1/12/2025 - 1/18/2025

1/20/2025

Climate in the News:

A strong winter storm is forecasted to impact the Southern United States tonight into mid-week. Several days of temperatures below freezing will impact the Southern Region. Along with these chilling temperatures a snowstorm will impact areas along the Gulf Coast. Snowfall forecasts range from up to six inches in Houston, Texas to up to ten inches in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This storm will cause major local and national travel impacts as the two major Houston airports have already announced they will be closed tomorrow.

3-7 day hazards outlook

Weather Synopsis:

This week's winter storm will be kickstarted as Saturday’s strong cold front brought an Artic airmass to the Region. In the late hours of Saturday, temperatures were below freezing as far south as Southeast Texas.

Warm front

Source: WPC Surface Analysis, 1/18/24 at 3am CST

Temperature: 

January is when the Region consistently sees cooler temperatures. Frequent cold fronts bring with them colder air masses from the northern United States and Canada, bringing freezing temperatures to the northern portions of the Region.

Graphic showing the average temperature across the Southern Region for January 12th - 18th

Graphic showing the mean temperature anomalies across the Southern Region for January 12th - 18th

Temperatures were seasonable across the Southern Region last week. In Oklahoma and Northern Arkansas, weekly average temperatures were slightly above-normal, while the rest of the Region had weekly average temperatures slightly below-normal. On average, weekly average temperatures were around 43 degrees Fahrenheit in the Southern Region, a bit warmer than the week prior.

Precipitation: 

With the majority of the region being in a humid subtropical climate, rainfall is common at any point of the year. During the winter months, cold fronts bring with them showers, thunderstorms, and frozen precipitation to the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The boundary between the cold and warm air masses serves as a trigger mechanism for storms.

Graphic showing the accumulated precipitation across the Southern Region for January 12th - 18th

Graphic showing the precipitation anomalies across the Southern Region for January 12th - 18th

Rain in the Southern Region last week was minimal and concentrated along the Gulf Coast. On the night of January 12th into the 13th a warm front moved North from the Gulf of Mexico. Associated with this warm front, there were rain showers in Southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

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