Hard freeze expected Tuesday night, highs in 30s Wednesday

Turn off the sprinkler systems so the streets don’t ice up, and get the pets inside for the next few days — Monday morning lows will be in the 20s, and a cold front is expected to arrive from Western Canada Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

“Wednesday is going to be a really raw day across North Texas,” said Dennis Cavanaugh, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. “It’s not going to feel really good. It’s just colder than we are used to handling.”

Besides the cold, Wednesday is also expected to be windy, with 20 to 25 mph gusts.

Wednesday’s highs are expected to be in the 30s, but the average low for this time of year is 35, he said.

Heavy frost could develop across the Metroplex as temperatures drop overnight Sunday, Cavanaugh said. Meterologists sent out social media alerts warning North Texans to protect pipes, plants, pets and people Sunday night.

Cavanaugh urged municipalities, businesses and homeowners to turn off automatic sprinkler systems.

“People causing icy conditions could be a problem,” he said.

The recent 1 to 2 inches of rainfall and an increase in soil moisture will increase the chance for frost in grassy residential areas Monday, Cavanaugh said.

The Canadian cold front is expected to cover the eastern two-thirds of the United States by Wednesday night, Cavanaugh said.

Despite the hard freeze, the forecast calls for sunny days until Friday, which has a 20 percent chance of rain. The weekend will warm up to highs in the 40s, Cavanaugh said.

This story was originally published January 4, 2015 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Hard freeze expected Tuesday night, highs in 30s Wednesday."