‘Blue Norther’ could bring overnight rain/sleet mix to Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A true “Blue Norther” is sending freezing temperatures toward Houston overnight. Chief Meteorologist Travis Herzog says this arctic front could bring a rain/sleet mix to Houston overnight.

The freeze line will get very close to Houston overnight, but because of the warm ground, even if sleet falls, little to no accumulations are expected. A few bridges north and west of Houston could have minor ice accumulations.

Wind chill factors will bottom out in the teens and 20s and remain in the 30s all day Tuesday. Travis says winds will gust up to 40 mph overnight, especially near the coast, with sustained winds of 20-30 mph most of the day. With the sky clearing out Tuesday night and the wind calming down, expect it to get even colder. The freeze line could make it all the way to Galveston Bay with a hard freeze possible in our northern communities from College Station to Huntsville to Livingston.

Make sure you bring your pets indoors the next couple of nights and cover any sensitive plants. Pipes will likely be okay for Houstonians, but folks in our northern counties may want to wrap their pipes with the possibility of a hard freeze Tuesday night.

Another cold, rainy weather system will blow into Houston Wednesday night, but this time temperatures will stay stuck in the 40s. Travis says we won’t climb out of the 40s until Friday afternoon when sunshine returns.

Lows are expected to remain in the 30s through the weekend, but highs will climb back into the 60s by Sunday. Travis says average highs are in the mid 70s at this time of year with average lows in the mid 50s.