Arctic blast headed to Houston area. Here’s what you need to know

Get ready for lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s.

HOUSTON — Things are about to go from chilly to downright cold as we approach the Christmas holiday weekend.

So far, our stream of cold air has come in “manageable batches,” meaning a front moves in and drops lows into the 30s and 40s and knocks highs in the 50s. As we start to rebound into the 60s, another front moves in and kicks us back down into the 50s. Rinse and repeat. It gets cold, but nothing a winter jacket can’t fix.

By the end of next week, however, we’ll be talking about a much bigger plunge. Lows are expected to be in the 20s and highs in the 40s. 

Timeline of Arctic blast

Thursday — Blast of cold air sweeps in.

Friday — The coldest air, temps below freezing, will start to settle in. The potential is there for us to have a hard freeze.

Christmas Eve — Hard freeze potential remains with low temps in the 20s.

Click here for the daily forecast across the Houston area.

Preparing for the freeze

Many people are preparing to hit the road, leaving their homes behind holiday season so you’re going to want to prepare now.

It’s important to know a hard freeze could impact agricultural crops, outdoor residential plants and your pipes if you don’t properly prepare.

Plumbing technicians say the worst mistake you can make during this cold snap is to do nothing. They recommend doing something as simple as covering your outside pipes with insulation to help make sure your pipes won’t burst.

“Water pipes have the potential to freeze and burst when the outside temperature reaches 20 F or below,” according to a Texas A&M study

READ: Tips on how to prepare your home for cold weather 

Pipes that are most vulnerable to freezing are usually those exposed to severe cold air like swimming pool supply lines and water sprinkler lines. 

During cold snaps, you also want to keep the heater running, even if you’re out of town for the holiday. It’s a good idea to leave your heat on at about 67 degrees to protect your home from the freezing temps, according to Chief Meteorologist David Paul. 

Other tips to protect your home:

  • Keep the garage door closed if there are water supply lines located inside.
  • Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing.
  • Keep the heating thermostat set at a consistent temperature both day and night.
  • If you are going out of town and have a heat pump system, and if the temperature is forecast to be extremely low, you may need to switch the setting to emergency heat and reduce the thermostat setting to 55 °F.

Is ERCOT ready?

We may not see a repeat of the 2021 Texas winter storm, but with cold weather on the horizon, many of us think back to the power problems that crippled Texas and led to hundreds of deaths.

On Friday, ERCOT said this time around, the grid is ready for the Arctic blast headed our way, but as KHOU 11 energy expert Ed Hirs reminds us — this is something we’ve heard before.

READ: ‘We’re still all in a mode of PTSD’ | Is ERCOT ready for the temperatures to drop? 

ERCOT said it has implemented a variety of improvements to make the grid more reliable, including new weatherization works and inspections. The organization said it’s coordinating additional fuel supplies for power plants so we don’t run into a situation where natural gas providers can’t get fuel to the plants that need it. 

It also said it has made sure plant maintenance is scheduled well in advance of weather events like this cold snap, but Hirs said there’s still a long way to go. 

The KHOU 11 Weather Team will know more about the Arctic blast as we head into next week. Follow our team meteorologist for updates. 

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