Cold/Wind Chill — Coastal Aransas County, Texas

2026-01-26 · Coastal Aransas County, Texas

Event narrative

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: KRKP reported wind chills at or below 15 degF for at least 2 hours, which is our local Extreme Cold Warning criteria.

Wider weather episode

A prolonged period of winter weather affected South Texas during the final week of January 2026, beginning with the arrival of a strong Arctic front early on January 24. The front surged southward faster than initially anticipated, producing a rapid temperature drop across the region and widespread rain behind the boundary. As colder air deepened overnight, precipitation continued while temperatures approached or fell below freezing across parts of the region, creating a narrow window for freezing rain and drizzle late January 24 into the morning of January 25. The greatest risk for ice accumulation occurred across the Victoria Crossroads, where light ice totals of up to around a tenth of an inch were possible. Elsewhere, the combination of lingering precipitation and wet roadways raised concerns for patchy black ice, particularly on bridges and overpasses as temperatures briefly dipped to freezing.

Once the precipitation ended on January 25, the primary hazard transitioned to extreme cold as a deep Arctic air mass settled over South Texas. Temperatures struggled to rise above the 40s during the day, while overnight lows dropped into the teens across northern inland areas and the lower to mid-20s closer to the coast. Persistent northerly winds produced dangerously low wind chills, with values falling into the single digits in some inland locations and the teens elsewhere. Extreme Cold Warnings and Freeze Warnings were issued across the region as the prolonged cold posed risks to infrastructure, agriculture, and vulnerable populations. Clearer skies and lighter winds early in the week allowed efficient radiational cooling, reinforcing the cold conditions through January 27 before gradual moderation began.

Although temperatures slowly recovered into the 50s and 60s by midweek, the pattern remained active with additional frontal passages. A brief warmup ahead of another cold front late in the week pushed temperatures into the 70s before colder air returned by January 30. This secondary surge brought another round of below-freezing temperatures and widespread cold weather headlines, particularly across inland counties where lows fell into the 20s and wind chills dropped into the teens. While precipitation with this second front remained limited, the extended period of repeated freezes and persistent cold made this late-January event a notable winter episode for South Texas.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1315329. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.