North Texans soak in final moments of milder weather before cold blast hits

An incoming cold blast has a lot of North Texans getting into winter weather mode, but not before soaking in the final moments of milder temperatures.

Dallas' Cole Park was full of pickleball players.

“It’s a little cloudy but I mean obviously people are loving it," said Kevin Solis, pointing to a full court behind him.

He's already been to the pickleball court a few times this week and decided to come back Saturday.

“Let me come play a few games, hang out with my friends, and then—before it gets too cold," he said.

Solis said most of his friends will play through cold weather, but not if the court gets too wet or icy -- and travel also gets dicey.

"I have to hit the highway and I’m like, ‘Ah, I don’t want to deal with all that,'" he said.

Brittaney McCasin is also bracing for Sunday's big temperature drop, coming to Cole Park with her boyfriend and some friends.

“We walked the trail and then we came over here and played some pickleball for, what’s hopefully not the last day, but probably is the last day," she said.

And even as night fell, the group wasn't ready to let go of the last day of milder weather for a while.

“We actually might go to the Ice House, have a couple of drinks on the patio and still enjoy it, because it still feels great outside," she said.

Golfers squeezed in tee times ahead of City of Dallas golf courses closing at 1 p.m. to allow crews to prepare for winter weather.

No reopening dates have been announced, yet, but Larry Schmitz and over a dozen of his friends got some final swings in at Luna Vista Golf Course, in case the weather shuts things down for a few more days.

“We’re not going to be playing golf here probably until next Saturday," Schmitz said.

Philip Bleakney, Luna Vista Golf Course's head golf professional, said crews have to tarp the greens before it's too late.

"It's fairly dangerous to cover those greens when those winds get high, and then you want them covered because if the winds get high and the temperatures get cold, that's how you burn your greens," he explained.

That would require them to re-plant, and shut down the golf course for a much longer period of time.

Across the metroplex, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) applied brine on Friday, treating some lanes and all elevated surfaces, which tend to freeze first.

The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Tarrant County District said they will pretreat roads on Sunday.

TxDOT's Dallas District said no weather operations are underway, yet, but noted crews are monitoring the forecast and have equipment ready.