HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Get ready for a shock to the system, as feels-like temperatures drop 60 degrees or more from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning.
We’ll ring in the New Year with record warm temperatures. If our forecast high of 86 verifies, it will not only be a record for January 1st, but also for the entire month of January. The heat index could even get up to 88 before we start to cool off Saturday evening. Rain chances are low at just 20%. The cold front won’t reach Southeast Texas until Saturday evening, with the brunt of the cold air arriving after midnight Sunday.
How cold will it get behind this front?
We’ll get our first freeze of the season out of this one. Temperatures are likely to drop into the low 30s Sunday morning, but with the strong northwest wind it will feel like it’s in the 20s around sunrise. The freeze line will make it into parts of Harris County, and wind chill readings could even dip into the teens from Livingston to Huntsville to College Station. A Freeze Warning is in effect for Austin, Brazos, Grimes, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker, Waller, and Washington Counties from Saturday evening through Sunday morning.
On Sunday night and Monday morning we expect our first light freeze of the season in Houston, which is almost a month later than normal. Your pipes will be okay, but people, pets, and plants will need warm shelter. A freeze Watch has been issued for Sunday night through Monday morning including all but our barrier islands. A Hard Freeze Watch has been issued for Monday morning in our northernmost communities, including Brazos, Grimes, and Walker counties.
How long will the cold stick around?
Three days. That’s all we get out of this front, but we now have another cold front in the forecast for Thursday, Jan. 6. This one could also bring a round of freezing temperatures behind it.
Will this be a repeat of February’s winter storm?
NO! This will just be a light freeze with no precipitation. There is virtually no snowpack over the Plains, so the arctic air will warm up on its way to Texas. You will want to make sure people, pets, and plants have warm shelter. Your interior pipes will be okay, but you’ll want to wrap an outdoor pipes that are exposed to be safe.
