated with a historic winter storm that claimed at least 24 lives over the weekend, leaving over a million customers without power across the eastern two-thirds of the country.

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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