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6d ago

Christmas Heat Wave Delivers 80° in North Texas as Late-Weekend Cooldown Nears

A stationary heat dome drives the warmth, ending Sunday with a cold front.

The Christmas tree stands on the south side of the Texas State Capitol grounds on Dec. 18. Unseasonably warm holiday weather will continue through the weekend, with a blustery cold front arriving Sunday.
This forecast map shows temperature departures from normal around Christmas Day, with much of the central and southern United States running far warmer than average. Shades of orange, red, and even white indicate unusually to exceptionally warm weather, while unusually cooler air lingers across parts of the northern Plains, Great Lakes, and Northeast.
After Sunday’s cold front, Austin temperatures will return to seasonal levels, with lows in the 40s and highs in the 50s and 60s.
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Overview

  • Dozens of cities from the Rockies to the Southeast were at risk of daily heat records on Christmas, with many also threatening warmest Christmas morning lows.
  • Houston was forecast to reach about 82–83 degrees near its daily record, and a Dense Fog Advisory was in effect this morning with more thick fog expected tonight into Friday.
  • North Texas hit 80 degrees on Christmas Day, tying the region’s second-warmest Christmas on record and marking only the third Christmas in the 80s since 1899.
  • Forecasts call for a strong cold front to sweep into Texas late Sunday, bringing isolated thunderstorms and a quick shift to much cooler, seasonable air.
  • Temperatures are projected to fall sharply behind the front, with highs in the 40s to 50s Monday, wind chills below freezing in North Texas, and freezing lows possible in the Hill Country by Tuesday.