Rain chances on the rise as we head into Christmas Eve
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- I hope you enjoyed your cool and dry weekend because changes are coming!
We started off Monday cool with lows in the 40s but we will warm up into the low to mid 70s this afternoon. Clouds build in through the afternoon and a couple of rain showers will be possible. Most of us will stay on the drier side.
Rain chances increase during the day Christmas Eve... peaking later Tuesday into the very early morning hours of Wednesday. A few strong to severe storms will be possible with gusty winds near 60 mph and hail 1" in diameter being the main threats. We should dry out by mid to late morning Christmas.
What's the overall outlook for the holiday week?
It will be a warm Christmas in Southeast Texas. Monday temperatures will top off just over 70 degrees, likely the first of several days in a row where temperatures will reach the 70s in the afternoon. This includes Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas too (if not all the way through New Year's Eve!). This warmup comes with an increase in rain chances though with several weather systems moving in and out of the region the week of Christmas. Isolated rain will be possible Tuesday morning but rain will become a bit more scattered in the afternoon to evening. It looks like the best chance of rain Tuesday will come in the later evening hours. We could see some leftover rain early Christmas but we should dry out by mid to late morning. Another round of rain moves in Thursday.
Could we see any severe weather this week?
It's a possibility. We could see a few strong to even severe storms Tuesday evening as our first storm system moves in. Winds over 60 mph and hail around 1" in diameter will be the main threats. We could possibly see another chance for severe storms Thursday.
When could we get our first freeze in Houston?
We see no signs of freezing temperatures in southeast Texas over the next 10 days. Long-range projections indicate we'll have to wait until the first half of January for a decent chance of a freeze in Houston. On average, Houston's first freeze occurs during the second week of December.
13 ALERT RADAR MAPS:
Montgomery/Walker/San Jacinto/Polk/Grimes Counties
Fort Bend/Wharton/Colorado Counties
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