In brief: We’ll see a reasonably warm day today, and beginning later this morning and running through this evening there will be the possibility of showers and potentially a few thunderstorms. That changes overnight as drier and sharply colder air moves in. You’ll want to bundle up on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Bundle up heads up
Don’t let today’s mild temperatures lull you into thinking winter is over. Even when you go to bed this evening, especially for coastal counties, you won’t feel like anything particularly cold is in the cards. But during the overnight hours a potent front will sweep into the area. By sunrise on Wednesday morning air temperatures will have fallen into the low 40s. However, with northerly winds of about 20 mph and noticeably higher gusts, it will feel much colder outside, especially for areas north and west of downtown Houston. So when you’re packing the kids off to school, or dressing for work, make sure to wear an extra later to ward off the cold and wind.
Tuesday
As noted above, the weather today will be rather mild for mid-February. We are going to see high temperatures in the mid-60s beneath cloudy skies. The warm weather will hang around all day before a cold front pushes through during the overnight hours. In addition to warmer air, we’re going to see scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, with the peak potential between about 6 pm and midnight. I don’t believe these storms will be too impactful, but you may need to dodge some showers. Accumulations look greatest to the east of Interstate 45, where 0.5 to 1 inch of rain is possible.
Wednesday
Temperatures will begin to plummet after midnight across Houston, and we’ll wake up to a gusty, cold morning. Winds will peak at 20 to 25 mph sustained on Wednesday morning, with higher gusts. With clearing skies we should see highs in the mid- to upper-40s, but the winds will make it feel cold all day. With partly cloudy skies, we’ll see favorable conditions for cooling on Wednesday night. I expect lows to fall to about 30 degrees in the urban core of Houston, and for coastal counties perhaps a degree or two warmer, at or just above freezing. Inland areas should drop into the mid- to upper-20s.
Thursday
Winds will not die off entirely on Thursday morning, and with gusts of 15 to 20 mph there will be a distinct chill in the air. It will “feel” well below freezing across the metro area, so this will be another morning to bundle up. Highs on Thursday, with mostly sunny skies, will top out in the mid-40s. Another night of freezing temperatures is possible for inland areas, although conditions should be 1 to 4 degrees warmer for most locations.
Friday
A cloudy and cold day, with highs in the low 40s. Friday night will be chilly, with lows dropping into the upper 30s for most of the region, and some light drizzle possible.
Saturday and Sunday
A coastal low pressure system will help provide a surge of moisture into the atmosphere on Saturday, so we’re going to see a healthy chance of light-to-moderate showers during the daytime, with decreasing coverage during the evening hours. Expect high temperatures in the low 50s, and overnight lows in the mid-40s. Sunday looks more spring-like, with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower 60s to mid-60s.
Next week
The majority of next week looks mild, with high temperatures in the 70s, lows in the 50s, and a fair amount of sunshine. Hello, spring?
In Pearland area do we need to cover plants again or will they be ok for the short time below freezing?
Starting at 5 AM, temperature will be 32°F, dropping to 30°F from 7-8 AM, up to 32°F at 10 AM. I would cover delicate plants. Source – Windy weather app.
I’m going to keep my head in the sand over this, I trust the temps will be kind to my babies in their beds.
Certain plants will be ok, but tender plants like vegetables, hibiscus, and Mandevillas will have to be covered. Some rose bushes will have to be covered except for knockout roses.
Roses dont need cover
Roses definitely don’t need cover. They’re fine with cold, they struggle in Houston summers.
Space City Weather posts like this confuses the choir. The mid-60s Fahrenheit is not warm in Houston. The high daily temperature in low- to mid-60s F. is not Spring-like in Houston. Those temperatures are normal high temperatures during the depths of a Houston Winter.
It will be colder than 60s starting tomorrow. so it is technically accurate to say 60s as warm weather compared to 30-40 temps
It’s because they have a warm bias in their forecasting.
I like that, confusing the choir
We are getting lucky in Houston because it looks as though much of the country, and even the state, are going to have extreme cold from this cold snap, so lows around 30 for two nights is not so bad.
Are we talking light freeze or hard freeze for the Woodlands- do moderately strong plants need to be covered
Thu morning: at 30 in Ft. Bend (Sugar Land area) I don’t cover most plants. At 26 I do. Various outlets range from 26/27 to yours at 30. How confident are you in that forecast?
I don’t get these questions about covering plants? I mean, without a heat source under the cover it’s just as cold in there as it is outside. Plants don’t really care about wind chill. LOL
What makes you think plants don’t care about wind chill?
Wind chill isn’t just a “feeling” that only people have. It’s a real effect with real consequences. Moving air makes things cool off more quickly – that’s why you blow on hot soup to cool it off. In the case of plants in a light freeze, covering them will create a protective bubble of slightly-warmer-than-freezing air that will help a little to protect them. Uncovering them will blow that bubble away.
People are already covering or will tonight. The temperature inside will be the same as outside by Thursday. Your hot soup is at room temperature in just a couple of hours. When it’s 31 outside it ain’t 33 inside. Sorry.
🌿💗🌿💗🌿
Haha gotcha….IYKYK. I ❤️🌱 too. Warm insulating blankets. Fuzzy polyethylene ain’t in it.
Covering them in a light freeze will keep frost from forming in them and doing damage. It also provides a degree or two of thermal protection for a short period of time which may be the difference between life and death for a tropical plant…
trees might be subject to this, however the frost and other thermal blankets work by trapping the ambient heat from the ground to keep the plants warm. For delicate plants, my family also puts some Christmas lights under the blanket for some extra heat.
That’s what I did during the last freeze, put Christmas lights under freeze cloth and the kalanchoes’ in the bed survived.
DJ, that’s incorrect. A layer of air around the plant will help some with insulation, and keep the wind off. Physics.
When we’re dancing on the edge of freezing, the extra help for the plants can make a vital difference.
Plants feel things, respond to attention and communicate with each other. Good to be aware.
Ok thanks for the kind debate. Always wondered why people do this if not also adding incandescent lights underneath. All my in-ground flora is rated 9B or lower or has hardy ryzomes. Above is all potted and that’s coming inside (again). Will drip outside faucets starting at 1AM Thursday. All I can do!
Nah. It helps
Opinion on light freeze or hard freeze for City Center?
Well since it’s been spring for like 70% of this winter it’s more like hello winter. We’ve seen enough spring already this month.
What do you consider an inland area? Is Sugar Land considered part of core or an inland area? Thanks!
That’s what I wondered too. What exactly is the core? I get it that Conroe and The Woodlands are inland but where is the core? Inside the loop? Downtown? Where?
what does this mean for driving conditions Thursday? supposed to be driving to Louisiana Thursday early morning.
You will want to make sure your car’s heat works. Otherwise no issues as the precip moves out tonight.
In Bellaire…do we need to cover pipes?
Sensitive plants?
always cover your external hose bibs when it gets to freezing. The driving wind will help cool them to the ambient temp of roughly 30 degrees. I would rather spend 15 mins to cover them than thousands of dollars to fix water damage.
Interesting evolution of NWS forecast for the Thurs AM low temp for my area (near Champions). First it was 22, then 28, then 30, then back to 28. Right now it’s 26 degrees. I wonder if the forecast will get all the way back down to 22 where it started.
Goodbye to all my fans and haters, for next week I am finally moving. I’m so glad to be leaving this miserable, wretched place. 🙂
Good luck with the move. I will miss you but I know you won’t miss our stupid climate down here. 👏