A cold, modified Arctic airmass has surged into the DFW area today. A strong surface anti-cyclone pushing south will decouple winds this evening promoting dry and cold air advection into the region. This will set the stage for temperatures to plummet to the upper 20s and lower 30s by Saturday morning. DFW Weather is officially forecasting a low of 32°F at DFW Airport with temperatures north falling into possibly the upper 20s. The heart of Dallas and the Metroplex, along with areas South of I-20, may hang up in the 33°F to 35°F range. Currently, Wise, Collin, Denton, and Parker counties are under a Freeze Warning. Should DFW Airport fall to freezing tonight or Tuesday morning, it is still several days ahead of the average first freeze which is November 22nd, but not anything record breaking. The earliest first freeze on record is October 27, 1957 (29°F). However, it would be the earliest freeze since 2014 (November 12th – 31°F).
An even stronger surge of Arctic air is expected to arrive Sunday night bringing with it a shot at rain and a cold, raw day on Monday. The latest data (as of Friday afternoon) is indicating that temperatures may not get out of the 30s on Monday with most everyone falling into the 20s by Tuesday morning. This will set the stage for possibly a hard, killing freeze (at or below 28°F). Some of the data indicates that the rain on Monday may become mixed with snow, especially north and west of the DFW Metroplex. For now, we are just forecasting a cold rain and will continue to evaluate the latest data. If the models continue to trend colder, then this could be a real possibility. Residents of DFW are reminded this is a good time to winterize your homes and cover, or move indoors, sensitive plants susceptible to the cold. Please stay alert to possible changes to the forecast over the coming days.
