As temps drop below freezing Friday night, black ice is possible Saturday morning
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – There was mass melting across the afternoon as highs rose into the low 50s.
Where the ice was thick or in the shade, the melting didn't get all of it. That means we'll have areas where the melt is still on the road as we again fall to freezing overnight.
And, just like this morning, there is also a chance of freezing fog. Fog is just a cloud at surface level. Those tiny cloud droplets can freeze on contact with any surface that is below freezing.
This effect will be widely scattered across North Texas tomorrow, more likely confined to bridges, overpasses and metal surfaces. Amounts are light but coverage on freezing surface can be thorough. Careful on the roads in the early morning hours into a few hours past sunrise. Also be careful on the sidewalks:
By mid-morning Saturday, we can finally leave behind the threat of ice. Temperatures will be even warmer with a brisk wind. Between the sunshine and the breeze, the last of melting should occur. On Sunday, it stays above freezing in the morning and then gets into the 60s. Nice! And very welcomed:
It is nice to talk about above-normal temperatures after several days of below freezing temperatures:
Next chance of rain arrives on Tuesday and Wednesday. No arctic air this time!
February can deliver some winter blows in these parts. That is especially true over the last three years. But keep in mind this is a very old story in north Texas. In fact, the very first February ever recorded in the weather books, a mere 124 years ago, this day marks the start of a nine-day run of some the coldest air ever recorded in our area. It stayed below freezing all day for eight of those nine days and two all-time records were hit that still stand: the coldest night ever (-8°) and coldest day ever (a high of only 12°). So, yeah, from the very start, February can be brutal here.