Winter Storm Watch now in effect for Monday night through Tuesday

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Monday night through Tuesday for the Hill Country, I-35 Corridor, and Coastal Plains. Residents should prepare for difficult travel due to accumulating snow, sleet, and ice.

Cold air is currently settled over our area, and a low-pressure system in the western Gulf will move northward along the coast, bringing warm, moist air. This shift will likely produce precipitation on Monday night and Tuesday, resulting in a mix of rain, sleet, and snow. While exact amounts are still uncertain, ice and snow accumulation is expected.

Travel conditions may be hazardous in affected areas. The low-pressure system will move away from Texas Tuesday night, ending the precipitation. Expect very cold temperatures Wednesday morning, with lows in the teens and 20s. Although Wednesday afternoon will remain unseasonably cold, a warming trend will begin, bringing temperatures back to normal by Saturday.

The current weather conditions are sunny, with a high near 39 degrees and north winds ranging from 10 to 15 mph, occasionally gusting up to 25 mph. Tonight, clear skies are expected, with temperatures dropping to around 18 degrees as northeast winds calm down to about 5 mph.

On Monday, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, increasing clouds will lead to a high near 37 degrees, with east winds blowing at 5 to 10 mph.

However, Monday night will bring likely snow showers and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain before 3 a.m. After that, snow showers and sleet will continue, with temperatures dropping to around 22 degrees. East winds of 10 to 20 mph will shift to north-northeast after midnight, with gusts potentially reaching 30 mph. The chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tuesday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 33 degrees. North-northeast winds will start at 15 to 20 mph but will decrease to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon, accompanied by gusts that could hit 30 mph. Tuesday night will bring mostly clear skies and a low of around 15 degrees, with north winds around 5 mph calming in the evening.

Wednesday will see mostly sunny conditions with a high near 45 degrees as light south-southwest winds increase to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Finally, Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 23 degrees, and south-southwest winds will be around 5 mph before calming in the evening.