Weekend Cold Front:
The cold front arrives Friday with the arctic air moving in Saturday. The temperatures tumble from highs in the 70s on Friday to highs in the lower-40s, and even upper 30s by Sunday. Morning lows drop into the 20s and 30s. These will be the coldest temperatures we’ve seen so far this season.
We’re tracking an impactful winter weather situation this weekend in Houston, with freezing rain possible in the area. Freezing rain is the most dangerous form of winter precipitation.
Even a thin layer of ice, less than a tenth of an inch, can create hazardous driving conditions and lead to power outages if it collects on trees near power lines.
But timing is key! The freezing air, less than 32°, and precipitation have to match up. If it doesn’t, we’ll simply get a cold rain. The timing for now is Saturday night. Below in pink is the freezing rain forecast.
On top of this, wind chills will be in the teens, so it will feel bitterly cold.
Saturday’s Forecast:
Through the morning, we’ll see off-and-on cold rain. As arctic air pushes in during the afternoon, areas north of Houston may start to see ice — but for the metro, I expect the changeover from cold rain to freezing rain to happen overnight Saturday night, once temperatures drop below freezing.
Sunday’s Forecast:
Early Sunday morning,, we’ll have the potential for icy roads, with below-freezing temperatures and lingering freezing rain. Most of the freezing rain and sleet should end by around noon Sunday, but highs will be right near freezing. It’s going to be bitterly cold all day, and unfortunately that means little to no melting.
Now, if we are able to see more sunshine and warm temperatures above freezing, it’s possible our roads all be de-iced at this point. Regardless, Sunday night looks to be the coldest of this stretch.
Monday’s Forecast:
Monday morning, we’ll wake up with temperatures in the teens and 20s, but with the wind, it could feel closer to 6 degrees. If the ice doesn’t melt Sunday afternoon, we could still have icy spots Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, highs near 40 should allow things to thaw and road conditions to improve.
Tuesday’s Forecast:
Keep your pipes and plants protected. Monday night, we’re expecting our final hard freeze on Tuesday morning. After Tuesday afternoon, we’re done with freezing temperatures for the rest of the week.
Your Extended Forecast:
We will see the potential for another freeze next weekend, but right now it remains dry.
This forecast will become much more specific as we get closer to the weekend and models come into better alignment.