We’re finally going to get a taste of winter – beginning New Years Day and through the upcoming weekend. Wind chill temperatures (shown in the graphic) will be quite chilly, especially with the record warm December weather.

Actual surface temperatures Sunday morning will likely drop below freezing across the northwestern half of Texas – with a freeze Monday morning for much of Texas (excluding Deep South Texas and folks within about 25 miles of the Gulf coast).

While temperatures this weekend and early next week will be a shock, given our December ‘spring streak’, temperatures will remain 30 to 45 degrees above where we ended up this past February. We won’t be dealing with record cold temperatures lasting for days. These quick-hitting cold snaps are typical for Texas winters during La Nina.

There is a chance for light snow Saturday Night and Sunday across the Texas Panhandle and Northwest Texas (timing and potential subject to change, since this is Texas and forecasting snow is difficult enough even within a day of the ‘event’). We’ll see if the snow chances manage to stick around as we continue through the week.