Extreme cold in North Texas will be ‘life-threatening’ into Monday
UPDATE: The latest forecast as of Thursday morning indicates North Texas will see 2 to 5 inches of snow. Read our latest story here.
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The National Weather Service in Fort Worth issued an “extreme cold watch” for all of North and Central Texas from Saturday evening through Monday morning.
Fort Worth will drop to 6 degrees with dangerous wind chills as low as -5 to -10 degrees, which “could result in hypothermia or frostbite on exposed skin if precautions are not taken.”
“Extreme cold will become life threatening and likely damage unprotected pipes and put livestock at risk,” the weather service said.
The latest forecast as of Wednesday afternoon appears to lessen the chances of seeing snow in the Metroplex. Instead, we’re looking to see more freezing rain and sleet — which can be more dangerous for travel, power, trees and buildings.
Still, the latest outlook from NWS meteorologists stresses that there is “plenty of uncertainty” on when rain will turn into ice, and how much accumulation we’ll see of whatever ends up falling.
“The latest guidance continues to be in good agreement that sleet will likely be the predominant precipitation type for North Texas with better chances for freezing rain across Central Texas,” the NWS says. “Freezing rain can’t be ruled out just yet.”
- Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside.
- Make frequent checks on vulnerable family, friends, and neighbors.
- Make winter preparations to homes and businesses before Friday.
- Ensure portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills inside.
Here’s the latest forecast for Fort Worth:
- Friday: Showers. Temperature falling to around 34 by 5pm. North northeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
- Friday Night: Rain showers and freezing rain, possibly mixed with sleet before 9 p.m., then freezing rain and sleet. Low around 20. North northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Saturday: Sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain. The sleet could be heavy at times. High near 24. North northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Saturday Night: Sleet likely, possibly mixed with snow showers and freezing rain before midnight, then a chance of snow showers and sleet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers before noon. Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 20. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 6.
- Monday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 29.
- Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 10.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37.
[MORE: What Southlake, Keller, Colleyville are telling residents]
Outlook as of Wednesday morning
We are just two days away from perhaps the most significant winter weather since the Great Texas Freeze of 2021, but there’s still uncertainty in how much ice/sleet/snow will fall and when.
What is clear, though, is how dangerous this prolonged period of freezing temperatures will be. Wind chills overnight this weekend will be 0 to -10 degrees. And morning commutes will be “hazardous” through at least Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth said early Wednesday that precipitation types are starting to come into focus, but the timing and locations of the transition from rain to ice to snow remain unclear. North Texas could still be a soup of dangerous ice and sleet topped off with a layer of snow.
It’ll rain early on Friday, but a strong Arctic cold front will gradually move in from the north. When temperatures fall below freezing during the afternoon and evening, the rain will turn to freezing rain — meaning the rain will freeze after it hits the ground, creating dangerous conditions for roads.
In the Metroplex, the transition to ice is most likely around mid afternoon, the weather service now believes.
We may see primarily sleet in the city, while areas closer to Oklahoma are expected to see a full transition to snow. “Widespread wintry precipitation will continue throughout the day Saturday,” the NWS says. “One final round of wintry precipitation will move through the area Saturday night into Sunday morning. Sleet is expected to be the predominant precipitation type for most of the area with this last round of precipitation, with the transition line to snow likely dipping further into North Texas.”
It will be below freezing from Friday night through at least Monday afternoon, possibly Tuesday afternoon. The coldest temps are Monday morning with single digits. The coldest wind chills will be Saturday night/Sunday morning at 0 to -10 degrees.
A winter storm watch is issued for North Texas from Friday afternoon and through late Saturday.
Moderate to heavy accumulations of snow, sleet or ice are the reason for the watch, per the NWS.
The major winter storm is shaping up to bring significant snow and ice from the Southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic this weekend, affecting tens of millions of people and likely to cause travel gridlock across the U.S.
Forecast as of Tuesday afternoon
Widespread wintry precipitation is expected to develop Friday night into Saturday morning, as temperatures are forecast to bottom out in the teens to mid 20s for most of the area, the weather service said.
“Precipitation type currently looks to be a bit messy,” according to the NWS. “Precise amounts for any snow and/or ice accumulations are still too uncertain to pinpoint this far out since the location of any transition zones will ultimately determine these details.”
Frozen precipitation will taper off Saturday afternoon, but it will be so cold that we could still be dealing with ice on the ground and slippery roads Monday morning.
Saturday’s high will be 28 degrees in Fort Worth, dropping to 10 degrees overnight. Sunday will be a high near 30 and a low around 7 degrees.
Freezing temperatures are expected to last from 6 p.m. Friday until 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Start preparing for cold, weather service says
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth updated its outlook for next weekend by advising that North Texans should start preparing now for freezing conditions. Snow showers, freezing rain and sleet are likely.
Forecast models show the strong cold front will barrel south from Oklahoma on Friday. By afternoon, the frigid blast will have pushed across Central Texas.
“There is a low chance that the Arctic air intrusion arrives earlier than currently expected, ushering temperatures below 32 degrees during the afternoon/evening rush” on Friday.
“For now, the best action to take is to prepare for a long duration of temperatures below 32 degrees, especially across North Texas,” the weather service said. Temperatures may not rise above freezing until Monday.
“The question is no longer ‘if’ it will get cold, but instead ‘how soon’ will it get cold,” the weather service wrote in its outlook Monday.
Rain arrives before winter blast
Before the front arrives this weekend, rain is in the forecast for North Texas.
There’s a 40% chance of storms late Tuesday into early Wednesday, Jan. 21. Areas near the Interstate 35 corridor will likely see light rain before a cold front approaches from the north, per the NWS.
Rain will stick around Wednesday morning and afternoon before exiting the region that evening.
This story was originally published January 19, 2026 at 8:20 AM.
