Good morning. Texas. I'm Aaron Jolly.

Step outside and you'll feel something weird for early March. We're sitting at 72 degrees right now. That's not normal. And it's about to get warmer.

A massive heat surge is pushing statewide today. South Texas takes the biggest punch. McAllen and Laredo climb to 92 degrees by mid-afternoon — that's 52 degrees above normal for March. Heat index values could touch 92 as well. It'll feel sticky down there.

Central Texas reaches the mid-80s. Austin and San Antonio hit 84 under mostly cloudy skies. The Gulf Coast stays slightly cooler thanks to onshore flow. Houston tops out at 82, while Corpus Christi reaches 84. Winds gust to 30 miles an hour along the coast this afternoon.

North Texas sees highs around 81 in Dallas-Fort Worth. But here's the catch. Scattered thunderstorms develop this afternoon and evening. A few could turn strong to severe, bringing large hail and damaging winds. The best chance is east of I-35 and north of I-20.

Tonight brings changes. A cold front approaches from the northwest. Lows drop to the upper 60s to low 70s statewide, but showers and storms increase after midnight.

Saturday's the big day. That front stalls across Texas, triggering widespread rain and thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall is likely — some areas could see 1 to 2 inches. Flooding is a concern, especially since we've been bone dry. Temperatures cool behind the front. North Texas drops to the upper 60s. Central and South Texas stay in the low 80s.

Looking ahead, rain chances continue Sunday through midweek as another system moves through Tuesday and Wednesday. More heavy rain is possible. We're entering an active pattern after weeks of drought.

Keep an eye on those storm warnings this afternoon if you're in North Texas.

See you tomorrow.

For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast See you tomorrow.