A winter storm expected to begin in Texas next week could bring snow and ice to parts of Florida, but the forecast is far from a lock.
Predicting winter weather in the South is not easy. Snow, sleet, and freezing rain require all the factors to come together at the right time: cold, moisture, location, and timing.
The first piece of this weather jigsaw is guaranteed. A chunk of arctic air fueled by the polar vortex will flow into the United States this weekend, bringing subfreezing temperatures deep into the South. As a result, the temperature also fluctuates greatly.
For example, high temperatures in Houston on Saturday are expected to be in the 60s.
By Sunday, temperatures will rise into the mid-40s. Temperatures will be in the 20s by Monday morning.
The wetter part of the storm began to take shape Monday, spreading precipitation across the southern half of Texas. By early Tuesday morning, wintry precipitation could reach areas from east of Del Rio to Houston.
The winter weather is quickly moving east, bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain to areas like New Orleans, Louisiana and Pensacola, Florida, by Tuesday night.
An ice storm is forming across northern Florida and Georgia, and snow could spread as far north as Virginia before the storm leaves the region by Wednesday afternoon.
uncertainty remains
The biggest question regarding winter weather events in this part of the country is where the storms will be located and when they will reach the cold air. That remains to be seen. Any changes in the cyclone's trajectory will have a significant impact on the storm's ultimate development.
It was just last week that a winter storm hit the Southeast, leaving several inches of snow behind.
Texas is already preparing
As we hear about winter weather and cold snaps in the news, some in Texas are reminded of the Great Texas Freeze of 2021.
More than 200 people died in the storm and subsequent arctic blast. An investigation found that power plants were not properly winterized, resulting in multi-day power outages in parts of the state.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages Texas' power grid, announced a weather watch from Jan. 20 to Jan. 23 due to expected winter weather and increased power demand.
The agency announced Friday that “grid conditions are expected to be normal during the ERCOT weather watch period.”
CenterPoint Energy, which supplies power to much of Southeast Texas, including metro Houston, announced it has activated its cold weather preparedness plan ahead of expected winter weather.
Dallas-area energy provider Oncor said it is preparing for power outages during the frigid weather.
Houston officials said a warming center will open Sunday night.
