TYLER, Texas — Get ready East Texas, the arctic air is on the move. We are tracking it here in the CBS19 Weather Center and at this time it appears we will begin feeling the bitterly cold air Thursday morning.
In Tyler, the high temperature for the day may occur around 10 a.m. when the thermometer reads 48 degrees. Two hours later temperatures are forecast to fall to 32 and by evening, temperatures are forecast to be in the teens.
This is the strongest surge of arctic air since the winter storm of February 2021. The coldest temperatures will settle over East Texas Friday. When we compare just how cold it will be Friday, we find our morning low and daytime high could be up to 30-degrees colder than average. And not just here in East Texas but across much of the central United States.
It won't be cold but it will be windy Thursday evening, overnight into Friday morning. This combination of cold air and blustery winds will create hazardous wind chill conditions. The forecast wind chill Friday morning in East Texas will range from 4 to 10-below zero. This is dangerous because if you are caught outside and don't have gloves or a hat, you could get frostbite in a little more than 30-minutes. That's why wind chill advisories and wind chill warnings are in place.
A hard freeze warning is also in effect from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon. Temperatures may remain freezing for up to 48 hours with many hours between Thursday night and Sunday morning where the temperatures will remain well below freezing. So now is a good time to go over the four Ps: people, Pets, pipes and plants.
Here is some good news about this extreme cold. It will only last for a couple of days. Back in February 2021, Tyler remained below freezing for more than a week. We had more than a foot of snow and ice associated with the winter storm. This year, we don't expect any measurable amounts of wintry precipitation.
Thanks for reading the CBS19 weather blog. Keep checking back for updates and stay as warm as you can!
