Houstonians bracing for a week of cooler-than-normal temperatures can thank a recent cold front that swept through Southeast Texas over Christmas. According to the Houston Chronicle, the city kicked off the post-Christmas week with a forecast of sunny, crisp weather. Despite the sunshine, daytime highs are expected to be about 10 degrees cooler than what's typical for this period.
Forecasters predict mostly sunny skies with a high near 59 degrees for today, with placid northeast winds shuffling to the south in the afternoon, per the National Weather Service. Overnight, Houston will see mostly cloudy conditions, giving way to clearer skies and a low around 42 degrees. Into tomorrow, a high near 62 is anticipated, although gusty winds up to 20 mph could make it feel chillier.
Spelling a slightly warmer tomorrow thanks to a lingering high-pressure system, forecasters then anticipate a sharp turn as another cold front pushes through later in the week. It's pegged to drag down temperatures into the 30s at night, with highs barely clinging to the low 50s during the day. "We cannot rule out a light freeze in the city of Houston if the urban heat island doesn’t prove too strong," forecasters warned in the Houston Chronicle, hinting at the possibility that even the typically warm urban sprawl might not escape the cold snap’s grip.
As the last weekend of 2023 approaches, the Houston Chronicle reports a gradual warm-up, with a chance for rain showers to break the dry, cold spell. However, consistency in the long-range forecast remains illusive, and another cold front might be waiting in the wings as the New Year dawns. In the meantime, the Storm Prediction Center assures that at least the threat of severe thunderstorms is off the table for now, giving Houston a clear, if cold, stretch ahead.
