Big changes unfolding: Plains turn chilly

Spring is turning back the clocks a bit for the rest of the work week as a cool-down dives across the Plains.

A big cold front is settling across the southern Plains, touching off thunderstorm chances from southwestern Texas eastward into the lower Mississippi Valley and the South. The WeatherRadar shows the storms rolling into the South early Thursday.

This front will stall through Friday, bringing overcast days and showers, with embedded thunderstorms each afternoon across much of Texas, eastward into the central Gulf Coast. The cloud cover and rain will keep it chilly.

The TemperatureRadar shows afternoon highs only in the upper 40s in West Texas and the Panhandle, while Dallas will only be in the 60s Thursday and Friday. Houston and San Antonio will feel the chill of the low to mid-60s on Friday. These won't set any records, but they will still be 20 to 25 degrees below average.

This Texas chill is diving south across the Plains. Denver will only have highs in the 30s on Thursday, while Minneapolis will have highs in the 40s over the next several days. Chicago will be in the 50s.

Spring slowly returns this weekend with 70s returning to the Plains.