A lack of moisture was blamed for the blizzard that never hit the Brazos Valley Friday.
"The main thing is that a lot of that moisture didn't make it very far inland," said Mark Keehn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Houston. "The most significant fall is extending from the Livingston area, down through Houston and into Matagorda."
Keehn said Friday brought the area's best chance for snow for the foreseeable future. Temperatures were expected to drop to the mid-20s Friday night and early Saturday morning, then warm to the upper 40's Saturday afternoon. The warming trend is expected to continue through Tuesday, with a forecast high of 66 degrees, according to the NWS.
Forecasters said there is a 30 percent chance of precipitation Sunday and a 20 percent chance Tuesday.
Area law enforcement agencies reported only one weather-related traffic accident Friday.
In Grimes County, a rollover on F.M. 1774 at C.R. 215 resulted in one woman being transported to The College Station Medical Center. Information about the extent of her injuries was not available Friday night.
Locally, some precautions were taken. Out-of-town athletic trips were canceled for the day in Bryan and the Freshman/Junior Varsity tournament, scheduled to take place at Bryan High School, was postponed a day.
The Bryan girls varsity basketball game against Weatherford also was canceled.
The counties of Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Washington were slated to remain under a freeze watch until 9 a.m. Saturday.
The weather service reported that any moisture on bridges and elevated areas was likely to freeze.
Reports from the Brazos Valley counties on Friday were that what little snow had fallen, was melted by 6 p.m.
Closer to the Gulf Coast, enough snow fell to stick to the ground.
Houston had its earliest snowfall on record Friday, with several inches accumulating in counties southwest of the city.
The previous record for early snow in Houston was Dec. 10 in 1944 and again last year, said Charles Roeseler, a meteorologist with the weather service.
Snow is rare in the nation's fourth-largest city. In the past 15 years, it has snowed four times, including Friday.
Accumulations of 3 to 4 inches of snow were reported in counties southwest of Houston. The city got a half inch or less of snow, and its suburbs reported 1 to 2 inches, according to the weather service.
The city and other parts of Southeast Texas were under a winter storm warning that was expected to remain until Friday evening. Other parts of Texas, including El Paso and Dallas, also had snowfall this week.
Many government offices and businesses around Houston shut down early Friday, said Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Houston Mayor Bill White directed city departments to send nonessential employees home Friday afternoon.
The Houston school district did not shorten its school day Friday, but many other districts and colleges around the area sent students home early.
* The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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