Possible late season frost/freeze in Houston?

[Extremeweatherguy]

Well it looks like our warmer weather has come to an end and spring will be put on hold for a few days. The latest NWS forecast is calling for middle 30s in North Houston on Thursday night, but it could be even colder. Being this late in the season, and with plants in full bloom, even a light freeze can be damaging. We will need to watch this situation closely.

This is from the NWS discussion this afternoon:

FLOW ALOFT WILL BECOME MORE NORTHWESTERLY. ALSO...
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING WILL BE MORE PRONOUNCED LATE THURSDAY.
THICKNESS VALUES SHOULD REACH THE LOWEST VALUES THURSDAY NIGHT
WITH GFS/NAM 850B MB TEMPERATURES DROPPING TO BELOW 0 DEG C
THURSDAY EVENING.

Also, here is a look at the 18Z GFS outlook for Friday morning:

http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod ... _054.shtml

The record low for Friday morning at IAH is 36F set in 1952. There is a very real chance that we may see that record fall with this late season snap. The latest ever freeze at IAH was on April 13th, 1940, and the latest ever low in the 30s was on April 22nd, 1931.

[jasons2k]

Looks like maybe some frost on the rooftops but that's about it.

[vbhoutex]

We had 43º at the house this morning. Not nearly cool enough for frost, but plenty cool for this time of year in Houston.

[PTrackerLA]

I've seen frost around here in early April before but after this winter it will definately feel cold this week.

[gboudx]

Parts of the DFW area may have rain mixed with snow tonight. Most of the area should see 32 or below.

[Extremeweatherguy]

It must be quite cool in the upper atmosphere. There were supposedly many reports of small hail in the Houston area earlier today.

[Extremeweatherguy]

From the NWS this afternoon:

SURFACE
HIGH WILL SETTLE OVER SE TX THU NIGHT SETTING UP OPTIMAL RADIATIONAL
COOLING CONDITIONS. ETA 2M TEMP GUIDANCE ACTUALLY SUGGESTS THAT THE
NRN HALF OF SE TX COULD SEE A LIGHT FREEZE THU NIGHT. WILL NOT GO
THIS COLD IN THE GRIDS...BUT HAVE UNDERCUT MOS GUIDANCE SLIGHTLY.
RECORD LOW FRIDAY MORNING AT INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT WILL BE
THREATENED (36 DEGREES IN 1952). TEMPS COULD BE EQUALLY AS COLD
SATURDAY MORNING AS SURFACE RIDGE REMAINS OVERHEAD WITH RECORD LOWS
AGAIN POSSIBLE.

I would bet that a few areas north of I-10 hit the 31-33F mark on both mornings. Could be an interesting little late season cold snap. If we do get that cold...then our lows will be 20-25F below normal! What a year this has been so far.. (the temperatures keep going on a roller coaster ride).

[kenl01]

Great ! I hope they really catch the worst possible, with a hard freeze. And I hope the weather deteriorates completely the rest of spring.........

[gboudx]

All of DFW area is under a freeze warning tonight. Back in one of the Cancel Texas Winter threads, I mentioned that we almost always get a late season freeze. I think the average is right around this time of year. I guess I should cover my Canna lillies since they've started blooming.

[vbhoutex]

It must be quite cool in the upper atmosphere. There were supposedly many reports of small hail in the Houston area earlier today.

I got hailed on while out to lunch.

It was 43º again this morning at my house and that is with a cloud cover. Very unusual for us at this time of year. I have seen temps in the 30's in Houston in March but only 2x that I remember in the last 35 years.

[jasons2k]

Yep, it was 44 at my house this morning and this wind is biting. I hate it and I hope this is the last gasp of cold. I still think we will escape a freeze - I certainly hope so - everything has bloomed-out now. Come on sun - bring the warmth back!

[jasons2k]

All of DFW area is under a freeze warning tonight. Back in one of the Cancel Texas Winter threads, I mentioned that we almost always get a late season freeze. I think the average is right around this time of year. I guess I should cover my Canna lillies since they've started blooming.

I would cover them - they will freeze. There was a SE TX winter cancel thread I started last month but it wasn't for NTX. Your average last freeze is 3/14, but I am surprised this year DFW will have one this late. There are often late season cold snaps, but there have been plenty of years when DFW had its last freeze in February. Unfortunately for gardeners not this year. It will be especially bad for people in S-Central TX as freeze warnings are up for them too.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Wow...what a chilly day it turned out to be. The high so far at IAH has only managed to reach 52F, and as of 3pm they are back down to 50F. I have a good feeling that many areas north of I-10 will flirt with the freezing mark tonight. My prediction is for middle to upper 30s south of I-10...lower to middle 30s at IAH...Lower 30s north of IAH and south of Conroe..and upper 20s to near 30F north of Conroe.

[vbhoutex]

From Jeff Lindner:

Upper level low responsible for the light rain this morning is pushing into the mid MS valley early this afternoon.



Light snow fell this morning as far south as Denton, TX with much of OK receiving 1-3 inches of accumulation.



Cold front has progressed off the coast with northerly low level flow off the fresh snow pack to our north. Temps. are holding nearly steady in the 40’s and 50’s across the region under mostly cloudy skies and brisk NW winds.



Skies should clear this evening with winds weakening after midnight. Guidance is quite cold with lows of 33 at IAH and 32 at CLL. Overall feeling is that the winds will stay up just enough to keep any freezing temps. isolated and confined to the typical sheltered and valley locations such as Conroe. However, records will likely fall at IAH (36) with lows forecasted around 35. Record lows will likely fall again Saturday morning 33 at CLL and 38 at IAH. For those interested the latest freeze ever recorded at IAH is Apr 13th in 1940 and the last date with lows in the 30’s is Apr 22nd.



Weak onshore flow returns late Saturday with a pronounced warming trend next week. Frontal boundary looks to stall across the area Monday and Tuesday with the GFS hinting at troubles from a strong 500mb low moving across TX around Wednesday. If the GFS pans out, the middle of next week will be rough with respect to severe weather and heavy rainfall.



Jeff Lindner

[m_ru]

Great ! I hope they really catch the worst possible, with a hard freeze. And I hope the weather deteriorates completely the rest of spring.........

You better be joking or everything here is going to have to go through the process of budding again.

[Yankeegirl]

This is the last place I expected to be posting today!! I thought I was done with the winter weather! This weather is just nuts! It didnt get over 56 here today, and right now I am sitting at a balmy 46.6.... just plain nuts, we are making Chilli for dinner tonight, thank god this past week wasnt spring break!!

[WXBUFFJIM]

Our spring break was this week and we're talking high temps in the upper 40s to near 50 and lows near freezing. Alittle cooler than average even for our standards.

Jim

[Extremeweatherguy]

It is 33.6F at my house this morning!

[vbhoutex]

36º here in Spring Branch

[cheezyWXguy]

about 29 in my area...