AUSTIN-BRAZOS-BURLESON-COLORADO-FORT BEND-GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON- LIBERTY-MADISON-MONTGOMERY-POLK-SAN JACINTO-TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER- WASHINGTON-WHARTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BRENHAM...BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION... CALDWELL...COLDSPRING...COLUMBUS...CONROE...CROCKETT...EL CAMPO... WHARTON...GROVETON...TRINITY...HEMPSTEAD...HOUSTON...PASADENA... HUNTSVILLE...LIBERTY...LIVINGSTON...CORRIGAN...MADISONVILLE... NAVASOTA...RICHMOND...SUGARLAND...SEALY...BELLVILLE 525 AM CST TUE JAN 1 2002 

...WINTER STORM WATCH TODAY AND TONIGHT... 

LIGHT RAIN WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY. THE RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW AS THE DEPTH OF THE ARCTIC COLD AIR INCREASES OVER THE REGION. COLD AIR WILL DRAIN SOUTHWARD AS THE PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP. SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER AREAS NORTH OF A LINE FROM BRENHAM TO LIVINGSTON THIS MORNING. SNOW SHOULD BE ON THE INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AS FAR SOUTH AS THE INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR. SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 MAINLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. 

EXACT SNOW AND SLEET AMOUNTS ARE DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT AT THIS TIME. ONE TO TWO INCHES COULD ACCUMULATE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A BELLVILLE TO HUNTSVILLE TO LIVINGSTON LINE...AMOUNTS OF 1 INCH OR LESS SOUTH TO INTERSTATE 10... NO SIGINFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES. 

THE SNOW SHOULD COME TO END LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

AS THE TEMPERATURES FALL THE THREAT OF WATER BEGINNING TO FREEZE ON ROADWAYS WILL INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON FROM NORTH TO SOUTH...BY EVENING WATER ON ROADWAYS MAY FREEZE AS FAR SOUTH AS A WHARTON TO HOUSTON TO WINNIE LINE...ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES. PERSONS WITH AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS SHOULD TURN THEM OFF TO AVOID SPRAYING WATER ON TO THE ROADWAYS IN TURN AGGRAVATING THE THREAT OF ICY ROADWAYS. 

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR DETERIORATING DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NIGHT. EVEN IN METRO HOUSTON...DRIVING COULD BECOME DANGEROUS. ANY LIQUID LEFT ON ROADS WILL FREEZE...ESPECIALLY ON LIGHTLY TRAVELLED SECONDARY ROADS. 

THE INCLEMENT WEATHER IS BEING CAUSED BY A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM THAT IS FORECAST TO CROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE SYSTEM IS FAST MOVING AND SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE ABOVE FREEZING OVER THE ENTIRE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING...ALLOWING ANY ACCUMULATED SNOW AND SLEET TO MELT. 

VERY COLD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  ANY WET AREAS LEFT ON ROADS WILL FREEZE HARD AS TEMPERATURES FALL INTO THE 16 TO 25 INLAND AND NEAR 30 ON THE IMMEDIATE COAST. YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER MAKING PREPARATIONS TO WRAP EXPOSED PIPES AND ARRANGE FOR PETS AND PORTABLE PLANTS TO BE BROUGHT INSIDE. 

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST FORECAST FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. A WINTER STORM WARNING MAY BE ISSUED LATE TODAY IF THE THREAT OF SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER INCREASES.