00:00Meteorologist and storm chaser Tony Laubach joins us now live in Dallas.
00:03You know, Tony, a couple days ago we were talking about positioning our crews
00:07and we were a little concerned that perhaps the freezing rain might be a little late in the game
00:10for our live coverage this evening, but it's getting closer at least.
00:16Yeah, it's getting closer and I can tell you physically it feels like it's getting much closer.
00:20We talked last hour about how we were kind of in a light drizzle.
00:24We had the winds coming in from the north.
00:25Really, that was kind of the first push of that cold air.
00:28Well, that has continually over the last hour.
00:31That's continued over the last hour.
00:32We've seen that north wind that's continued to bring temperatures.
00:35We've now dropped to about 39 degrees where I'm standing.
00:38That is going to be the critical number we're going to be watching
00:41and we've seen that about 5 to 6 degrees since the last hour.
00:45So it's not out of the question and you guys saw that on radar
00:48that some of the northwest suburbs already seeing that changeover.
00:52Here at Dallas-Fort Worth, we're on the north side of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.
00:56Right now it is a steady rain.
00:57We have seen that precipitation pick up.
01:00I talked about that last hour as that rain shield was starting to fill in.
01:03That has started to happen and when you bring more precipitation into the air,
01:07you bring more evaporational cooling which is going to continue to help those temperatures fall.
01:12Once that happens, then the things are really going to start to get a little gnarly.
01:15We mentioned here we're at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
01:18Put out a press release earlier saying that things were going pretty good throughout the day.
01:22Occasional delay due to some of the weather that we're experiencing right now.
01:25But it's going to be nothing like what they're likely going to see over the next 24 hours.
01:29Flights in and out have been getting out for the most part with ease.
01:33But we're probably going to start to see the end of that line of flights getting in and out here before too long.
01:39Probably the next 12 hours I would imagine as the brunt of this storm really starts to kick in.
01:43Particularly when we start talking about the freezing rain potential that we're going to be seeing with this.
01:47We talk about that uncertainty as to where exactly that line is going to set up.
01:51Because it just takes a finite difference in the lower atmosphere in terms of where that warm layer sets up.
01:57As where people get the freezing rain versus the sleet.
02:00Because the magic that happens is the rain that melts through that column gets down to that warm layer.
02:06And then depending on how much cold air there is at the surface.
02:09If that cold layer is deep enough at the surface, that rain refreezes.
02:12And that is when you get sleet.
02:15If that cold air is shallow at the surface, then that rain doesn't have a chance to refreeze until it hits the ground.
02:22That is when you get the freezing rain.
02:23So think of it as with the glazed donuts.
02:26That is freezing rain.
02:27You get the sprinkles.
02:28That is the sleet.
02:30Sleet is what we want over freezing rain.
02:33Because at least that bounces off the power lines.
02:36It tends to pile up on the roads.
02:37You still have very slick conditions.
02:39But at least the traction exists to some extent.
02:42But nonetheless, this is not something you want to be out at.
02:45Talked about it last hour.
02:47I'm going to say it over and over and over and over again.
02:49If you're out right now.
02:50If you're in the Fort Worth Dallas Metroplex.
02:52And you are out.
02:54Wrap up whatever it is you're going to do.
02:56Because again, that cold air is sweeping in.
02:57Once that changeover happens.
02:59We're going to start to see those freezing conditions.
03:01That's going to take hold immediately on bridges and overpasses.
03:04Those elevated surfaces that have the cold air coming in from both sides.
03:07Might take a little extra time for some of the surface streets to happen.
03:12But as you guys know, if you've ever traveled on the Dallas-Fort Worth-Mexro.
03:15There is a lot of elevated surfaces.
03:17Huge elevated on-ramps and off-ramps.
03:20Those are going to be issues as they always are in situations like this.
03:24So please, folks, take the advice.
03:26If you're out now for whatever reason.
03:28Wrap up whatever it is you're doing.
03:29And get to where you want to be for the long-term part of this weekend.
03:34Because once you get in, you're not going to want to get back out.
03:35Because right now, things, they're okay.
03:39It's cold.
03:39It's miserable.
03:40You don't really want to be out if you don't have to.
03:42But it's only going to get worse from here.
03:44This right now is as good as it will be.
03:47Probably for the next 48, maybe 72 hours.
03:50We're talking into Monday.
03:51Because that rain, sleep, and eventually the snow potential.
03:54That's going to linger through the entire weekend.
03:57So all this is just going to pile up.
03:59Whether that's going to be the freezing rain, the sleet, the snow.
04:02All of that is going to create travel issues that are going to make it very, very dangerous.
04:06If not impossible to be out.
04:08Remember, folks, four-wheel drive.
04:10All that stuff does not do you any good on surfaces you have no traction on.
04:13So it doesn't matter how many wheels you got.
04:15It is four wheels slipping and icing.
04:17It is an ice rinky dart.
04:18You're going to want to deal with that whatsoever.
04:19So again, folks, Dallas-Fort Worth.
04:21This is going to be a gnarly one for sure.
04:23And we talk about the power outages.
04:25That's going to be an issue.
04:25Particularly as this storm exits.
04:27The cold air is going to linger several days after the fact.
04:31So even when the precipitation ends, you're going to be talking several days of very, very cold temperatures for this part of the country.
04:36So we're hoping for a lot more sleet than freezing rain here in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
04:41That's going to be something we're going to keep an eye on.
04:43It's a big area.
04:45So some folks on the north side may see more freezing rain and sleet.
04:48Versus people on the south side that may see more freezing rain and rain.
04:51So that's going to be something we're going to be watching very, very carefully.
04:54Where that sets up.
04:55How that's going to affect the metro.
04:56But nonetheless, regardless of what that looks like for you folks, you don't want to be out.
05:01So wrap up whatever you've got to do.
05:03If you're here at the airport picking somebody up, hopefully they get in in time.
05:06Get yourself back to where you want to be.
05:08That's going to be the best advice I can give you.
05:09Because you don't want to be out in this just from the misery of the cold and the rain that we're dealing with now.
05:14Versus the extremely dangerous conditions we're expecting here to take place as we get later into this evening.
05:20All right.
05:21Thanks so much there.
05:21Tony Law back in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.
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