HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Now is the time to prepare for the extreme cold before it arrives! A strong arctic cold front will sweep across Texas Thursday and bring windy weather and a quick drop in temperatures Thursday afternoon. Freezing temperatures are likely Thursday evening and night. The very cold weather will continue through Christmas weekend. A HARD FREEZE WARNING and a WIND CHILL WARNING go into effect Thursday afternoon. Temperatures may not climb above freezing Friday with another hard freeze Friday night.
Due to this cold and windy weather, Weather Alert Days have been declared for this coming Thursday and Friday.
When will the arctic front get here and how quickly will temperatures drop?
The front will move through the area between about 1:00-4:00 p.m. Thursday. Temperatures will likely fall 20 to 30 degrees colder behind the front within one or two hours. Temperatures could fall into the 20s by 6:00-9:00 p.m. Thursday and into the 10s in some many areas early Friday morning.
How cold will the wind chill make me feel?
The wind chill is the apparent temperature you feel due to the effects of the wind and cold weather on your exposed skin. Windy conditions will make the wind chill feel close to 0 degrees or colder Thursday night and Friday morning. These are dangerous levels that could allow frostbite to occur in about 30-60 minutes of exposure.
Are we expecting a hard freeze?
A hard freeze is likely Thursday night and Friday morning. Temperatures may not climb above freezing during the daytime Friday. Another hard freeze is likely Friday night and Saturday morning. Also, we could see another hard freeze Saturday night and Sunday morning. A hard freeze is when temperatures drop to 23 degrees or colder for more than two hours.
