Houston weather: Arctic air to plunge temperatures this weekend, FOX 26 Storm Alert issued

HOUSTON - Impacts on Houston will be felt this weekend with cold rain and possible ice pellets, freezing rain or areas of wet snow.

Houston weather: Arctic temperatures to plunge temperatures this weekend across Houston area 

What we know:

• We are certain that a major pattern shift is underway as a powerful upper-level low dives south out of the Hudson Bay in Canada. This will send an Arctic cold front across the USA and toward the Gulf coast by early Saturday.
• We know there will be plenty of moisture; southerly flow ahead of the front will prime the atmosphere for widespread precipitation.
• We are confident that temperatures will plummet. Models already suggest that Saturday’s temperatures will remain in the 30s all day, with a widespread freeze likely for much of the Houston area Saturday and Sunday night.
• A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for much of North Texas. Expect winter alerts to be issued for Southeast Texas in the coming days.

What we don't know:

• While the arrival of the cold is a sure bet, the exact timing of the transition from rain to a wintry mix is still a major question mark.
• We are also still evaluating the vertical temperature profile of the atmosphere; a difference of just a couple of degrees will determine if we see a cold rain, sleet, or freezing rain. Unfortunately, freezing rain is starting to look more likely.
• While our best models are starting to lean into a wintry scenario, we cannot yet pinpoint specific accumulation amounts or which exact neighborhoods will see the highest impacts. We’ll be watching the model trends closely as we get closer to the weekend.