Louisiana and Texas Bracing For Blast of Frigid Air

(KTDY) - Winter does not officially start until December 21, 2025, but that won't stop temperatures from dropping below freezing by early next week.

Much of the Deep South has had pleasant weather the last few days, but significant changes are coming as a strong cold front approaches the area by the weekend.

Don't be fooled by the "Spring-like" weather we've had to start December; by early Monday morning (December 15), temperatures will be at or below freezing. The cold front, which arrives by Sunday, will bring a better chance of rain to the region, and behind that will be frigid temperatures and strong winds.

According to our media partners at the KATC TV-3 Weather Lab, by Monday, expect temperatures to tumble back into the 50s, with overnight lows in the 20s and 30s. Because of the strong winds associated with this strong cold front, it'll feel colder as the windchill drops into the low 20s.

Yep, it may be time to take out the thick jackets for the kids early next week when they return to school.

How to Prepare For Winter

So yes, you should start making plans to bring in the plants and pets by early next week, and you may even want to consider winterizing your house, especially if your home is off the ground.

In addition, it may be a great idea to make sure your heaters are working correctly and that all of your home's smoke alarms are working and have new batteries.

Because of frigid air moving into the Deep South along with strong winds, KATC reports that cold weather advisories may be issued early next week. Make sure you have this station's mobile app on your phone for any future updates regarding those advisories.

Christmas Weather Forecast

As for what it may feel llike for Christmas, well, it is still a bit too early to determine that, but I did see a long-range model on social media that shows a gradual warm-up towards the end of the month. Again, that is still a few weeks out, and we know how things change here, so we'll provide more weather updates as we get closer to Santa Claus's arrival.

Until then, have the gumbo pots ready. Gumbo weather is knocking.