‘Worst case scenario’ for rain, snow mix around Dallas-Fort Worth, per weather service

Many in the North Texas region may wake up Monday morning to a dusting of wet snow which, as temperatures heat up to the 50s by the afternoon, will have melted away, according to the National Weather Service.

“Worst case scenario will be little more than a pretty sight to wake up to in the morning with minor accumulations on the grass and clear road conditions for the morning commute,” Fort Worth meteorologist Hunter Reeves wrote on the NWS website..

Areas north and northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth — along and north of a Cisco-Jacksboro-Gainesville line — will have 40%-50% chance of seeing a trace of snow, and an even lower probability that they’ll see up to three-tenths of an inch of accumulation. Most of the slush, if it sticks, will predominantly stay on grassy and elevated surfaces.

The weather service does not expect the snow to cause problems for the Monday morning commute — its website explains that warmer concrete will melt the slush before it becomes an issue.

But why would it stick to grass?

The shadow effect on grass keeps surfaces cooler and allows the slush to hold its form, meteorologist Jeff Haby writes on his blog. The blades of grass and surrounding bushes give the snow a place to shelter. By comparison, the flat surfaces of pavements and roads allows the wind to blow the snow away.

“Individual blades of grass allow air to flow closer to the ground,” according to the NWS website. “Grassy surfaces will typically be cooler, therefore, snow will melt at a much slower rate.”

As the thunderstorms Saturday night moved east and away from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, another cold front bringing cooler and windier conditions to the area also brought more rain.

“While much of the precipitation will fall as cold rain in the form of showers, areas along our north-westernmost to northern most counties will see a transition to a rain/snow mix on Sunday evening,” Reeves wrote.

Once this system moves out of the region, the Metroplex can expect colder temperatures and gusty winds of up to 30 mph, says the NWS forecast. The next round of rain will not return to the region until next Friday and into the weekend bringing seasonably cooler temperatures.

This story was originally published February 11, 2024 at 12:00 AM.