Texas Arctic Blast Update as Houston Faces Coldest Christmas in 39 Years

Texans have been told to expect the coldest Christmas since 1983 as Arctic air is blasted across the state, with one forecaster predicting temperatures on Christmas morning in Houston will fall to 29 degrees.

Freezing weather is being blown into North America from Siberia and is expected to plow into Texas during the middle of next week.

Mariel Ruiz, a meteorologist at the Dallas-based WFAA-TV, expects "cold, Arctic air" to arrive in northern Texas during Thursday.

"Temperatures are going to be in the 50s Saturday [and] Sunday, 40s Tuesday of next week," she said. "Next week middle part Thursday, Friday, Christmas Eve, [we're] looking at highs in the 30s, morning lows in the 20s."

Ruiz added that once the wind chill is factored in, temperatures could fall into the teens during the second half of next week.

The National Weather Service (NWS) also predicts that a cold front will arrive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Thursday, following a "cool and wet start to next week."

"A strong cold front will arrive on Thursday, bringing the coldest temperatures of the season so far," The NWS said on its website. "Colder weather will last for a few days after the front.

"We are still uncertain how cold temperatures will be, but temperatures are expected to fall into the teens and 20s region wide next Thursday night."

Those travelling, or expecting guests over Christmas, are advised by the NWS to "take advantage of the next few days to winterize your home."

KTRK-TVchief meteorologist Travis Herzog forecasts that an "Arctic front" will hit Houston on Thursday, bringing with it "a howling north wind and plunging temperatures."

He said conditions are similar to December of 1983, which produced Houston's coldest Christmas temperatures on record with a high of 28 and a low of 11.

While Herzog said it might not get quite that cold this year, he predicted Christmas morning temperatures in Houston of 29, which would be the fifth-lowest December 25 temperature in the city's recorded history.

Herzog doesn't expect a repeat of the February 2021 winter storm, which triggered a major power crisis in Texas, but he does acknowledge the state could see some snowfall.

"While there are similarities to this pattern and the one that brought us the winter storm in February 2021, we don't see the same type of Pacific disturbance coming over the cold air to generate the amount of frozen precipitation observed nearly two years ago," he said.

"There is, however, evidence that a weaker disturbance could pass through the cold air with just enough moisture to generate some sleet or snow over Christmas weekend."

Brad Panovich, WCNC-TV chief meteorologist, warned on Twitter that "the Texas grid is going to be tested again."

There are particular concerns that, as in 2021, wind turbines that provide about 23 percent of Texas' electricity are vulnerable to freezing.

A plunge in temperatures is expected to increase demand for natural gas, which is already in high demand amid a global shortage following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.