Bellaire area residents have only today to enjoy the unseasonably warm temperatures; an arctic blast is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday with a line of strong-to-severe thunderstorms leading the way.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe weather alert for an arctic cold front that is expected to push through the Bellaire area on Tuesday.
A line of strong thunderstorms will develop along the cold front Tuesday morning, with the storms producing damaging straight-line winds, according to forecasters. Strong northerly winds will be expected behind the front, and a wind advisory may be needed for much of the Bellaire area.
“This will usher a much colder airmass into the area with temperatures falling in to the 40s by Tuesday afternoon. Minimum temperatures by Wednesday morning will be in the low-to-mid 20s inland (and) upper 20s to near 30 along the coast,” forecasters said. “Residents of Southeast Texas need to make necessary preparations to protect property and life from the freezing temperatures.”
Pipes need to be protected to prevent bursting, while plants and tender vegetation will need protection from the harsh temperatures. Pets will need to have shelter from the cold.
Forecasters also stressed that children and the elderly are more vulnerable to the effects of the extreme cold.
In addition to the bitterly-cold temperatures, weather service meteorologists are continuing to monitor a possible “winter precipitation event” Thursday night through Friday night that may bring snow or freezing rain to the Bellaire area.
“There is still large uncertainty with regard to the timing of the event. An upper level disturbance is expected to move across the region early Friday morning through the daytime hours,” the weather service said. “Temperatures Friday morning will be below freezing, so snow will be the main precipitation type. The frozen precipitation type largely depends on moisture and temperature profiles in the lowest level of the atmosphere.”
The weather service is urging Bellaire residents to closely monitor updated forecasts for possible hazards related to frozen precipitation toward the end of the week.
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