Is Houston's first official freeze on the horizon for next week?

HOUSTON – A cold front Thursday will bring another taste of winter with a refreshing weekend in the 60s and 40s, but chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley warns that this is just the beginning of an onslaught of much colder air.

"A stronger front slated for this coming Monday will usher in freezing temperatures for a lot of places that haven't gotten there yet," Billingsley said.

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The cold front will be moving through the area sometime Monday with rain in Houston, but winter weather possibly in North Texas.

"Once that front and those clouds move through, we clear and the winds calm down," Billingsley said. "That could set the stage for Wednesday morning for a big freeze across much of Southeast Texas due to radiational cooling....basically meaning that any heat from day escapes and leaves us freezing."

According to Frank, the European and American models for next Wednesday have many areas below freezing. Below is the American model showing 28 degrees at Bush, 31 degrees at Hobby and even 37 degrees on the island in Galveston. "This forecast is a week out, so we put a cautious slant on it, but certainly these kinds of cold temperatures are possible."

The official forecast for the KPRC 2 Severe Weather Team calls for 32 degrees next Wednesday morning.

"But we'll monitor this closely, so stay tuned! This wouldn't be a pipe buster, but tender vegetation, pets and people would need protection!" Frank guarantees you'll be the first to know if this freezing forecast looks to pan out.


About the Author:

KPRC 2's chief meteorologist with four decades of experience forecasting Houston's weather.