HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A winter storm is coming to Texas, and the National Weather Service still has most of Southeast Texas under a Winter Storm Watch from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday for the possibility of freezing rain. Additionally, an Extreme Cold Watch is also in effect Saturday through Monday as an arctic airmass will move in, leading to a hard freeze and the chance for single-digit wind chills Monday morning. Our ABC13 Weather Alert starts Saturday night and runs through Monday morning for the threat of ice and bitterly cold conditions.
We’ve got one more day of mild temperatures and mostly dry weather to prepare for this winter blast. Another round of dense fog is possible Friday morning, especially near the coast. Temperatures will basically hover in the 60s all day under a mainly cloudy sky. There is a 30% chance of mainly light showers.
The cold front arrives late Friday, but the arctic air will hold off until late Saturday when the wind turns more from the northwest. While we should have no frozen precipitation in Southeast Texas on Friday, the winter storm will start cranking up in the northern parts of the state with freezing rain, sleet, and snow.
What are the details on these weather alerts for the weekend?
The Winter Storm Watch includes all of our local counties at this time except for Galveston, Brazoria, Matagorda, Jackson, and Calhoun Counties. Between one-tenth and three-tenths of an inch of ice are possible, with the higher end of that range expected north of Houston. Power outages, tree damage, and travel hazards are possible due to the icy conditions. Our ABC13 Weather Alert Days remain in effect Saturday night through Monday morning as the arctic front and winter storm bring the potential for freezing rain over the weekend. Then a hard freeze is coming for nearly all of Southeast Texas Monday morning and possibly again on Tuesday morning.
What should I be preparing for with the winter storm this weekend?
You need to be prepared to stay warm, stay put, and to possibly go without power should you receive a high amount of freezing rain. The freeze line now looks like it will stay just north of Southeast Texas most of Saturday, then blow through Saturday night. That means most of Saturday will be cold and rainy with nothing freezing except for in northern parts of Trinity, Polk, Walker, and Grimes Counties. That is likely to change after sunset Saturday, with freezing rain spreading south toward the Texas coast. Where freezing rain accumulations occur, it could lead to significant travel and power disruptions as ice accretes on bridges, elevated roadways, powerlines, and tree branches. Some parts of Southeast Texas north of I-10 could spend more than 48 hours below freezing as a result. These more significant impacts are more likely the farther north and west you go from Houston.
Why are we expecting freezing rain instead of snow?
The arctic air is expected to be shallow, meaning the layer of freezing air will not be thick enough to support snow. Instead, if we get anything frozen at all, it would likely be in the form of freezing rain or sleet (ice pellets). There is a brief window late Sunday when it will be cold enough to snow, but by then most of the precipitation is over.
Is this is a dangerous, pipe-bursting type of cold?
Yes. We expect temperatures to drop into the teens and low 20s on Sunday night and Monday morning everywhere except around Galveston Island. That’s when you’ll need to make sure your interior pipes are adequately insulated and protected from the cold. The wind will still be blowing, so wind chill factors will drop into the single digits and teens Monday morning. The National Weather Service has placed all of Southeast Texas under an Extreme Cold Watch during this timeframe. It’s important that all people, pets, and livestock are protected from the cold to avoid hypothermia.
When will we be done with the freezing weather?
Temperatures should climb above freezing on Monday, but we expect another hard freeze on Monday night and Tuesday morning. A light freeze is possible Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, especially north of Houston. Then we should be done with this round of arctic air.
13 ALERT RADAR MAPS:
Southeast Texas
Houston
Harris County
Galveston County
Montgomery/Walker/San Jacinto/Polk/Grimes Counties
Fort Bend/Wharton/Colorado Counties
Brazoria/Matagorda Counties
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This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.
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