Winter storm warning in effect for parts of North Texas as sleet and snow arrive
NORTH TEXAS – North Texas is bracing for a mix of snow and sleet.
A winter storm warning went into effect Thursday morning and continues until 12 p.m. Friday. The warning includes Denton, Collin, Dallas and Tarrant counties. Several North Texas school districts have closed for the day Thursday due to the forecasted storm.
Thursday's high temperature could reach up to 34 degrees at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
What time is it supposed to start snowing in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Sleet and snow began falling in western counties around 6:30 a.m. and entered the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex around 7:30 a.m.
Early Thursday, light sleet was falling in southwestern parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex but it wasn't sticking – road temperatures before 6 a.m. were at or above the freezing mark. Temperatures around the metroplex were above freezing but will drop as the day goes on.
Around 5 a.m. Thursday, there was thundersleet falling in Abilene. Thundersleet is exactly that – thunder rumbling while sleet falls.
How much snow is Dallas-Fort Worth supposed to get?
Throughout the day Thursday, 2 to 5 inches of the wintry mix is forecasted for parts of the metroplex. Up to 8 inches is forecasted to fall in counties closer to the Red River.
Just over 2 inches of snow were reported in Denton and over 4 inches in Van Alstyne around noon.
The wintry mix transitions to all snow at the end of the day Thursday.
Thursday evening, cold air will likely result in a transition to all snow across the northwest counties and northwest parts of the metroplex north to the Red River.
Rain and sleet will likely be the predominant precipitation type for much of North Texas through the afternoon until temperatures begin to fall again.
The wintery precipitation should begin to wind down late Thursday night. Light snow could persist near the I-35 corridor Friday morning.
The National Weather Service said it appears less likely that significant ice will accumulate. Surface temperatures near freezing just aren't cold enough for major ice accumulations on surface roads; however, there is still a chance of up to .1 inch of ice overnight into Friday when temperatures drop into the teens and low 20s.
According to the National Weather Service, the worst travel impacts will happen Thursday night into Friday morning.
Conditions will begin to improve in DFW around late morning/midday Friday. After the window of more drivable conditions in the afternoon, conditions become hazardous again Friday night into Saturday morning, as any water left on the roads will freeze.
