Texans are bracing for a harsh winter storm that’s expected to plunge the entire state into subfreezing temperatures starting Friday, bringing an arctic mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
Frigid air is blowing in from northern Canada, and according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Kurt Van Speybroeck, it’s expected to reach the very southern tip of Texas by Sunday morning.
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Texans from Wichita Falls west to Lubbock and Amarillo should be preparing for snowy weather late Friday. The cold air and precipitation is expected to move south Saturday, and by Sunday morning, residents in Brownsville should expect temperatures to dip below freezing. Every part of the state, from El Paso to the Houston region, will experience a hard freeze during the storm, Speybroeck said.
“By Sunday, the whole state will definitely be experiencing well-below normal temperatures and dangerous wind chills,” Speybroeck said, adding that the storm brings a strong chance of ice for most of the state, which may cause power outages.
“We’re talking about two thirds to three quarters of the state having some pretty dangerous winter driving conditions,” he said, but “everything south of I-10 should be drivable.”
Officials in North and Central Texas, which have the highest chances of snow and sleet, have already issued winter storm watches ahead of the storm. Other areas are also under a winter storm watch, including Houston.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday said he has activated state emergency response resources, saying the winter weather “could create hazardous travel conditions into the weekend and cause impacts to infrastructure.”
Here’s what Texans should expect and when, depending on where they live:
The Panhandle
The Panhandle is expected to experience the worst of the storm on Friday night, according to the NWS, when the low is expected to reach 2 degrees and the chance of precipitation is 90%.
“That’s going to change over to snow really fast and it’ll be a fairly dry and fluffy type of snow,” Speybroeck said, adding that wind may make visibility while driving difficult and dangerous.
Friday night into Saturday morning, the storm is expected to move further south.
Dallas-Fort Worth area
The Dallas-Fort Worth region is expected to see freezing rain and sleet accumulate Friday night, which may become snow by Saturday evening in some areas, according to the NWS.
Cities north of Dallas-Fort Worth, from Graham to Paris, should expect the most snow.
The coldest weather forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area is expected to hit Saturday night, with a low of 10 degrees. The freezing temperature will last through Sunday, when the high is predicted to be 22 degrees.
Central Texas
Central Texans should also expect sleet and freezing rain, but Speybroeck said chances of heavy accumulations are lower compared to North Texas.
“We’re expecting sleet and freezing rain in the Hill Country, maybe into the Austin-San Antonio corridor, but we’re not expecting significant winter precipitation,” Speybroeck said.
Temperatures in Central Texas are expected to drop as low as 14 degrees on Saturday night.
El Paso and far West Texas
El Paso may see snow as soon as Friday morning, according to the NWS, and could see up to 10 inches accumulate during the storm.
Wind gusts are expected to be as high as 22 miles per hour on Saturday, making roads dangerous to drive on.
Although the chances of snow are higher in El Paso, forecasters don’t expect the area to see temperatures as low as other parts of the state — the coldest temperatures Saturday night are expected to reach 28 degrees before rising to 41 on Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to dip back below freezing on Sunday night.
Houston region
The Houston region has a high chance of rain and thunderstorms Friday night going into Saturday morning. By Saturday night, that’s expected to turn into freezing rain with a low of 27 degrees, the NWS said.
Rain is expected to continue throughout Saturday and turn into freezing rain overnight into Sunday morning when temperatures are expected to dip below freezing. Partly sunny weather should bring temperatures above freezing on Monday.
South Texas
By Sunday morning the winter storm is expected to reach Texas’ southern tip, according to the NWS.
Residents from Laredo to Brownsville, Speybroeck said, should expect temperatures right around freezing on Sunday going into Monday.
The coldest temperatures are expected Saturday night and Sunday night, with lows around 33 degrees and a slight chance of light rain.