A very cold arctic air mass has arrived in the ArkLaTex. We could see more than 48 hours of sub-freezing temperatures. A Winter Wx Advisory is in effect as moisture on roadways could freeze due to the rapid fall in temperatures.
Dangerous cold is moving in: Temperatures are taking a tumble Thursday afternoon and evening. That drop will continue Thursday night with the coldest air settling in by Friday morning. By morning, lows across the ArkLaTex will range from the single digits to the lower teens. While we will likely experience the strongest wind Thursday evening with gusts approaching 40 mph, it will stay rather windy through Friday.
The combination of wind and cold will produce wind chills that will be well below zero. Exposure to the level of cold can be life-threatening. If you are traveling, be sure to throw some extra blankets in your vehicle just in case it becomes disabled.
We will likely stay below freezing Friday, Friday night, and most of Saturday. Highs Friday will be in the low to middle 20s. Lows Friday night will not be as cold, but we will still settle into the teens. We will likely warm to the low to middle 30s on Christmas Eve Saturday and the upper 30s to lower 40s for Christmas Day.
Several days of dry weather: Futurecast shows that we will see a mostly clear sky over the ArkLaTex Friday night. Some clouds will mix in with the sunshine Friday. Those clouds will move out Friday night and both Saturday and Sunday will feature plenty of sunshine.
Above-normal temperatures return next week: Most of next week is looking dry and warmer. We will likely see above-normal temperatures return by Wednesday when highs return to the upper 50s to lower 60s. We will likely warm to the mid to upper 60s by the end of the week. Overnight lows next week will begin in the middle 20s Monday and warm to the mid to upper 50s.
Heavy rain late next week? We continue to see good agreement in the long-range models that a round of potentially heavy rain will return to the ArkLaTex late next week. A blend of models shows that rainfall totals could be in the range of two to four inches. We will likely experience some thunderstorms. Severe weather can’t be ruled out, but as of right now, it appears as if the risk could end up being highest to our east. Stay tuned!
Get daily forecasts and exclusive severe weather details on storms as they approach your area by downloading the Arklatex Weather Authority app now available in the App Store and Google Play
