Happy Thanksgiving, North Texas! If you’re heading out for turkey trots, or for family dinner at grandmas house, you’re in for a treat: plenty of sunshine, light winds, and highs climbing into the upper 50s to near 60. It’s the kind of crisp, gorgeous fall day that makes you glad you live here.
Enjoy it while it lasts – our next weather maker starts knocking on the door tomorrow (Friday). Clouds will thicken up through the day, and by Friday night a few light showers could pop up, especially west of I-35. Nothing major – just enough to make you grab the umbrella on the way out.
The better chance of rain arrives Saturday. From early morning through around lunchtime, look for scattered showers and even a few rumbles of thunder as the main upper-level system swings through. Rainfall amounts won’t be huge (generally a quarter to half an inch, with locally higher amounts possible), but roads could be slick for holiday shoppers or post Thanksgiving travel. The good news? The rain starts tapering off during the mid-to-late afternoon as the system gets kicked out by stronger winds aloft. By Saturday night, we should be drying out nicely.
Trailing that system, a reinforcing shot of colder air arrives Saturday night into Sunday. A crisp cold front will sweep through, dropping our temperatures pretty dramatically heading into next week. Highs will struggle to get out of the 40s starting Sunday and continuing through much of the following week – yes, that’s about 15-20 degrees below average for early December. Lows will dip into the upper 20s and low 30s, so heaters will be earning their keep.
Another quick wave could bring a few more light showers around Monday, but it’ll be chilly rain — no wintry mix is expected in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex or surrounding areas at this point. Models have been fairly consistent keeping any frozen precipitation well north and east of us.
Bottom line: Soak up today’s sunshine, keep the rain gear handy Friday night through Saturday afternoon, then bundle up starting this weekend. Winter is sending its first real “hello” of the season next week.
Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving, everyone.