Arctic front arrives tonight, gusty winds could knock out power for some

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A blast of arctic air arriving overnight will send temperatures plummeting to near freezing by sunrise, and the strong wind gusts could knock out the power for some.

It now appears that the freeze line will even briefly move into the city of Houston and Harris County between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. At that that time the wind chill will be in the teens and 20s all across Southeast Texas. Temperatures will warm into the mid 40s with the afternoon sunshine, but the wind will make it feel like it’s in the 30s all afternoon.

A Wind Advisory is in effect from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the winds could gust into the 40-50 mph range. That’s strong enough to cause sporadic power outages in some Houston-area neighborhoods that could last for a few hours. Gale Warnings are in effect along the Upper Texas coastline where wind gusts could exceed 50 mph.

How cold will it get Sunday night?
Temperatures on Sunday night will be at or below freezing just about everywhere in Southeast Texas. It will be a light freeze for most with about 6 hours of freezing temperatures in the 26-32 range. You will definitely want to make sure all exposed pipes outdoors are covered up and well insulated before then.

How long will the cold stick around?
It will stay cold through Tuesday morning. That’s all we get out of this front, but we another cold front is in the forecast for Thursday, Jan. 6. This one could also bring a round of freezing temperatures behind it for Friday morning.

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 any outdoor pipes that are exposed to be safe.