A winter storm warning has been issued for the Houston area for the first time in nearly two years as a rare Gulf Coast winter storm promises heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain.
The National Weather Service in League City, which covers Greater Houston and Galveston, placed much of Southeast Texas under a winter storm watch Saturday . Increased forecast confidence that a major winter storm will significantly affect travel and daily life prompted the forecast office to upgrade the winter storm watch to a warning, set to go into effect from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Who is included in the warning?
The winter storm warning includes the following counties: Houston, Trinity, Madison, Walker, San Jacinto, Polk, Burleson, Brazos, Washington, Grimes, Montgomery, Liberty, Colorado, Austin, Waller, Harris, Chambers, Wharton, Fort Bend, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston.
The winter storm warning includes the following cities: Columbus, Mont Belvieu, Livingston, Dayton, Eagle Lake, Dickinson, La Marque, Devers, First Colony, Pecan Grove, Baytown, Bellville, College Station, Pasadena, Surfside Beach, Pearland, Brenham, El Campo, League City, Coldspring, Caldwell, Bay City, Friendswood, Winnie, Edna, Palacios, Rosenberg, Corrigan, Huntsville, Somerville, Wharton, The Woodlands, Old River-Winfree, Sugar Land, Bryan, Groveton, Hempstead, Conroe, Freeport, Alvin, Crockett, Clute, Angleton, Ganado, Galveston, Trinity, Madisonville, Navasota, Cleveland, Sealy, Texas City, Weimar, Prairie View, Liberty, Waller, Shepherd, Stowell, Houston, Lake Jackson, Missouri City, Mission, Bend, Brookshire, and Anahuac
What does a winter storm warning mean?
A winter storm warning is issued by the local forecast office if the following is likely to occur:
- Snow: An inch or more, two inches or more in Washington, Burleson, Brazos, Grimes, Madison, Walker, Houston, and Trinity counties and/or
- Sleet: At least half an inch and/or
- Freezing rain: At least one-eighth of an inch
This week’s winter storm could bring snowfall totals of up to 6 inches, especially in towns like Liberty, Livingston, and Onalaska. Snow totals of between 2 and 4 inches are most likely in Houston and Harris County. Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties are in line for 1 to 3 inches of snow. Some sleet is expected to mix in, particularly for areas along and south of Interstate 10. Sleet that falls for a prolonged period could result in slightly lower snowfall totals…