Icicles hang off the State Highway 195 sign on February 18, 2021 in Killeen. Parts of Texas are likely to see wintry conditions this weekend as an arctic cold front sweeps through.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A storm system will soon bring wintry conditions to parts of Texas, as another arctic front may introduce the season’s coldest temperatures yet.
“An Arctic front will move into Texas late Thursday night and into Friday bringing frigid and below freezing temperatures all the way to the coast by Saturday and stick around for several days,” Statesman meteorologist, Mary Wasson, said. “At the same time, a strong Pacific storm system will move east over the cold air already in place across Texas. This will lead to wintry weather from the Texas Panhandle to the I-10 corridor from San Antonio to Houston, where well get snow in North Texas and then transitioning to sleet and freezing rain across Central and Southeast Texas.”
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Here’s which areas are at risk for wintry precipitation and dangerously low temperatures.
Scenario 1: Panhandle to see the most snowfall
The Texas Panhandle will be the first part of the state to see a sudden drop in temperatures, as the cold front sweeps through Thursday. Temperatures will remain below freezing for 48 to 60 hours. Some areas will have lows in the single digits and highs in the 20s or upper-teens.
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The cold front will hit the Texas Panhandle first, dramatically dropping temperatures that will remain below freezing through most of the weekend.
National Weather Service/Amarillo
While it’s too early to say exactly where the winter storm will hit Texas, the NWS has suggested two possible scenarios. The slightly more likely scenario would see the system move more to the northeast, dropping snow on the Panhandle on Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service reports two scenarios for the winter storm’s movement across Texas this weekend.
National Weather Service/Amarillo
Scenario 2: North Texas, DFW to take brunt of winter storm
In the second scenario, the system would track more to the east and travel across South Texas.
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The arctic cold front will sweep through North Texas early Friday morning. The NWS reports the drop in temperature will prompt the day’s rain to transition to freezing rain and sleet. Wintry conditions will likely begin late afternoon or evening on Friday. However, the weather service warns that the cold front could arrive sooner than anticipated, which would impact travel conditions earlier in the day.
North Texas is in for wintry conditions beginning Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
National Weather Service/DFW
The area will remain below freezing through Sunday afternoon. Saturday night will see the coldest temperatures, with lows ranging from single digits to mid-teens. The weather service advises residents to protect the four P’s — people, pets, pipes and plants — and to locate their water shut-off valves and know how to turn them off.
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The Dallas-Fort Worth area will likely see dangerously cold temperatures Friday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 25.
National Weather Service/DFW
Central Texas in store for low temps, dangerous wind chills
Arctic air will hit Central Texas late Friday night and early Saturday morning, with high risks of below average temperatures and dangerous wind chills. The coldest wind chills are expected Saturday through Monday morning.
Low temperatures and dangerous wind chills are expected to impact Central Austin begining Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
National Weather Service/Austin/San Antonio
The area has low to moderate chances of wintry precipitation, possibly between late Friday night and early Sunday morning. This precipitation will most likely be freezing rain, with the greatest potential across the Hill Country and the I-35 corridor.
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Houston rain may develop into freezing rain, sleet amid cold temps
The cold front is expected to reach the Houston area late Friday night or early Saturday, possibly bringing some of the season’s coldest temperatures yet. Freezing temperatures could extend all the way down to the coast on Saturday and Sunday night, according to the weather service. Parts of the area may even see a hard freeze during this period as well.
The cold front may bring freezing temperatures all the way to the coast.
National Weather Service/Houston/Galveston
Rain may transition into a wintry mixture Saturday into Sunday morning. As of Monday, the greatest chances were north of the metro.
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Sub-freezing temperatures could trigger wintry precipitation in the Houston area this weekend.
National Weather Service/Houston/Galveston