HOUSTON—If you look at a calendar, the first day of winter is December 21. But if you look out your window on Friday afternoon, it may look like winter has already arrived.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto and Waller counties.
The National Weather Service says an inch of snow is likely in those areas, and accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are possible.
A little south of Houston in Calhoun County, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m.
In Austin, Colorado, Jackson, Matagorda, Washington and Wharton counties, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. Friday.
In addition to all of that, Southeast Texas is also under a Freeze Warning, effective until 9 a.m. Saturday.
In a word, it’s going to be cold.
"Our normal tropical climate is going to see a significant change Friday afternoon," 11 News Meteorologist Mario Gomez said.
Gomez said a block of light-to-moderate precipitation is creeping up into the Houston area from the south. That system may include rain mixed with sleet, and possibly some snow.
When it meets with a mass of cold arctic air moving in from the northwest late Friday morning into Friday afternoon, all of that precipitation should turn to snow, Gomez said.
It would be the earliest snow ever recorded in Houston.
Gomez said the temperature will drop steadily throughout the day and should reach the freezing point around 3 p.m.
By Friday night, all of the snow will be out of the way, but it will stay cold. Saturday’s low is projected to be in the mid-20s, with a high of just 47 degrees.
"Basically a blustery 48 hours for us, so be ready for wintertime – it has arrived a little earlier than scheduled," Gomez said.
A number of area school districts and campuses have announced weather-related closures and early releases.
Early Friday morning, 11 News had already received reports from viewers about sleet in Katy and Sugar Land. Viewers in La Grange and El Campo were already reporting snow.
Friday morning, the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management moved to a Level 2 activation (High Readiness) in response to the weather threat.
Officials with TXDoT and the City of Houston were out working to make sure the roadways remain safe for drivers.
Trucks left a TXDoT facility at 9 a.m. Thursday, filled with 6,000 gallons of magnesium chloride, which lowers water’s freezing point.
"So when the precipitation hits the concrete it doesn’t freeze as quickly," said Raquelle Lewis with TXDoT.
They sprayed the compound on hot-spots on the north and northwest side of the Houston area, including bridges and overpasses along I-45 and 290.
"We have lots of crews on call to dispatch after we find out locations where freezing happens outside of our hot-spots," said Lewis. "What we consider hot-spots are overpasses and bridges that are extremely elevated. They are more susceptible to the freezing temperatures."
Officials also sprayed the Pierce Elevated in downtown Houston, the Southwest Freeway along the George R. Brown Convention Center and the East Loop near I-10.
The Harris County Toll Road Authority said they’re keeping a close watch on a number of areas, including the Hardy Toll Road, the Sam Houston Toll Road, Highway 249, the Ship Channel Bridge and the Westpark Tollway.
The City of Houston was also preparing for the threat. City crews loaded up six dump trucks with tons of crushed rock Thursday afternoon, so they can be ready to hit the roads if need be.
"We’re going to watch and wait like everybody else because we don’t know what part of the city is going to be hit first," said Alvin Wright, Public Works spokesperson.
City officials said if you see an area that needs to be sanded in Houston, call 311.
Though they’ve tried to get a jumpstart on hot-spots, officials said drivers should use extra caution when navigating bridges and overpasses later in the day Friday. Elevated roadways are always the first to freeze, because they’re not insulated by the ground.
Continental Airlines on Thursday said flight plans may be affected by the weather on Friday and Saturday, so they’re offering customers the opportunity to change their flights for free at continental.com.
"Customers scheduled on flights to, from or through affected airports Friday through Sunday, Dec. 4, 5, or 6, 2009, including Continental’s Houston hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport, are permitted a one-time date or time change to their itinerary without penalty, providing rescheduled travel originates by Dec. 20, 2009. If a flight has been canceled, a refund in the original form of payment may be requested," the airline said in a statement.
With a lot of people cranking up their heaters for the first time this season, fire officials said to be sure you don’t stack anything flammable around your heater. If you’re using your fireplace, be sure to open the flue before you light it.
It’s also important to remember your plants and pets.
The SPCA said people should keep their pets indoors during the freeze.
But if you have an outdoor pet, the SPCA said to provide them with a well-insulated pet house that’s wind and waterproof.
And even if you don’t have a pet, the SPCA said to bang on the hood of your car before you start it. They see a lot of cat injuries when it gets really cold, because the cats tend to hide under car hoods to keep warm.