Does the announcement mean we get weather waivers to change our flights without penalty? I'm scheduled through IAH with a 730p arrival tomorrow and a short 1hr layover. I stupidly paid a B fare to snag upgrades on a flight to SEA that I originally thought looked bleak (until a few people canceled).

I'd rather re-route through EWR and snag the last couple F seats on my selected flights since I already have the B fare.

Maybe it won't be that bad after all...

from the National Weather Service...

Doesn't sound winter stormish to me

For Houston, it very well could be, although I seriously doubt that there is going to be any sort of snow accumulation.

Note that the day's "high" on Friday is likely going to be at 12:01 a.m.

Apparently late next week may be fun, as well, according to some of the models. Per the weather geeks, a moderate/strong El Niño has resulted in the subtropical jet staying pretty low over Texas/Southeast. Combo of that and a big surge of even colder arctic air late next week could see Houston enter the sort of deep-freeze that it hasn't experienced since the 80s. Chance it could shift further East, in which case New Orleans to Atlanta could be in for some weather more suited to Omaha this time of year.

Great....

On one hand, there are no hurricanes this year, so you don't have to sweat in un-air-conditioned comfort for days on end.

On the other, the winter season is a protracted one, so you do have to freeze your butt off for days on end.

I take the latter any time over the former.

Well, you take the good with the bad. From what I've read, the position of the subtropical jet during the summer, as well as increased shear in the Atlantic basin (owing to El Niño), are what kept the U.S. largely hurricane-free this year. ^

That is true; less hurricanes means less morons all the way up here thinking they need to clean out the grocery stores and prepare to evacuate.

I'm curious about the weather waiver =) I'd utilize this to my advantage this weekend on 2 back to back MRs

Heh. Well, AUS can get some nasty Hurricane weather at times. My father distinctly recalls when Carla tore through Austin with 100+ mph gusts. There's not a whole lot to break the wind between Port Lavaca and y'all. Thankfully, though, Cedar trees don't do much damage when they blow over. :D

Can we get an IAH Gloom and Doom Thread ?

For the locals, it isn't doom and gloom. It's just that way for people connecting via IAH that come from parts of the country that generally have seasons other than "Hot" and "Warm and/or Slightly Cool." Displaced northerners that live amongst us will no doubt roll their eyes on Friday as the natives turn into five-year-olds in the presence of strange white stuff falling from the sky. :D

Good thing, too, since Austin already has more morons than it can handle. :D

Just started one =)

I don't think you have anything to worry about. The ground temp is well above 32F, and 260 miles NW, we're CAVU, and 40F (low 35F) with a chance of snow tonight. The "snow" in Houston (IAH, but was it snowing at HOU?was almost unique caused by high humidity and the passage of a Low, with the subfreezing temperature above the surface generating the snowfall instead of the usual rain. What you don't want, freezing temp on the ground and warm and wet above, from whence cometh the dreaded and dreadful freezing rain, is not likely.