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 set to grip US with life-threatening cold for millions
The coldest air of the season yet is expected to spill into the U.S., starting this weekend. It could set records in parts of the country.
HOUSTON – As a slug of 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, but 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 pretty much 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, temps will struggle to the mid-40s. By Monday morning, temperatures will be in the 20s.
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.
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.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR FAMILY, HOME AND CAR FOR A WINTER STORM
Later in the week, another system could bring another 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.