Map Shows Texas Cities Set to Freeze as Cold Front Hits the South

A powerful cold front is making its way through the southern U.S., with Texas bracing for a dramatic drop in temperatures.

Freeze warnings have been issued in a handful of cities in Texas, with subfreezing temperatures as low as 24 degrees expected on Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Freeze warnings are issued when temperatures are forecast to be below 32 degrees for several hours within the next 24 hours.

The cold front will hit portions of southwest and western Texas the hardest, with temperatures in multiple cities including Midland, Odessa, Monahans, Marathon, Big Spring, Fort Stockton, and Stanton, as well as Big Bend National Park, Panther Junction, McCamey, Crane, Snyder, Garden City, Big Lake, Rankin, Colorado City, and Kermit set to plunge to as low as 24 degrees by 9 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

National Weather Service map showing weather warnings in place for Friday, November 29. Multiple cities in Texas are under freeze warnings as of Friday morning. National Weather Service

In portions of north central and northeast Texas, temperatures will plummet to as low as 28. That will affect cities including Greenville, Allen, Emory, Bowie, Jacksboro, Carrollton, Point, Gainesville, McKinney, Commerce, Paris, Flower Mound, Olney, Lewisville, Plano, Graham, East Tawakoni, Denison, Decatur, Sherman, Bonham, Bridgeport, Denton, Cooper, Nocona, Sulphur Springs, and Frisco.

In other areas, including Austin, San Antonio, Eastland, Palo Pinto, and Stephens Counties, temperatures will reach lows of 30 degrees.

"Chilly temperatures in the 30s and low 40s are expected tonight with decreasing and/or thinning high level clouds. Isolated wind sheltered spots within the Hill Country may reach freezing briefly by sunrise on Friday," The Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service (NWS) said in a post on X.

All the warnings will end at 9 a.m. local time Friday morning. "Frost and freeze conditions could kill sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing," the warning said.

The NWS has also warned Texas residents to "take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold."

"To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing," the warning added.

Texas is not the only Southern state facing freezing temperatures this week. Portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, as well as Georgia, Florida and North and South Carolina were also under freeze warnings on Thursday.

The cold front and dip in temperatures for the Southern U.S. comes as an arctic blast plunges temperatures for the Northern Plains states this weekend, which will feel even colder amid frigid wind chill.

In some parts of North Dakota, wind chill temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero are expected, with low temperatures forecast to be around 10 degrees below zero, a far cry from the region's typical low temperatures for this time of year, which are usually in the teens.

Across the country, multiple states in the West are under winter weather warnings as snow is projected for California.

"The cold blast will feel like January and will deliver a significant shock to hundreds of millions of people who may have gotten used to warm conditions during much of the autumn," AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

In a post on X, meteorologist Ryan Maue said that about two thirds of the U.S. population will be "freezing or colder" this weekend.