Freeze Warning Tonight, Southern Snow/Ice Storm Coming, Stormy Friday

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for the South Shore, but it isn't a big deal since we all have protected our plants & yards ahead of time.  There will be no need to run any water south of Lake P.  However, for the North Shore, lows will be colder and that will require dripping the water in a pencil-thin stream.  Here's the projected low for both sides of the Lake beginning with the North Shore.

I personally don't think south of Lake P. will get to 32 near the Lake since winds have lightened and that should provide a "lake effect".  

Those northerly winds have plunged the cold air all the way through Cuba with highs in Florida staying in the 40s & 50s with only Miami reaching 60.   For them, that's Burrr!!!  But already we're seeing the return flow over south Texas as the next storm gets ready to develop.  This storm will be on a track farther to the south bringing a snow threat to Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis & Nashville..  Even north Louisiana could see some frozen precipitation.

I've drawn in the upper disturbance over the Baja.  It already is drawing the brighter while clouds/moisture northward over the western Gulf.  This will be a major snow and ice storm for the south.  Here are the projections taken off The Weather Channel.

Dallas is supposed to host one of the college football playoff games Friday night.  Yikes!  So what about us?  No snow again?

Yep, the surface low that is expected to develop will be too close to our coast allowing temperatures to climb to near 50.  Plus the core of the cold air has already modified as the below-zero line has retreated back into Canada.

Plus, those dew points in the teens and 20s never made it to us.  San Antonio has a dew points of 14, so even though their temp is 48, they could see some sleet/ice pellets due to "evaporative cooling" as rain falls into the drier air.

With so much moisture flowing in from the Gulf, our main concern will be heavy rainfall (2-4") on Friday.  The orangish reds are 4-6" south of Houston to off the SW LA coast.

In the short term, our focus is on the cold.  For 95% of us who have taken precautions, it should be no big deal.  I don't see any real warm-up coming into next week.  In fact, it appears a stronger Arctic blast is coming for the 3rd week in January.  Finally, in today's Advocate was this headline.

Polar Vortex?  C'mon, the main PV remains up over northern Canada NW of Hudson Bay.

IF the main Polar Vortex came down over the Great Lakes, we'd be seeing record-breaking cold temps.  What is happening is "seasonally cold" air (translation near normal/average) covers most of the eastern states.  I believe when I was young we called it January or Winter.  Now it's mis-labeled "Polar Vortex".

Just like out in California, it's their fire season.  NWS issued an alert yesterday for high fire danger.  Gosh, I hope no evil person set it to have some "fun".  What a world we live in!  Stay tuned!