From Staff Reports
A strong arctic cold front will arrive on Thursday, bringing the coldest temperatures of the winter season. Most of North and Central Texas will reach Hard Freeze Warning criteria (temperature < 10°F) and Wind Chill Advisory criteria (wind chill < 0°F) Thursday night into Friday morning.
Overview
- A prolonged period of subfreezing temperatures is likely beginning Thursday afternoon and continuing into the Christmas weekend. This will damage exposed outdoor pipes and other infrastructure.
- Temperatures may briefly rise above freezing across Central Texas on Christmas Eve but will quickly
fall below freezing again Saturday evening.
- Much of North Texas will remain below freezing until Christmas Day
- The timing of the front may change a little, but temperatures are expected to fall below freezing by Thursday afternoon across most of North and Central Texas.
- The combination of subfreezing temperatures and windy conditions will result in wind chills falling near or below zero across the entire region Thursday night into Friday morning.
- There is high confidence temperatures will fall below 10°F along the Red River and across the Big Country Thursday night into Friday morning.
- There is lower confidence that temperatures will fall below 10°F across the DFW Metroplex and Central Texas but cannot be ruled out.
- There will be strong north winds behind the cold front that will persist into Thursday night. Sustained winds upwards of 25-30 MPH with peak gusts of 40-45 MPH are likely.
- There is a low chance (10-15 percent) for precipitation across portions of North and Northeast Texas.
- This will primarily be in the form of sprinkles and light snow flurries. Therefore, impacts to travel are not expected.
Areas of Concern and Impacts
Threats/Hazardous Weather Types
Forecaster Confidence
General Timing
What We Are Certain Of:
- Subfreezing temperatures are expected to persist from Thursday through at least Christmas Eve, which will impact outdoor pipes.
- Temperatures will steadily fall into the 20s and 30s behind the cold front on Thursday.
- Strong north winds will accompany the front. Sustained winds upwards of 25-30 MPH with gusts in excess of 40 MPH are expected.
- Temperatures will fall into the teens and single digits Thursday night into Friday morning. Wind chill values will fall below zero.
What We Are Less Certain Of
- Whether light precipitation (rain and/or snow) will accompany the front.
- Whether temperatures will rise above freezing on Saturday (Christmas Eve).
Additional Resources:
NWS Fort Worth Homepage http://www.weather.gov/fortworth
Hourly Forecasts (Click your location) https://www.weather.gov/forecastpoints
NWS Fort Worth Weather Tabs https://arcg.is/1S19nH
NWS Fort Worth Hazard Pages http://www.weather.gov/fwd/hazardplanner?nort,TODAY
NWSChat http://nwschat.weather.gov/live
Who’s eligible for NWSChat https://nwschat.weather.gov/NWSChat_Terms_of_Use.pdf
NWS Fort Worth Briefing Page https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=fd06a2bea0a64f0c90842761191e985b
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