Get ready for drop to freezing temperatures
Arctic cold front to sweep the region today, plunging Tuesday morning’s lows into 30s
Freezing temperatures seem to be taking a cue from holiday decorations by making an early-November appearance in Houston.
A cold front swooping into the Gulf Coast on Monday is expected to bring showers and isolated thunderstorms, plunging temperatures nearly 30 degrees overnight Monday. By Tuesday, Southeast Texas could see gusty winds and rapidly dropping temperatures, with Tuesday morning’s lows in the 30s inland, according to the National Weather Service.
Known as an Arctic front, the frosty air coming in from Canada will make for the first cold snap of the season in Houston, said Don Oettinger, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Some parts of the coast could see gusts between 25 and 35 mph.
“Most likely north of I-10 will be 32 or below, and it may get around freezing in Houston, but it’s not for sure,” Oettinger said.
Highs are expected to peak in the upper 40s during the day on Tuesday, with a 30 percent chance of showers during the day. Wind chill could make the air feel more like temperatures are in the upper 20s in parts of Southeast Texas, forecasters said.
The wintry weather could jeopardize some of the century-old record high temperatures in the Houston area. Bush Intercontinental Airport’s lowest daytime high on record for Nov. 12 was 44 degrees in 1907, and Hobby Airport’s lowest daytime high on record on Nov. 12 was 50 degrees in 1939.
Below-freezing temperatures are expected for five to 10 hours on Tuesday in areas north and west of Houston, according to the weather service, but it won’t be frigid enough to ice over roads or freeze pipes in Houston.
“The ground is plenty warm and it won’t be that cold for that long,” Oettinger said.
Temperatures are expected to warm up after Wednesday, with highs in the upper 50s to mid-60s expected for the rest of the week.
The National Weather Service is considering a hard freeze warning for inland Southeast Texas from Madisonville to Crockett, issued when temperatures drop below 25 degrees, according to an advisory for Wednesday morning.