Winter Storm Watch Begins Wednesday As North Texas Prepares For Snow, Freezing Rain & Ice
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Tuesday is off to a mild start with temperatures in the low 50s and highs expected to reach the upper 60s, with partly sunny skies.
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for North Texas from 6:00 p.m. Wednesday until 6:00 p.m. Thursday. DFW could see a dusting to ½" of snow with 1" to 3" of snow possible in northwest areas. Ice accumulations of 0.1" to 0.3" are possible in the Metroplex by Thursday morning. Travel conditions will deteriorate Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning.
Wednesday starts with an arctic front that moves through in the morning hours. The front slides south shifting winds out of the north as cold air settles into North Texas. This will cause temperatures to fall into the afternoon hours.
Rain begins around midday in the Metroplex on Wednesday and lasts into the evening hours. The First Alert Weather Team has moved up the timeframe on the transition from rain to freezing rain. We are now thinking the transition to freezing rain starts in the northwest, near Bowie to Jacksboro, around 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the transition to freezing rain in the Metroplex is closer to 9:00 p.m. to midnight.
By sunrise on Thursday all of North Texas will have transitioned to ice or snow. Some models are hinting at an even earlier transition to freezing rain, so the First Alert Weather Team is keeping a close eye on the latest model trends.
The wintry precipitation is just one part of this system. The other is arctic air and strong northerly winds. Temperatures fall into the 40s by Wednesday afternoon. Thursday we only warm into the mid 20s and feel like the single digits all day due to the strong northerly winds. Friday morning temperatures are in the 10s with wind chills to 0° in western areas and in the single digits in the metroplex. Sunshine is back Friday afternoon and some spots will warm above freezing -- into the mid 30s. But another frigid morning is in store for Saturday with temperatures again in the 10s.
Everyone is being urged to start making storm preparations now and if possible stay off the roads from late Wednesday into Friday morning.
Stay with the First Alert Weather Team for the latest updates as we track this Winter Storm.
