Texas‘s largest city is expected to see sub-zero temperatures for as much as 40 hours over the weekend as a massive winter storm loomed over a wide swatch of the United States.
Millions of Americans prepared for the a storm that would bring up to two feet of snow across some parts of the East Coast and leave many in frigid, life-threatening conditions.
The cold snap in Houston, a city of 2.4 million people, would be quite the departure for an area that rarely gets colder than the low sixties at this time of year.
By Saturday night, temperatures are expected to drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in The Lone Star State, according to National Weather Service (NWS) forecaster Cameron Batiste.
‘Subfreezing temperatures are expected area-wide Saturday night, Sunday night, and Monday night… and a few more nights into next week,’ he wrote.
While the city proper is expecting a little over three days of sub-zero cold, the outlying suburbs may experience 72 hours of these temperatures, Batiste wrote.
NWS Forecasters, he said, believe temperatures below 24 degrees will hit the Houston/Galveston area, while northern sections could drop to the low to mid teens.
‘When we factor in the northerly winds, things will feel A LOT colder. Wind chill values on Saturday night and Sunday night will range from near 0 degrees in the Brazos Valley to the low to mid teens around the Houston metro area.
‘This would likely necessitate an extreme cold warning, so be sure that you have ways to stay warm even in the event of power outages (mainly a concern for northern areas),’ Batiste added.
Pictured: A hotel worker in Houston, Texas, shovels snow off a sidewalk after a storm on January 21, 2025
Pictured: An overhead shot of Plano, Texas, after snowfall on January 9, 2025
The warning was ominous for millions of Texans who dealt with days-long blackouts in February 2021 when Winter Storm Uri froze up the state’s unprepared power grid.
At the height of the crisis, more than 4.5 million customers were without power. Many also had to deal with no running water since pipes across the state froze and burst.
There were also food shortages in grocery stores after people panic bought items ahead of the storm. Aid organizations had to step in to provide emergency distribution boxes with non-perishable items.
Hundreds of people died from cold exposure due to losing heat. The state of Texas puts the official death toll at 246, with victims ranging in age from less than one year old to 102 years old.
A BuzzFeed News investigation published in May 2021 said that the deaths were vastly undercounted based on the fact that many medical examiners were not told about how the cold exacerbated pre-existing cardiovascular problems victims had.
Many medical examiners did not review certain deaths that could have been spurred on by the frigid temperatures.
Governor Greg Abbott, who issued a disaster declaration for 134 counties in Texas on Thursday, said that the power grid won’t be under stress like it was nearly five years ago due to upgrades.
‘The ERCOT [Electric Reliability Council of Texas] grid has never been stronger, never been more prepared, and is fully capable of handling this winter storm,’ Abbott said at a press conference.
Abbott said there could be localized power outages if rain manages to freeze a power line in a particular area.
Pictured: Nearly empty shelves at a grocery store in Austin days after Winter Storm Uri hit Texas and dumped record amounts of snow on the state
Pictured: Volunteers pack emergency distribution boxes at the Houston Food Bank on February 20, 2021
Pictured: Frozen power lines in Carrolton, Texas, on February 20, 2025. Governor Greg Abbott warned that power lines could freeze in certain localities due to this weekend’s storm, leading to outages
The southern US is going to be hit the hardest by the incoming storm, where freezing rain of up to an inch is expected in Texas, the Carolinas and Virginia.
Snow and ice is also coming to the Great Plains and the Tennessee Valley, likely causing travel disruptions over the weekend and into the start of the week.
Roughly 160 million people – nearly half of the US population – were under a variety of watches, warnings and other alerts associated with the winter storm, NWS said Thursday.
Arkansas and Tennessee are also expected to see up to 24 inches of snow, while Weather Channel forecasters issued the most severe type of ice warning – ‘crippling’ – for parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
Experts have advised preparing for the worst by stocking up on ice, heat sources, blankets and warm clothing in case power outages persist.
The Red Cross also recommends buying cheap Styrofoam coolers and ice to keep food fresh in the event of refrigerators being out of action.
The US-based charity also advises putting an emergency preparedness kit together to make sure you have everything you need to survive several days without power.
It includes one gallon of water per person, tinned food, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, first aid kit, a seven-day supply of medications, portable phone chargers, and making a note of emergency contact information.
