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3d ago

Christmas Heat Wave Pushes Records in Texas With Sharp Cooldown Expected After Sunday Front

Forecast guidance keeps a late-Sunday front on track to quickly end the unusual December warmth.

The Christmas tree stands on the south side of the Texas State Capitol grounds on Dec. 18. Unseasonably warm holiday weather will continue through the weekend, with a blustery cold front arriving Sunday.
This forecast map shows temperature departures from normal around Christmas Day, with much of the central and southern United States running far warmer than average. Shades of orange, red, and even white indicate unusually to exceptionally warm weather, while unusually cooler air lingers across parts of the northern Plains, Great Lakes, and Northeast.
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This map shows the odds of above-normal temperatures across Texas, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. Through the first three days of January 2026, temperatures overall are expected to be warmer than normal across much of the state.

Overview

  • North Texas reached 80°F on Christmas Day, tying the region’s second warmest Christmas on record and marking only the third Christmas in the 80s since 1899.
  • Houston is forecast to stay in the low to mid-80s through Sunday with daily record challenges, following dense fog advisories and more morning fog signals under warm, humid air.
  • Dozens of U.S. cities flirted with Christmas heat records under a broad ridge, including sites from the Rockies and Plains to the Southeast such as Denver, Rapid City, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Asheville.
  • Austin and Central Texas climbed into the 70s and 80s with elevated winter wildfire risk, with the front projected to reach the area late Sunday and only slim rain chances near 20%.
  • The arriving front is expected to flip winds and trigger a few storms, then drop highs to the 40s and 50s Monday with wind chills below freezing in North Texas and lows in the 30s near Houston and 20s in spots by Tuesday.