Thursday forecast for Fort Worth & North Texas: Sleet transitioning to snow overnight
North Texas woke up to its first winter storm of the season with a mix of sleet and snow that started around sunrise Thursday.
A winter storm warning is in effect for North Texas, including Fort Worth, through early Friday. The types of precipitation will change throughout the day Thursday with sleet and snow transitioning to rain later on and then finally to snow in the evening hours.
Roads in the region are becoming slick and travel is expected to be treacherous from midday Thursday into Friday. Multiple school districts have announced closings. And nearly half of flights out of DFW and Love Field airports are canceled.
The National Weather Service Fort Worth said Thursday morning that a tenth of an inch of ice could accumulate on raised surfaces, such as bridges, but the main traffic impacts will be from the sleet and snow.
The temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are expected to remain around freezing throughout the day, but won’t get low enough to make this a big ice event, according to NWS meteorologist Matt Stalley.
Some parts of North Texas could see thundersnow, Stalley said.
Here’s the latest on the forecast, storm preparations and what you should expect. Check back for updates. And stay safe, Fort Worth!
[MORE: Is this your first North Texas winter storm? What you should do right now.]
How many inches of snow, sleet to expect Thursday
A mix of cold rain, snow and sleet will continue throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex this evening, the NWS said Thursday afternoon.
Over the evening hours and overnight, a transition to snow and some sleet is expected to occur. Snow and sleet accumulation totals will vary across short distances, according to the NWS.
Total snow accumulations across the Metroplex will be 1 to 5 inches. Snow accumulations along the Red River are expected to be 4 to 6 inches, but bands of heavy snow could produce up to 8 inches.
Temperatures will be in the 30 to 33 degree range as precipitation continues Thursday, the NWS said. By late Friday morning, temperatures will begin to move above freezing.
The winter storm warning is valid for the following counties: Tarrant, Dallas, Parker, Wise, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, Hunt, Hopkins, Delta, Lamar, Fannin, Grayson, Cooke, Rains, Van Zandt, Kaufman and Montague.
Several counties are also under a winter weather advisory, including Ellis, Johnson, Hood, Somervell, Erath, Comanche, Eastland, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Young, Jack and Bowie.
The winter storm warning is valid from 6 a.m. Thursday to noon Friday.
Expect roads to be icy Thursday and Friday
Minor to moderate traffic impacts are likely across much of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex all day Thursday and into Friday.
Thursday morning commutes were mostly OK, but road conditions were expected to deteriorate by the afternoon, according to the NWS. Most untreated roads will be difficult to use, along with bridges and overpasses.
Road crews worked all night to prepare the roads, according to Texas Department of Transportation Fort Worth district spokesperson Val Lopez. But Lopez cautioned roads may be slick or wet because of the sleet falling in the area.
As of about 3 p.m., ice and snow have been reported on bridges and overpasses of major highways in the Fort Worth area including on Interstate 20, I-30, I-35W, Loop 820, U.S. 287, Texas 183 and Texas 121, according to TxDOT. Motorists should drive with caution and expect delays.
TxDOT’s map also shows snow and ice on I-30 and I-20 to the west of Fort Worth, I-35W to the north and south, the major highways running through Dallas, and the major roads in areas to the north of Tarrant and Dallas counties.
Travel is also expected to be impacted early Friday as temperatures hover around freezing, the NWS said. Some melting is possible Friday afternoon, but any leftover water will refreeze overnight.
School/university closures and delays
Most school districts and universities in Tarrant County are closed Thursday.
The Star-Telegram put together a list of all the closings, which can be found here. Many districts, including Fort Worth ISD, will also close Friday.
Find a list of other closings and how trash pickup will be affected here.
Power outages and Texas grid
Gov. Greg Abbott expressed confidence in the Texas power grid during a news conference Wednesday, when the governor and other state officials gave updates on preparations for the frigid temperatures expected in much of the state.
“The power grid looks in a very, very strong condition,” Abbott said. “What we have to deal with is not so much whether or not there’s going to be power on the power grid to power the entire state of Texas, but local impacts because of freezing rain on power lines that could cause downed power line or could cause trees or tree limbs and things like that to fall to cause a power line to go down.”
To report an outage to Oncor, text OUT to 66267, use the MyOncor app, or select “Report an Outage” located above the outage map on Oncor’s website. If you see a downed power line, stay away, keep others away, and call 911 immediately.
DFW flight cancellations Thursday
Nearly half of flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth and Love Field airports on Thursday were canceled by 10 a.m. as a mix of snow, ice and sleet moved into North Texas. Read the latest here.
Grocery stores stay open
Grocery stores in the Fort Worth area said they expect to be open during their regular hours.
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This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 4:28 AM.
