Will the polar vortex bring arctic air to North Texas? Here’s the latest
A polar vortex will bring arctic air and subzero temperatures to parts of the U.S. through the middle of the month, according to AccuWeather.
This first of three likely rounds will impact the U.S. starting this week, with frigid weather expected to impact the Northeast coast on Thursday, Dec. 4. From there, subsequent rounds will impact several centrally-located states over the following weeks.
“My thinking is that the cold the first week of December is the appetizer and the main course will be in mid-December,” climatologist and MIT research scientist Judah Cohen wrote in an email to USA TODAY.
A polar vortex is nothing new, and is described as a “large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles,” according to the National Weather Service. The vortex will expand and send cold air southward with the jet stream during the winter.
As several states gear up for arctic weather, what do conditions looks like in North Texas? Here’s what to know.
Polar vortex in Texas?
The Lone Star State and several southern states are nowhere to found in AccuWeather’s report on the polar vortex.
NWS meteorologist Matt Bishop said North Texas has seen cold air this winter, just not as cold as areas up north. While the air has been chilly in the Metroplex, it has not been cold enough to create any wintry precipitation.
A “polar vortex” is one of those weather terms that gets thrown around during winter outbreaks, but Bishop said it’s something that is always there. Sometimes it can send cold air further south than normal. However, North Texas has varied between warm and cold this season.
“Nothing unusual going on at the moment,” Bishop said.
What can North Texas expect in December?
Temperatures in North Texas are forecast to be above normal over the next week, according to the NWS’ Climate Prediction Center.
Issued on Thursday, the CPC’s 6-10 day forecast for Dec. 10-14 shows that temperatures have a 50-60% chance of being above normal. The normal max temperatures in the region over the early and middle parts of December range from the upper 50s to low 60s, per NWS climate data.
The 8-14 day forecast, issued Thursday and valid from Dec. 12-18, shows a 60-70% chance of above normal temperatures. The 3-4 week model, issued on Nov. 28 and valid from Dec. 13-26, also shows that temperatures are leaning above normal.
Finally, the one-month December outlook that was issued on Nov. 30 also predicts that temperatures will be above normal over the month.
While above normal may sound excessive, it doesn’t always equate to extreme lengths, according to the NWS. Above normal could simply mean a few degrees above the daily highs.
What’s for sure this winter is that it will be cold in North Texas.
In addition, the NWS said the region has never had a winter season without winter precipitation since they began keeping records in the late 1800s. It’s not if, but when.
