Frigid temperatures, single-digit wind chills headed for North Texas neighborhoods
Chances are good that North Texans will not be needing an air-conditioner in the next few days.
An arctic front is in the forecast for North Texas, bringing with it frigid temperatures and bitter cold wind chill values.
How cold? Wind chill values as low as 5 degrees are expected Sunday morning in some areas of Tarrant County and colder in counties to the west and northwest of Fort Worth.
”Temperatures will be dropping fast,” said meteorologist Jason Godwin at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth on Saturday. “But there will be no precipitation. The front will be windy, dry and cold.”
The cold temperatures will be a drastic change for North Texans after a very warm December. Officials at the NWS in Fort Worth said there were eight 80-degree days in December in DFW, breaking the previous record of five in 1977.
The strong cold front arrived late Saturday afternoon after daytime highs hit in the lower 70s. Temperatures were expected to start falling Saturday evening.
North winds will be 20 to 25 mph Saturday evening, gusting to 35 mph, according to the NWS in Fort Worth.
Forecasters say the low will be about 20 on Sunday morning in Tarrant County.
It will be sunny on Sunday, but the high temperature will only reach 35.
The cold will stick around as Monday morning temperatures will be in the lower 20s. The daytime high for Monday should be the upper 40s.
Another cold front arrives late Wednesday into early Thursday, bringing more winter weather to North Texas.
In preparation for the cold weather, MedStar said it will implement its cold weather protocol, where “response priorities are upgraded to patients in an outdoor area, unprotected from the cold.”
The healthcare provider advised residents to stay alert to the risks of frostbite, hypothermia, exertion and other cold temperature injuries and to avoid carbon monoxide when trying to stay warm.
“Dress in several layers of loose-fitting clothing and cover your face and mouth if possible. Be aware of the wind chill factor. Wind can cause body-heat loss,” MedStar said in a news release. “Stay dry, and if you become wet, remove wet clothing immediately. Limit your time outdoors. Do not ignore shivering. It’s an important first sign that the body is losing heat. Persistent shivering is a signal to return indoors.”
Hypothermia symptoms can include shivering, slow shallow breathing, confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech and a weak pulse.
“Remember, your body is already working hard just to stay warm, so don’t overdo it,” MedStar said. “The elderly or people with chronic illnesses may be at risk for hypothermia after prolonged exposure to even mildly cool temperatures. Check on older friends or relatives often during cold spells to be sure they are acting normally.”
This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 10:09 AM.
