BRRRR!! Cold Front and Rain Expected on Nov 22 Dallas

Friday’s Arctic front will give JFK visitors a chilly reception
By Robert Wilonsky
Dallas Morning News, weather
11:04 am on November 19, 2013
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/11/friday-wont-be-the-greatest-of-days-for-any-outdoor-plans-with-arctic-front-expected.html/?nclick_check=1

In Scott Goldstein’s story about security for Friday’s 50th anniversary commemoration of the John F. Kennedy assassination in Dealey Plaza, you’ll note: The more than 5,000 folks attending won’t be able to bring umbrellas. Which could be a bit of a problem, especially early in the day: A strong Arctic front is due to drop into Dallas around sunrise the morning of November 22, bringing with it a chance of isolated storms and brief periods of light rain — not to mention strong winds and plummeting temperatures.

“It’s not looking great,” says the National Weather Service’s Matt Bishop, who’s in the Fort Worth office. Matter of fact, he says, each new model suggests Friday will be a little colder and a little wetter than forecasters thought a couple of days ago.

The newest data, says Bishop, shows “the cold front will push through first thing in the morning on Friday,” around sunrise. It should be around 60 when the front arrives, he says, and drop 15 to 20 degrees as soon as it pushes through, then continue heading southbound. Clouds, strong wind and on-and-off rain will only make it feel that much more miserable … at least for those who will be penned in Dealey Plaza most of the morning and into the early afternoon.

“It’s looking like it won’t be the greatest of days for any outdoor plans,” says Bishop. “The only good thing I can think is that we’re confident you can plan on it being a cold day.”

And a colder night, with temperatures somewhere in the 30s after the sun goes down. The next few days won’t be much warmer.

In fact, the National Weather Service is trying to get a good handle on the Sunday night-into-Tuesday morning forecast, as some models are suggesting frozen precipitation for some areas of North Texas. The probability isn’t high right now, but there’s a shot rain will return Sunday night thanks to two converging upper-level troughs — including a strong one in the Southwest headed this direction. And if it all comes together at just the right time at just the right place …

“How they model over the next two days will give us an idea of how strong this will be,” says Bishop. “As that trough in the Southwest gets closer Monday into Tuesday, it’ll bring precipitation. But we still have to look at a lot of data between now and then. We think it’ll be above freezing.”

While we’re looking far ahead — never a wise thing when you’re talking about Texas weather — Bishop says it’s looking like a cool but not cold Thanksgiving, probably low 60s dropping into the 40s, “about normal.”

But back to Friday. If you’re going to be outside, commemorating or protesting or going to a high school football game, “plan on having some cold-weather attire,” says Bishop. “And an umbrella’s probably a good idea.”

Oh, right. You can’t bring one to Dealey Plaza. Remember what happened the last time.