Cold front to cause DFW temperatures to plunge into 50s as winds increase in forecast
It will soon feel a lot more like fall across the Dallas-Fort Worth region, as a cold front will cause temperatures to drop dramatically as gusts of wind rise as high as 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
It was a little over 90 degrees in Fort Worth on Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday morning it will reach the 70s, the weather service forecast shows. But Monique Sellers, a meteorologist with the agency, said over the phone that will represent the high for the day as a cold front from the Colorado Rocky Mountains moves into the region between 9 and 11 a.m., bringing with it a burst of cooler air.
Temperatures should drop throughout the day, reaching the 50s by nighttime, Sellers said. The winds will shift from the south to the northwest in the early afternoon, she said, whipping around 20 to 25 mph, and as high as 35 mph. Strong winds could lift outdoor furniture.
A hazardous weather outlook from the weather service warns the cold front could create a few gusts as high as 40 or 45 mph in parts of North Texas on Thursday morning. The worst winds will occur primarily west of I-35W and north of I-20, the alert notes.
Dry and windy conditions on Thursday will also make the grass fire conditions in North Texas worse, according to the hazardous weather outlook.
Though the cold front is expected to leave the region by the afternoon on Thursday, Sellers said the cooler winds left behind in its wake are what’s sticking around.
The nighttime low on Thursday is expected to be near 52, according to the forecast. It’s expected to warm up a little on Friday, with an anticipated high of around 71, reached after the morning.
“That’ll be a nice fall day with lower wind speeds,” Sellers said. “It’ll be a nice comfortable day with plenty of sunshine.”
The dip in temperatures, though a sharp change from the past few days, is pretty typical for October in DFW, Sellers said. The region, she said, should be on a bit of a “temperature rollercoaster” for the next month or so.
Temperatures are expected to reach around 79 on Saturday, with a nighttime low of around 65, the forecast shows.
To end the weekend, the weather service predicts the high will reach around 81 on Sunday, and the nighttime low will hit around 61.
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 5:49 PM.
