It has been a cold, dreary day across much of Texas with temperatures struggling to climb much from this morning’s low temperature. For most temperatures have stayed in the 20s and 30s with wind chill values in the 10s and 20s. The southern third of Texas has climbed into the 40s with wind chills in the 30s. Overall it has been a cold day with a nasty north wind. We should see the northerly winds start to slowly come down through the evening, although any wind remaining will only make it feel colder than the air temperature.

Low temperatures tonight will fall to or below freezing as far south as Del Rio to San Antonio to the northern side of Houston. Temperatures won’t be dramatically warmer south of that line, but most of South Texas, the immediate coast, middle coast, into the Rio Grande Valley should stay a couple degrees above freezing tonight. It’ll be cold, but an important distinction for farmers and plant-growers. A hard freeze is expected tonight with several hours below freezing and lows in the 10s to lower 20s in the Texas Panhandle, West Texas, Northwest Texas, the Permian Basin, the Borderland, the Concho Valley, Big Country, Hill Country, North Texas, and Northeast Texas. 20s are expected in much of Central and East Texas with several hours below freezing as well.

Any outdoor water source left on tonight in the freeze/hard-freeze zone will ice over. Outdoor pipes are in danger of having problems and you darn better bring your pets indoors. Make sure your elderly or susceptible neighbors have a heater tonight and make sure if it is a space heater that it is safely set up. Let your faucets drip tonight as well.

The good news is we should see a good warm up tomorrow with highs in the 40s. The 50s, 60s, and 70s will return by the weekend. Parts of the Rio Grande Valley will top out in the 80s on Sunday. Another cold front looks to arrive around Tuesday-Wednesday of next week. Another arctic blast could arrive by next Friday.