Matt Lanza

A widespread freeze this weekend and conversational sleet today?

This roller coaster of a winter shows no signs of letting up as we head through the opening days of 2017. We have sleet, wind chills in the teens, a widespread freeze…and 80° weather to discuss. Here’s how it will unfold.

Friday & Weekend

Cold weather has now settled into the region.

6 AM temperatures are cold enough for perhaps some sleet or ice pellets to mix in, mainly north of Houston. (NOAA)

Expect a chilly, raw day today. We’ll have a stiff north wind, coupled with temperatures not getting much warmer than they are on the map above. In addition, we’ll have clouds and occasional light rain and drizzle throughout the day. Temperatures will be cold enough for perhaps some sleet or ice pellets to mix in over the area. Fortunately, the precipitation looks light enough and temperatures just warm enough that this shouldn’t be anything more than “conversational” wintry precipitation.

HRRR model forecast radar for today shows potential for some sleet to mix in at times, but probably no travel problems or ice accumulation. (Weather Bell)

But don’t be shocked to see or hear some ice pellet pings today.We’ll clear skies out, and actually, the weekend is going to be an absolutely beautiful winter one for Southeast Texas.


(Space City Weather is sponsored by Westbury Christian School for this month)

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Unsettled weekend, but real winter lurking

Unsettled weather is going to be the story of the next several days. We have a lot to discuss, so let’s break it down.

Today & Weekend

No big issues for Friday, as we’ll see clouds thicken and seasonably cool temperatures. There could be a sprinkle later today, but steadier light rain won’t begin to break out until probably after Midnight. Rain may become steady to heavy at times on Saturday morning. Here’s the good news though: Rain will likely end early to mid afternoon Saturday, and the bulk of New Year’s Eve night will be dry. If you have outdoor plans, don’t cancel them, but I encourage you to follow the forecast just to be safe.

We’ll ring in 2017 the same way we spent much of 2016: Milder than usual and a bit damp.

While there will continue to be a slight chance of showers Sunday, I think the majority of the day will be dry. It will continue to be mild, with temps in the 70s.

For Monday, the weather gets a little more interesting. A vigorous upper level disturbance will arrive, bringing renewed showers and thunderstorms. There are a lot of details that are TBD with this one, but it could potentially produce some strong to severe thunderstorms, especially north of I-10. We’ll keep you posted if this becomes more than just a “potential.”

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Christmas weekend in Houston: Eggnog and fog

Though it won’t feel like it, Christmas weekend is upon us. Some of us may have trouble seeing it though; not due to too much eggnog but probably due to some dense fog. Let’s dive into the details.

Today

A warm front is lifting through today, allowing warmer and more humid air to begin to flood northward. As this happens, we are seeing some fog around this morning. We already have low clouds, drizzle, showers, or steady light rain around also, and that may continue throughout the day.

Today shouldn’t be a washout, but occasional light rain, drizzle, or showers is likely. (Weather Bell)

Even with clouds and showers, we will warm up to the low 70s this afternoon.

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Good news for Houston in water infrastructure bill

President Obama recently signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the National Act (WIIN) into law. Like many major spending acts, there’s a lot of “stuff” in this bill. It includes funding to help Flint, Michigan recover from its lead crisis, help for water projects in California, as well as re-authorization of several big conservation and restoration acts.

For those of us in Southeast Texas, there was one potentially important item in the bill. It includes a provision to speed up feasibility studies for a coastal storm surge protection system for Galveston Bay and the Houston area. This is what is more commonly known as the “Ike Dike.” The provision was added by Senator John Cornyn.

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