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Houston Thursday will have to contend with one of the chilliest cold fronts in years, followed by a hard freeze that will drop temperatures into the teens for many parts of the region. Follow along for live updates from the Houston Chronicle on the freeze and its effect on Houston and the rest of Texas.
What time will the Houston freeze hit?
The day many Houstonians have been preparing their homes for has arrived and temperatures may drop earlier in the day than expected, according to the National Weather Service.
The Arctic cold front is expected to reach Brazos Valley counties by midday and should roll into Houston by 2 or 3 p.m.
“The Arctic front’s forward speed is faster than much of the guidance suggests,” according to the weather service’s forecast discussion.
By 4 or 5 p.m. the front will have made it all the way down to the coast, meteorologists reported.
“Given recent trends, it is possible the front could arrive a little earlier,” according to the weather service.
The front will make its presence known when it passes through your community. Here is a timing estimate for the arctic front’s arrival. #HOUwx #GLSwx #BCSwx #TXwx pic.twitter.com/VIsxavSNGo
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) December 22, 2022
Before the highly anticipated cold settles in, Thursday temperatures in Houston were forecast to reach a daytime high of 57 degrees.
As the Arctic front headed for Houston passed through the Texas Panhandle earlier, temperatures dropped 20 to 30 degrees in a matter of minutes, according to the weather service.
How bad will the winds get when the front arrives?
Houstonians can expect rapidly dropping temperatures and 30 to 40 mph wind speeds. Wind gusts were expected to be stronger near the coast. The low temperature Thursday night was expected to drop to around 18 degrees, with the wind chill factor making it feel as cold as 5 degrees, according to forecasters.
Meteorologists did not note any chance of rain in the forecast for upcoming days.
Friday morning is expected to be the coldest point of the freeze. Temperatures were expected to be in the low to mid-teens north of Houston, in the upper 10s within the city and in the low 20s by the coast, according to the National Weather Service. When accounting for wind chill, the temperature drops even more. Temperatures may break through the freezing point briefly on Friday, but most should expect at least 36 hours straight of the freeze. The wind is expected to lighten up Friday, even though the temperature will not.
Friday night was expected to have a low temp around 20 degrees with the wind chill factor contributing to making it feel more like 10 to 15 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday, the high temperature will bring Houston out of freezing and is expected to reach 40 degrees. Saturday night, temperatures are expected to drop to a low of 24 degrees.
Christmas Day will be cold, but the hard freeze is expected to be finished by then. Things will begin to warm gradually and on Christmas Day the temp was expected to warm to 45 degrees, according to the weather service. Sunday night lows are expected to be around 29 degrees.
— Clare Fonstein
This story will be updated throughout the day with the latest coverage on the Houston hard freeze, as information becomes available. To receive live updates, sign up for our Breaking News newsletter or download the Houston Chronicle mobile app.
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