Morning Roundup: Here we go a-caroling edition

Good morning, Houston. One thing about the holiday season: You hear Christmas music everywhere you go (and if you haven't been hearing it, just tune in to Sunny 99.1 — you'll catch up quickly). With that in mind, we were interested to check out ASCAP's list of the most-played holiday songs this year. It was released on Dec. 4, but by that time, the group reported that 1,562 different holiday songs had already been played 2.37 million times since Oct. 1. The No. 1 song was "Sleigh Ride," which Leroy Anderson wrote during a 1946 heat wave; at No. 2 was the 1934 classic "Winter Wonderland"; and at No. 3 was "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which was originally quite a morose little ditty.

>> Grab your hazmat suits and let's go for a swim: A new study by the Center for Houston's Future — the first to gather all the data about the Houston metro area's environment — shows that air pollution isn't the only thing we should be worried about: Our waterways are teeming with fecal bacteria, too. Buffalo and White Oak bayous, which run through the center of the city, have some of the highest bacterial counts in the state, but the problem affects waterways in Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Brazoria counties, according to the study. The fecal bacteria can come from leaky sewer pipes, fertilizer runoff and overflow from water treatment plants; though it isn't harmful by itself, it may signal the presence of disease-causing bacteria and viruses that can affect humans and animals. The good news: The area's drinking water is safe. We just don't recommend taking a dip in Buffalo Bayou anytime soon.

>> Discovery Green to open in March, but will be presentable in January: KTRK's Miya Shay reports that Discovery Green, the new downtown park, will be ready in time for city officials' inauguration Jan. 2, but KPRC notes that the park apparently won't officially open until March. Crews are still at work on the 12-acre site across from the George R. Brown Convention Center, which will include a large lawn, gardens, an ampitheater and a lake, among other features. "They'll be able to enjoy this scenic area, which combines a little of our nature along with the beauty of our downtown skyline, which is one of Houston's great features," the park's Susanne Theis said. There's more info at the park's website, where you can also follow construction progress with 15 months' worth of photos.

>> Today's weather: This morning's storms should, for the most part, move out of the area by noon, leaving clouds that'll gradually give way to a lot of sunshine. Expect an afternoon high of 75 followed by a partly cloudy night with lows in the lower 50s. And enjoy it while you can: The rain will come back this weekend, leading to a cooler beginning to next week.

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