North Texas braces for snow, freezing rain; heavy snow, freezing on roads possible
NORTH TEXAS — The winter storm warning for North Texas begins at 6 a.m. Thursday and continues until 12 p.m. Friday.
Thursday night, there are a few reports in west Texas of freezing rain and sleet reaching the ground. This will gradually move eastward and reach the western counties of North and Central Texas around 4-5 a.m., before spreading across the metroplex around 5-7 a.m.
Snow and sleet accumulations up to 4 inches can be expected. Travel will likely be hazardous Thursday morning and evening as roads, bridges and overpasses will become slick.
When is it going to snow in Texas?
Moisture and a mix of precipitation should start to move into the metroplex from the southwest starting in the morning to the mid-morning hours.
As the dynamics start to improve to our south with the upper low, we should see a proliferation of a rain/snow mix spread into the metroplex in the middle of the day. This is where everything is tricky and many things are possible.
From cold rain and freezing rain to sleet pellets, snow, and even heavy snow, it's all in play. Precipitation types can change with a simple degree variation here or there, so we'll want to stay apprised routinely.
A mix begins, albeit maybe not quite with this level of widespread coverage.
The sooner we see a changeover to snow, the better, as it would mitigate icing potential. This changeover might be a little early, but the output is possible.
Finally, we expect more of a snow changeover late Thursday. Some bright banding could occur, which is simply the heavier banding of snowfall. Some snow rates could reach 1-2" per hour if this occurs.
The track of the splitting upper-low will affect almost every little detail of this event, so we'll want to watch it closely on Thursday.
For the latest projected snowfall, stay tuned for quick changes Thursday. Sporadic, much higher amounts are possible, mainly north and east, with 9" or more in play.