4 YEARS AGO: When the historic February 2021 winter storm hit San Antonio

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On Feb. 3, 2021, KSAT meteorologists predicted that cold air from a Canadian cold front could reach Texas. By Feb. 9, a frigid weekend was expected. On Feb. 11, the Hill Country experienced its first round of freezing rain, and late on the night of Feb. 14, heavy snow blanketed San Antonio.

The historic winter storm in Texas four years ago brought unprecedented single-digit temperatures across the state.

Here is a look back at the historical events that broke records in San Antonio and across the state:

RECORDS BROKEN

Throughout the event, a new record seemed to be set each day. Here are some of the standout numbers:

  • Wind Chill of -8 degrees: On the morning of Feb. 15, 2021, San Antonio recorded its second-coldest wind chill since records began in 1947. The record low was -12 degrees in 1949. In total, San Antonio has experienced sub-zero wind chills only eight times since 1947. On Feb. 15, the Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service issued its first-ever Wind Chill Warning.
  • 107.5 hours below 33 degrees: From Feb. 12 to early Feb. 17, 2021, San Antonio endured temperatures below freezing for an extended period. Remarkably, this came just 90 minutes short of the record 109 hours below 33 degrees, set in January 1951. This stretch marked the latest such cold period in San Antonio’s history.
  • Four separate days with measurable snow: For the first time, San Antonio saw snow on four different calendar days in 2021: Jan. 10 (0.2″), Feb. 14 (1.2″), Feb. 15 (2.5″), and Feb. 18 (2.5″). For comparison, in 1951, there were snowfalls on Jan. 1 (0.5″), Jan. 29 (0.4″), Jan. 30 (trace), and Feb.14 (0.4″).
  • 3rd snowiest winter of all time: The winter of 1984-1985 holds the record with 15.9″ of snow. The 1925-1926 winter saw 7.4″, and this season accumulated 6.4″.
Courtesy: (National Weather Service, Austin/San Antonio)
  • 9-degree low temperature: On the morning of Feb. 15, 2021, San Antonio International Airport recorded a low of 9 degrees, tying for the eight-coldest temperature ever recorded. This occurred as the snow was moving out of the area and the skies began to clear.
Rank Temperature Date
1 0° January 31, 1949
2 4° February 12, 1899
3 5° January 30, 1949
4 6° December 23, 1989
5 6° February 2, 1951
6 6° February 13, 1899
7 6° January 8, 1886
8 9° February 15, 2021
  • 5 record lows in one week: In 2021, San Antonio set new record low temperatures on Feb. 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20, with readings of 13, 9, 12, 19 and 26 degrees, respectively.
San Antonio saw record lows 5 out of 7 days during a stretch from February 14th through February 20th. ((Copyright 2021 by KSAT – All rights reserved.))
  • 7th-coldest February of all time: February 2021 has now earned the spot as the seventh-coldest February on record (since 1885), largely due to the arctic outbreak. This ranking comes despite several days in the 70s and one in the 80s before and after the extreme cold snap.
Coldest Februarys for San Antonio, since records have been kept (1885) ((Copyright 2021 by KSAT – All rights reserved.))
  • 11.2 inches of snow in Del Rio – all-time record: On Feb. 18, 2021, Del Rio received 11.2 inches of snow, marking the largest snowfall on record for the area. This broke the previous record of 8.7 inches, which fell on Jan. 12 and 13, 1985.
  • Two ice events and two snow events: While there’s no official record for this, San Antonio experienced four separate winter weather events in just one week. The first round of freezing rain hit the Hill Country on Feb. 11, 2021. Freezing drizzle followed throughout the area on Feb. 14, followed by snow late on the 14th and into the 15th. Another round of freezing rain arrived on the morning of Feb. 17, capped by the final snowfall on Feb. 18. This unusual sequence is unlikely to happen again anytime soon.
  • Winter storm warnings statewide: For the first time, every county in Texas was placed under a Winter Storm Warning on Feb. 14, 2021, as reported by the National Weather Service.
This is the first time every the state had been under a Winter Storm Warning. The map is from the evening of February 14th, 2021 ((Copyright 2021 by KSAT – All rights reserved.))

ERCOT grid failure

Despite the tragic consequences of the Texas power grid failure, there was also a certain beauty in witnessing a snow-covered city—one typically known for its scorching summers rather than its cold winters.

‘Power Grid Failure: What Went Wrong,’ the collaboration between KSAT Explains and KSAT Investigates, examines the February storm and its aftermath. You can watch the special in the video player above on-demand.

Pictures looking back at the snowy week

Snow day in San Antonio during February winter storm 2021. ((KSAT 12))
An aerial view of San Antonio’s Northeast Side covered in snow in February 2021 submitted by KSAT Connect user jwill03. ((KSAT 12))
Engineer sweeping the snow out of satellite dish to improved reception. If the dish is full of snow, the signal degrades and is not usable. ((KSAT 12))
Children play with a sled as snow begins to accumulate, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in San Antonio. Snow, ice and sub-freezing weather continue to wreak havoc on the state’s power grid and utilities. ((AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.))

If you’d like to submit your pictures from the February 2021 winter storm, you can do so on our KSAT Connect page.