AUSTIN, Texas — Earlier this week we discussed how lake effect snow impacted parts of Central Texas.
Now we know that snow spotted at Austin's airport may have been industrial-enhanced snow.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, to mention the possibility of snowfall at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport being enhanced due to a nearby power plant.
The Decker Creek Power Station is located about 11 miles northeast of Austin's airport, next to Lake Walter E. Long.
In this process, strong arctic wind blows over the power plant where moisture from steam is being released. That moisture then blows south and can eventually fall as snow. While the official recording site at ABIA only recorded a "trace" of snow, social media photos and video showcased minor accumulation in the area.
The National Weather Service mentioned this phenomenon is rare but not uncommon and has been noted to have previously occurred in the Panhandle before.
