Should Fort Worth trick-or-treaters bundle up? Here’s how cold it will be on Halloween

When North Texas Halloween trick-or-treaters venture out for candy next week, they’ll need to bundle up.

Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 40s around late afternoon and into Tuesday evening, said Miles Langfeld, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.

“Halloween looks dry fortunately,” Landfeld said. “[But] it still does look pretty breezy and chilly.”

A cold front moving into North Texas on Sunday is the reason for the spooky cold temperatures next week.

The front will bring temperatures in the 40s and 50s to the Metroplex on Sunday and Monday, Langfeld said. Tuesday will have a similar track during the day before getting colder trick-or-treaters prepare to head out.

But that’s not the coldest it will get next week. Temperatures Tuesday night and going into Wednesday could drop into the low to mid 30s.

“Outside of the Metroplex, we are expecting to freeze,” Langfeld said. “We don’t think we’ll get to freezing temperatures within the Metroplex because of the urban heat island effect.”

The urban heat island effect refers to areas that have an urbanized landscape, with buildings and roads absorbing more heat than rural areas.

Tuesday night’s cold weather is likely to be the best chance for a freeze in North Texas next week, Langfeld said. After that, temperatures are expected to warm slightly and hover in the 50s.

What’s the difference between frost and a freeze?

However, while a freeze is potentially unlikely in parts of North Texas, frost is not.

The difference between a freeze and frost is temperature, Langfeld said. A freeze occurs at 32 degrees and below, while frost can happen at anything 36 degrees or lower.

Frost is generally described as the formation of ice crystals on the ground, particularity on elevated surfaces such as plant life.

“We are looking at potential for a frost across the Metroplex that Tuesday night time period,” Langfeld said.

More rain in Dallas-Fort Worth before the frost

Before North Texas gets to the colder weather, it will have another bout with rain this weekend.

The NWS is anticipating scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Metroplex late Friday and into Saturday, Langfeld said. Rain totals could be anywhere from half an inch to an inch and a half.

Rain chances continue over the Metroplex on Sunday and Monday, with showers likely.

Since North Texas has seen plenty of rain this week, the threat of flooding is apparent, Langfeld said. Whenever the ground gets saturated with water, its easier for flooding to occur.

“Something to watch out for,” Langfeld said. “We’re expecting heavy rain in the forecast really for the next few days.”

The NWS climate site at the DFW International Airport has recorded 5.81 inches of rain this week, putting the monthly total at 6.85 inches.

While there’s still a few days to go, the rain this month has already surpassed the October average, which is 4.73 inches, Langfeld said. Despite the over two inch surplus, the rain this month still isn’t breaking any records.

The highest amount of rain ever recorded by the NWS for an October was in 2018, with 15.66 inches of rain. In that month, there were four separate days that recorded 2 inches of rain.

If North Texas wants to get close to breaking the October record, nearly 9 inches of rain has to fall in the next five days.