Dallas weather: Extreme Cold Warning in effect through Thursday

DALLAS - The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Cold Warning to be in effect from 9 p.m. on Tuesday until 9 p.m. on Thursday.

Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 8 below zero are expected in portions of North and Central Texas.

Arctic cold arrives in North Texas

What we know:

The arctic air will arrive in the Metroplex late Tuesday, immediately plummeting temperatures and bringing a chance of frozen drizzle. 

Long exposure to temperatures this cold could result in hypothermia, frostbite or even death. 

Here's what we can expect for the next few days.

Tuesday Forecast

We are expecting the cold, but another concern is potential ice that could be coming our way. Most of the precipitation on Tuesday will be liquid because temperatures will be hanging in the 40s until the cold front comes through.

So in terms of coverage of precipitation, we're talking rain for much of the day -- especially for Tuesday afternoon. 

Some freezing rain is possible in our far northwestern counties by late afternoon and early evening. And then, as we go into Tuesday night, the precipitation chances are much lower. The reason being the drier air is filtering in. So, while our actual temperatures will be falling, there's not a lot of moisture to work with. 

Some patchy drizzle, freezing drizzle will be possible. We could have some icy spots, but especially those elevated surfaces on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. 

So when we talk about the precipitation timeline, it's Tuesday evening into Tuesday night for the freezing drizzle and icy spots. And that bitter cold really starts Tuesday night and continues for several days. 

Not everyone will have the freezing precipitation, but everyone will have the freezing temperatures.

Wednesday Forecast

By Wednesday morning, the teens and 20s will be the actual temperatures. But because of this strong northerly wind, we will potentially have subzero wind chills. 

If you don't have to be outside on Wednesday morning, don't. 

And if you do have to get out, wear layers, you don't want any exposed skin when you're outside for an extended period of time when the numbers are that low. 

By Wednesday afternoon, the upper 20s and some lower 30s for us.  We'll likely keep a lot of clouds in place along with that north wind, so it is not going to be comfortable. 

Thursday Forecast

By Thursday morning, we might even break a record low temperature.

The morning will be a repeat of Wednesday with wind chills as cold as -11 degrees.

The Extreme Cold Weather Warning officially goes into 9 a.m. Thursday, but temperatures will remain cold and well below normal with the wind chills being a factor.

7-Day Forecast

Preparing for the Temperature Plunge

Local perspective:

Roads across North Texas have been pretreated in case of ice, and people all over the area have been making last-minute preparations in advance of the arctic air.

Monday evening, Fort Worth Transportation & Public Works Department trucks dropped brine in primary locations like bridges, overpasses and hospital entrances.

Sand trucks will also be staged in case wet roads from Tuesday’s rain end up freezing over.

DART says its inclement weather plan includes treating sidewalks curbs, operational trains and buses. It also includes designated warming stations.

Meanwhile, Dallas Fire-Rescue says it will have EMS staff at inclement weather shelters and will facilitate transport to them through the city's Office of Homeless Solutions.

Both Dallas ISD and Richardson ISD say the cold weather alone will not prompt schools to close. However, they will be closely monitoring road and building conditions. More updates are expected later this week.

Big picture view:

State emergency coordinators are taking this cold weather event seriously because it is expected to impact much of the state. The top concern for many people is the power grid.                        

At a joint news conference in Austin on Monday with Gov. Greg Abbott, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said they expect to have adequate supply to meet demand during this cold weather event, touting new "reliability tools."

"Things like a firm fuel supply, where there is over 4,000 megawatts of power generators that have backup fuel supply in case there's any issues or disruptions in the gas supply system," he said.

Vegas also pointed out that weatherization requirements for power generators have made the grid more resilient since the historic 2021 winter storm.

There's also more power available from solar cells and battery storage.

"We're coordinating every day with the generators and transmission service providers across the state to make sure everyone is prepared and has the resources that they need and be able to make it through this cold even reliably," said Vegas.

The state's emergency operations center in Austin will be operating all week at an elevated status to monitor any weather emergencies.        

Over the weekend, 450 TxDOT crews pretreated roads with some 400,000 gallons of brine and granular material.

What you can do:

Make sure to dress in layers, including a hat, face mask and gloves if you have to go outside.

Keep pets indoors as much as possible.

Make sure outdoor animals have a warm, dry shelter, food and unfrozen water.

Make frequent checks on vulnerable family, friends and neighbors.

Make sure portable heaters are being used correctly. Do not use generators or grills inside.

State officials suggest keeping a winter weather kit in your car with things like blankets and coats in case you get stranded.

Warming stations are also being setup across the area.

If you do get stranded in your car, on the back of your driver's license is a 1-800 number that will connect you to Texas DPS.  They can get someone out to you and either get you home or to a warming center.

Winter WeatherDallas County