Winter Weather Advisory is in effect in North Texas this week. Here’s what you need to know
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect Wednesday and Thursday as the North Texas region is expected to see high temperatures in the 30s alongside freezing rain, thunderstorms and sleet.
“A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet will spread across the region on Wednesday, with another round of wintry weather expected on Thursday,” the National Weather Service said. “Ice accumulation of a tenth to two-tenths of an inch will be possible within the advisory area, resulting in hazardous driving conditions.”
The cool weather began Tuesday as temperatures dropped into the 40s in Fort Worth. The advisory is from 6 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday.
Rain is expected to begin around 4 a.m. Wednesday with wind gusts up to 20 mph. The National Weather Service reported that rain, freezing rain and sleet are “likely before noon. ... [with] some thunder also possible.”
Temperatures are expected to drop into the high 20s by about 7 a.m. Wednesday. There’s about a 50% chance of a wintry mix of precipitation during the day Wednesday, increasing to a 70% chance by Wednesday night and a 90% chance on Thursday.
“The first round of precipitation will develop Wednesday and move across the region throughout the day. Freezing rain, occasionally mixed with sleet, is expected along and northwest of a line from Comanche to Dallas to Paris where ice accumulations may exceed a tenth of an inch,” the weather service said. “The second round will develop Wednesday night and move east throughout the day Thursday. More widespread freezing rain is expected with this round before it ends Thursday night. Bridges and overpasses will be the first to freeze, but main road surfaces may become icy as well, particularly north and west of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.”
High temperatures into Thursday are expected to remain in the low, to mid, 30s, before slowly climbing back up into the weekend, with an expected high of 43 Friday and 46 Saturday.
Schools monitoring weather
The Fort Worth school district is closely monitoring weather conditions and, as of Tuesday afternoon, was preparing to welcome students Wednesday at the usual starting time. Fort Worth ISD families and employees are encouraged to follow local news outlets and district communication platforms for updates.
“The district is taking precautions to protect students and staff from the predicted frigid temperatures and wind chill,” a news release said. “Custodial staff will have campuses warm and open early for students.”
Parents are encouraged to dress students in warm layers.
With wind chills expected to be in the teens, the Fort Worth district has canceled all outdoor sports Wednesday. A decision regarding Thursday games will be announced by noon Wednesday. A decision on whether to hold Friday games will be made Thursday.
Fort Worth After School and other indoor after-school activities are expected to take place.
The district will continue to monitor weather conditions and communication with the National Weather Service and local agencies, the release said.
“As of now, hazardous driving conditions are not anticipated tomorrow morning, with most of the freezing precipitation staying to the west and northwest of us,” Tuesday’s statement said. “However, should the forecast change overnight, we will alert everyone by 5 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) morning via the Fort Worth ISD Mobile App, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the district’s website, www.fwisd.org, crawled on our EdTV Channel (Charter Cable Channel 30 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99) and forwarded to local radio, television and newspapers.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 8:32 AM.
