Southeast Texas ' outlook for next week's winter storm continues to worsen, with a growing likelihood of a deep freeze and substantial wintry precipitation, snow and sleet in the Houston area.

A complicated winter storm for Houston next week continues to give us fits in weather modeling, with today’s flavor being the potential for more snow and sleet than anything else.

As a significant winter storm approaches the Houston area, snow, sleet and ice are all becoming certainties as the temperatures decrease and conditions are forecasted to be more frosty than expected.

This post provides an update on our expectations for the winter storm next week, which is now increasingly likely to bring a hard freeze and snow to Houston. The period from Monday night

Today is a FOX 26 Storm Alert Day in southeast Texas. Heavy rain will begin to move in midday with the heaviest rain expected later this afternoon into the evening. Models are showing 2 to 4 inches of rain possible in total and the highest amounts will likely be close to the coast.

A winter storm that is expected to begin in Texas next week could end up bringing snow and ice to parts of Florida, but the forecast is far from a lock.

Temperatures are expected to dip below freezing on Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service. As of Friday, Houston's forecast also called for a likelihood of snow on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

HOUSTON - The next Texas winter storm is almost here, and it's going to be ugly. Houston will avoid the worst of it. Wednesday will be cloudy, breezy and cold, so bundle up. Highs will be in the mid-40s. Thursday gets interesting. Ice and snow begin for north-central and North Texas.

As a slug of polar vortex-fueled arctic air overtakes the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. next week, a storm system could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to places deep in the heart of Texas, but the forecast isn’t a lock just yet.