North Texas is bracing for a potentially historic winter blast this weekend as officials have issued multiple weather warnings that could turn the region into a dangerous ice box for days.
An Ice Storm Warning now extends through Sunday at noon for parts of North Texas, including Anderson, Freestone, Henderson, and Van Zandt counties, as freezing precipitation threatens to create treacherous conditions across the region, according to weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
Multiple Weather Warnings in Effect
The warnings don’t stop there. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for North and Central Texas from 6 p.m. Friday through noon Sunday, with meteorologists forecasting a significant wintry mix that will impact the entire region. Additionally, an Extreme Cold Warning takes effect Saturday evening and continues through Monday morning, setting the stage for what could be a record-breaking cold snap.
What’s heading our way? According to the National Weather Service, a full changeover to sleet and snow is expected across parts of North Texas late Saturday before the wintry weather finally tapers off Sunday.
The DFW area can expect to see 2 to 3 inches of sleet, with higher totals likely to the northwest where the precipitation will transition to snow overnight, weather experts predict.
Extended Freeze and Travel Impacts
Here’s the kicker — FOX 4 forecasters warn that North Texas may not climb back above freezing until Monday afternoon, which means travel could remain hazardous through Monday evening. That’s potentially more than 48 hours of subfreezing temperatures across the metroplex.
Sunday night looks particularly brutal. Lows are forecast to hit the single digits, potentially breaking the standing record of 12 degrees, according to weather data.
Could this storm knock out power when temperatures are at their lowest? It’s a growing concern. Localized power outages are possible due to ice accumulating on trees and power lines. The situation could be especially precarious south and east of the Metroplex, where freezing rain and ice accumulations of up to 0.75 inches could weigh down infrastructure, experts warn.
City Preparations Underway
Dallas officials aren’t taking any chances. Kevin Oden, Dallas’s Director of Emergency Management, says the city has generators staged at park and recreation facilities and is prepared to activate warming sites for residents affected by the storm.
“We’re ready to move resources and people and activate those sites and then provide transportation, if we need to, to affected residents so that they can have a safe place to go to,” Oden stated.
As this winter storm bears down on North Texas, residents are advised to complete preparations today, before conditions deteriorate. With temperatures not expected to rise above freezing until Monday afternoon, this weekend may test both infrastructure and patience across the region.
