HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Get ready for frigid air to blast in behind an arctic cold front arriving Tuesday night. A widespread freeze still looks likely with a hard freeze still possible north and west of Houston by Thursday morning.
Temperatures Tuesday morning will hover in the 50s as clouds build back in ahead of the front. The increase in moisture will yield a few spotty showers for the morning that transition to scattered thunderstorms for the afternoon. High temperatures will range from the upper 50s north of Houston to the mid 70s in our coastal counties. Houston should warm into the mid 60s. In the warmer air near the coast, some of the thunderstorms that develop could turn severe with gusty winds and hail. While the risk of severe weather is low, your chance of rain is high, climbing from 40% in the morning to 90% in the evening.
The arctic cold front will arrive in the evening hours, putting an end to our rain chances as the cold air rushes in. By Wednesday morning, the freeze line could be in communities north and west of Houston from Huntsville to Navasota to Columbus. Lows in Houston will end up in the upper 30s. Wind chill factors north and west of Houston will dip into the teens, prompting a Cold Weather Advisory for Austin, Colorado, Grimes, Trinity, Walker, and Washington counties.
How cold will it get with the arctic front, and when does the freeze line reach Houston?
At this time we are predicting a low in the mid to upper 20s for Houston on Thursday morning, which will be our coldest of this arctic cold snap. The freeze line should reach Houston around midnight Thursday and may not get above freezing until around 11 a.m. Thursday. This is technically a “light freeze” for Houston, but a hard freeze is still possible north and west of Houston where temperatures dip to 24 and colder. People, pets, plants, and pipes will need to be protected from this incoming cold air,. Temperatures Friday morning will will also dip into light freeze territory for most with a low of 31 predicted in Houston.
Is any wintry precipitation possible with this arctic front?
Yes, but only in northern parts of Texas. By the time the freeze line moves through Southeast Texas Wednesday night, the sky should be clear.
How long does this cold air stick around?
Temperatures will stay well below normal through Saturday with a cold rain in the 40s for the first half of the weekend. By Sunday the sunshine is back and warming temps into the 60s, and on Monday next week we’ll warm well into the 70s.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.
Keep up with weather updates with us on Que Onda Magazine.
