While it feels cold outside this morning with temperatures in the 30s, wind, and patchy areas of drizzle, it will be nothing compared to what is coming this weekend. Today will struggle to warm under mostly cloudy skies with temperatures topping out in the mid 40s. A rapid warm-up will commence tonight as an intense warm air advection pattern unfolds out ahead of the next trough. Temperatures will actually start out colder and warm steadily through the night. Actual lows for tomorrow will probably occur closer to midnight than sunrise.
Warming will continue to take place through tomorrow as temperatures soar into the 70s. This will be short lived as powerful Arctic air mass is dislodged and plunges deep into Texas on Saturday. Timing of the front is somewhat hard to ascertain as these Arctic air masses always move faster than guidance. The current thinking is that the front will arrive sometime around midday Saturday. Temperatures should be able to warm into the 60s ahead of the boundary, possibly warmer if the front’s timing is later. Then there should be a drastic temperature drop behind the front. Guidance continues to trend colder with this air mass, and DFW Weather now is forecasting lows in the teens both Sunday and Monday mornings. Highs will struggle to get out of the 20s on Sunday, if at all, even under full insolation. It will also be windy with gusts to 35 mph possible. This will be put wind chill values in the single digits Sunday morning with wind chill values close to zero or below near the Red River. Wind chill values will remain in the single digits and teens throughout all of Sunday.
On Monday, temps will struggle to reach freezing, if at all, again making for another very cold day. Another cold night can be expected on Tuesday with morning temps bottoming out in the lower 20s once again.
Regarding the potential for wintry precipitation, it is looking much too dry at the surface and in the dendritic growth zone for snow crystal production. However, with these cold air masses, we cannot entirely rule out some patchy freezing drizzle or a flurry or two, but nothing significant. This is mostly likely to occur Saturday night early Sunday morning before the moisture is really scoured out, though most will see nothing.
Residents of the DFW area should prepare now for a prolonged period of subfreezing temperatures by winterizing their homes (wrapping pipes) and taking necessary precautions for outdoor animals and sensitive plants.