It may be spring, but the arctic isn’t finished with Texas yet. Another strong cold front is expected to pass over Texas this weekend, bringing fall-like temperatures to the entire state. Even in April, you may need a jacket in the afternoon.
This week, Texas weather is living up to its reputation for chaos and unpredictability. A powerful blast of cold air from the north is expected to cross the Texas-Oklahoma border by Saturday, April 3, sending temperatures dropping across the state.
The Texas Panhandle, which stretches from Dalhart to Amarillo, typically bears the brunt of the damage. While temperatures will drop back into the freezing range overnight into the weekend, midday highs will be rather consistent across the Lone Star State.
A series of cold fronts has kept the temperature in the Panhandle milder than it would have been otherwise. However, things are about to change.
“A cold front moves south on Friday, making the weather more interesting…” The cold front will not pass across the entire area during the day on Friday as things stand, but it should be south of the area by midnight or so on Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
This region will have lows in the 30s and afternoon highs in the mid-60s to low-70s throughout the weekend. That is not too different from what North Texas residents can expect.
By Saturday afternoon, the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex should not be above the low 70s. The following afternoon isn’t forecast to reach 70 degrees. While it’s not quite freezing, cool evenings in the low 50s this weekend may necessitate some layering.
On the negative, this rush of frigid air suggests stormy weather ahead.
“A more active weather pattern will deliver multiple opportunities for showers and thunderstorms during the extended forecast period, the main chances being Wednesday night and Friday night/Saturday,” according to the National Weather Service’s Dallas office. “It does appear that temperatures will return near or below normal for a couple of days following this frontal passage.”
While South Central Texas typically misses out on a lot of cold front action this late in the season, this arctic blast will actually reach the very southern end of the state this time. Even San Antonio will experience a dramatic drop in temperature after numerous afternoons in the 90s.
It will take longer to see the consequences that far south. Saturday’s high in San Antonio is still 83 degrees. However, by Sunday, temperatures will remain below 70 degrees all day. However, this abrupt dip foreshadows thunderstorms in South Central Texas.
“We’ll get our next taste of active weather with a cold front that moves through most of Texas and arrives by Saturday evening,” the NWS San Antonio-Austin office says. “This front looks much more promising regarding both convection and rain potential…”
These milder days should last far into the beginning of the next work week.