Texas faces winter storm threat next week as arctic blast takes hold
Cities deep in the heart of Texas could see snow, sleet and freezing rain between Monday and Wednesday, but the forecast is far from certain.
Arctic blast to grip US ahead of potential winter storm in South
FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar outlines the life-threatening cold that will dive into the South ahead of a winter storm that could unfold in the region starting early next week.
HOUSTON – As a slug of polar vortex-fueled arctic air overtakes the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. next week, a storm system could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to places deep in the heart of Texas before it spreads across the Southeast. However, the forecast isn’t a lock just yet.
The first component of any winter storm is cold air, which isn't super easy to get in the southern U.S. However, that is a guarantee at this point.
The bitter cold will arrive in Texas over the weekend and will bring a wild swing in temperatures. For example, the highs on Saturday in Houston are forecast to be in the 60s. By Sunday, temperatures will struggle to reach the mid-40s. Temperatures by Monday morning will be in the 20s.
(FOX Weather)
The storm begins to take shape Monday with moisture spreading across the southern half of Texas. By early Tuesday morning, wintry precipitation could be falling in a swath from Del Rio east to Houston.
CenterPoint Energy, which provides power to much of southeastern Texas, including the Houston metro, said it has activated its cold-weather readiness plan ahead of the expected winter weather.
It’s all about location and timing
The biggest question mark with any winter weather event in this part of the country is where the storm is located and when it reaches the cold air. That remains to be seen. Any shift in the track of the low will have a big impact on how the storm eventually plays out.
Depending on where that low tracks, there could be a scenario where snow and ice would develop across Texas and Oklahoma late Monday. On Tuesday, it would spread east with a mix of snow and freezing rain falling from the upper Texas coast into the Carolinas.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR FAMILY, HOME AND CAR FOR A WINTER STORM
(FOX Weather)
Later in the week, the storm is expected to spread east and bring a round of snow and ice to parts of the South that were smacked by a winter storm just last week.
File – Snow piles up in Texas as winter storm blankets southern Plains
FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell reports from Frisco, Texas, where snow has started covering the ground as a winter storm moves across the southern U.S.