The arctic cold front has certainly arrived with temperatures below freezing into the Permian Basin, Concho Valley, and North Texas this morning. That isn’t actually unusual at all for December, but temperatures will be hardpressed to climb more than ten degrees today with strong cold air advection (north winds) continuing. Our primary focus for this morning is a low-end winter weather event ongoing in the Permian Basin, Concho Valley, and Big Country. An area of light snow has developed and is moving east across those three regions. Warm ground temperatures will keep surface roads just wet, but slick bridges are certainly possible through the early afternoon hours. Precipitation should be ending by lunchtime, but most of those locations will not get above freezing until tomorrow. Jenny has a blog published with more detail on this morning’s snow here.

We are not going to see much of a diurnal trend in temperatures today as strong cold air advection continues behind the arctic front. High temperatures will probably not get above freezing until Friday in the Texas Panhandle, West Texas, Big Country, and the Permian Basin. Highs will not get out of the 30s in the Hill Country, Concho Valley, North Texas, Northeast Texas, and Central Texas. North winds will make the wind chill values remain in the 10s and 20s. South Texas, the Coastal Bend, and Southeast Texas will be ‘warmer’ with 40s to lower 50s.

Low temperatures tonight will be the coldest we’ve seen since January of 2015. The freezing line will extend into South-Central Texas and Southeast Texas. Locations north of that will fall below freezing tonight. It’ll still be cold in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley with middle to upper 30s.

With temperatures falling into the teens and lower twenties as far south as the Concho Valley and Central Texas it would be wise to have your pipes protected, faucets dripping, pets indoors, and make sure your susceptible neighbors have heat tonight.

Friday will be a cold day but will be slightly warmer than what we’ll deal with today. High temperatures across Texas will range from the middle 40s to lower 50s. I will say it would not be surprising if these high temperatures had to be lowered tomorrow – especially if it takes longer for southerly flow to become active. Regardless, it’ll be another winter-like day.

Temperatures will quickly moderate this weekend as a southerly flow becomes established. By Sunday most of the state will have high temperatures back up in the 60s with lower 70s in the south. The Rio Grande Valley may top out in the lower 80s. Low temperatures won’t be as chilly either. Another cold front is progged to arrive on Tuesday, but uncertainty is much higher with that one. Depending on how strong the arctic airmass is behind the front we may have another period of very cold weather the middle of next week.