As a slug of arctic air overtakes the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. next week, a storm system could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to places deep in the heart of Texas, but the forecast isn’t a lock just yet.

Snow is no longer falling over most of North Texas after the first winter storm of the season. The National Weather Service dropped a winter storm warning early Friday morning, and let a winter weather advisory expire at 12 p.

The timeframe would be Thursday morning into Friday with snow and ice being the main concern for areas north of Houston.

Today is a FOX 26 Storm Alert Day in southeast Texas. Heavy rain will begin to move in midday with the heaviest rain expected later this afternoon into the evening. Models are showing 2 to 4 inches of rain possible in total and the highest amounts will likely be close to the coast.

Lows Tuesday morning were in the 20s and lows Wednesday are expected to be in the 30s, an improvement but it's still cold. North Texas should see highs rebound into the 60s on Thursday and Friday, but it's short-lived.

Enjoy the next couple of mild days before the bitter cold returns to North Texas this weekend. Highs will reach the low 60s on Thursday and Friday, but overnight lows will drop into the 20s.