Gusty west winds and very low humidity will combine to create a high threat for grass fires across parts of North Texas today. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for Young, Jack, Montague, and Cooke Counties through 7 p.m., where the dry, warm, and windy conditions will make any fire starts difficult to control.
Two cold fronts are lined up to move through North Texas—one on Friday and another on Saturday. These fronts will finally knock temperatures back down closer to seasonal norms. Highs will fall into the upper 50s and low 60s, and by Saturday night, some areas may dip near freezing, a sharp change from the recent stretch of unseasonably warm weather.
Farther south, the Austin and San Antonio regions begin the day under mostly cloudy skies with patchy to areas of fog, but sunshine returns this afternoon. Highs will climb into the upper 70s to around 80, with lower 90s possible across the southern Rio Grande. Clouds increase again tonight across the eastern two‑thirds of the region, with lows settling into the upper 50s to mid‑60s. Patchy fog may redevelop late tonight.
Warm, above‑average temperatures will continue Friday into Saturday before a gradual cool‑down arrives Sunday through early Tuesday. Highs will slip to slightly below average during that stretch, then rebound sharply by mid‑week, with well‑above‑average temperatures expected Wednesday into next Thursday. The pattern remains dry, with no rain expected through the period.
Nationally, the Weather Prediction Center highlights a very active weather pattern across the Lower 48 over the next several days . A deep and dynamic mid‑latitude cyclone organizing over the Great Plains today will spread a wide range of hazards from the Plains to the East Coast. Several inches of snow are expected across Nebraska and Iowa, followed by freezing rain across the Upper Great Lakes tonight. Severe thunderstorms may develop from the Middle Mississippi Valley into the lower Ohio Valley, with the potential for a couple of tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds.
This same system will push rain into the Mid‑Atlantic and Northeast later today, while another area of critical fire weather stretches from northeastern New Mexico through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles into central Oklahoma and southwest Missouri—mirroring the dangerous fire conditions already affecting parts of North Texas.
By Friday, the sprawling low will strengthen as it moves into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, spreading light to moderate snow, sleet, and freezing rain into the interior Northeast and southern New England. Meanwhile, another system entering the Southern High Plains will reinforce dry, windy conditions and maintain elevated fire danger.
Out West, the active pattern continues. Heavy low‑elevation rain and significant Sierra snowfall—with totals exceeding two feet in some areas—will persist through Friday morning. Isolated thunderstorms in Southern California may produce damaging wind gusts.
Temperatures remain well above average from the Southern Plains to the Northeast through Friday, with the Midwest running 20–30 degrees above normal. Numerous record highs and warm overnight lows are likely across the Southeast. Cooler air from the western trough will gradually spread eastward into the weekend, bringing an end to the widespread warmth.
