Houston Winter Storm: Freezing Rain, Hard Freeze, and Travel Impacts

Weekend Ice Threat

• ⚠️ Freezing rain is the primary concern for Houston from Saturday night into Sunday morning as temperatures drop to or below 32°F.
• 🧊 While most of the metro area is expected to see trace amounts of ice, northern areas could experience more significant accumulation.
• 🚗 Travel is strongly discouraged during the overnight hours Saturday into Sunday due to the potential for glazed roads.

Prolonged Cold and Hard Freeze

• 🥶 Houston will experience a prolonged stretch of below-freezing temperatures, potentially lasting over 36 hours.
• ❄️ A hard freeze is anticipated for Monday morning, with actual air temperatures dropping into the teens.
• 🌬️ Wind chill values on Monday morning could make it feel as cold as 5°F, necessitating extreme caution when outdoors.

Nationwide Ice Storm Impact

• 🌍 The weekend ice event is a widespread, crippling storm across the country, with some regions facing potential catastrophic outages.
• 📈 Central Texas and areas further east like Louisiana and Mississippi are projected to see higher ice accumulations (0.25 to 0.5 inches or more).
• 💡 Even a tenth of an inch of ice can cause dangerous travel conditions and localized power outages due to the weight on power lines.

Travel and Preparation Advice

• ✈️ Flights on Sunday are highly likely to be canceled or significantly delayed due to ice accumulation on runways and aircraft.
• 🚗 Sunday travel is not recommended, and pushing flights to Monday or Tuesday is advised to avoid disruptions.
• 🏠 Residents are advised to prepare for potential isolated power outages by having blankets, generators, and extra supplies on hand.

Post-Freeze Conditions

• ☀️ Monday will feature sunshine but dangerously cold temperatures, with a rebound into the 40s by the afternoon.
• 📈 Tuesday will start cold but see highs in the 50s, with temperatures returning to the 60s by Wednesday.
• 📺 KHOU 11 will provide continuous updates throughout the weekend with the full meteorology team covering the developing winter storm.