Although the forecast is far from certain, a winter storm that is predicted to start in Texas next week may wind up bringing snow and ice to some areas of Florida.
It’s difficult to predict winter weather in the South. For snow, sleet, and freezing rain to fall, all the elements—cold, moisture, location, and timing—must coincide at precisely the proper time.
This weather jigsaw puzzle’s initial piece is a given. The South will experience sub-freezing temperatures this weekend as a slug of cold air driven by polar vortices spills into the United States. A huge change in temperatures follows.
Houston, for instance, is expected to see highs in the 60s on Saturday. It will be difficult for the temperature to rise above the middle 40s by Sunday. By Monday morning, the temperature will be in the 20s.
As precipitation moves across the southern half of Texas on Monday, the storm’s moisture component starts to take shape. A swath from Del Rio east to Houston may see snow showers by early Tuesday morning.
By Tuesday night, snow, sleet, and freezing rain were falling in places like Pensacola, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, as the winter weather quickly moved east.
Before the storm leaves the area by Wednesday afternoon, an ice storm may form across northern Florida and Georgia, with snow extending as far north as Virginia.
There is still uncertainty.
Where the storm is and when it hits the cold air are the most important questions surrounding any winter weather occurrence in this region of the nation.
We’ll have to wait and see. Any change in the low’s trajectory will significantly affect how the storm develops in the end.
Just last week, a winter storm pounded the Southeast, leaving behind several inches of snow.
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Texas is already getting ready
Some Texans are reminded of the Great Texas Freeze of 2021 by the news of cold and winter weather. The storm and the frigid blast that followed claimed the lives of over 200 individuals.
According to an investigation, portions of the state experienced days-long blackouts as a result of improperly winterized power plants.
Due to the winter weather and the anticipated rise in electricity demand, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the state’s power grid, issued a Weather Watch from January 20 to 23.
“During an ERCOT Weather Watch,” the agency stated on Friday, “grid conditions are expected to be normal.”
Ahead of the anticipated winter weather, CenterPoint Energy, which supplies electricity to a large portion of southeast Texas, including the Houston metro, announced that it had activated its cold-season readiness strategy.
According to Oncor, the Dallas region’s electricity supplier, it is also ready for any disruptions that might happen during the bitterly cold weather.
Warming centers will open Sunday evening, according to Houston officials.
