Record heat envelops DFW area, but a ‘cold front’ is coming

Autumn just can’t quite take hold in North Texas where a high of 95 on Thursday set a record for the day.

The high was reached at 2:59 p.m. at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, well above the previous record of 92, which was set in 1948 and 1999, according to the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth.

Thursday was fifth consecutive day of 90-plus heat this week. The average high this month is 87, which is 9 degrees above normal.

Rainfall is 2.05 inches below normal since Sept. 1, with only 2.14 inches recorded at the airport. The dry conditions, coupled with south to southwest winds at 10 to 15 mph gusting to 20 mph, make conditions ripe for grass fires. The weather service has issued a high fire danger for North Texas north of the Interstate 20 corridor.

Smoke from grass fires in Parker, Denton, Hunt, Navarro could be seen for miles.

Friday’s high is expected to reach 87, and Saturday and Sunday may be cooler — about 80 to 81.

“There’s a very, very good chance we won’t see any 90-degree temperatures next week,” said meteorologist Jamie Gudmestad at the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth.

There’s a 40 percent chance of rain on Tuesday night, and a 60 percent chance on Wednesday.

And by Wednesday, it may actually feel like autumn: A daytime high in the mid-70s is forecast.

Staff writer Monica S. Nagy contributed to this report.

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Record heat envelops DFW area, but a ‘cold front’ is coming."