Houston is preparing for a historic winter storm expected to bring up to 6 inches of snow, a rare event not seen in decades.

Houston mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo both warned that the conditions will worse before they get better.

City and county officials encouraged people to stay off of the major roadways Wednesday, when the Houston region emerged from a rare winter storm.

Following unusually cold temperatures, Houston is expected to get rainfall in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Houston residents have been braving colder-than-average conditions in recent weeks because of a broad weather pattern bringing rare winter weather to parts of the South.

Scattered storms could begin on Wednesday and will reach their peak by Thursday afternoon. A few could be severe with the potential for hail and gusty winds. FOX 26 Chief Meteorologist Mike Iscovitz has the forecast.

Today looks very similar to yesterday with clouds, temps stuck in the 50s and low 60s with spotty light drizzles. We'll get noticeably warmer tomorrow as a more humid south breeze returns - that will set the stage for scattered storms that could begin on Wednesday and will reach their peak by Thursday afternoon.

More cloudy, cool, drizzly weather Tuesday. Strong storms possible late Wednesday through Thursday. HOUSTON - Tuesday looks very similar to yesterday with clouds, temps stuck in the 50s and low 60s with spotty light drizzles.