North Texas residents awoke Monday to a treacherous landscape of ice-slicked roads and dangerous travel conditions as winter’s icy grip tightened across the region, with little relief expected before Tuesday.
The weekend winter storm has left most areas of North Texas coated in a dangerous mixture of ice, sleet and snow that authorities warn will likely persist through late Tuesday morning. Temperatures may not climb above freezing until Monday afternoon, forecasters say, prolonging hazardous conditions.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has issued an urgent plea for residents to stay off roads entirely if possible. When travel is absolutely necessary, DPS warns drivers to exercise extreme caution, particularly on bridges and overpasses where icy conditions are most severe. Officials recommend checking DriveTexas for real-time road conditions before venturing out, according to a briefing from state authorities.
Dangerous Conditions Persist
The National Weather Service had issued a Winter Storm Warning for most of North Texas from Friday evening through Sunday noon, followed by an Extreme Cold Warning lasting from Saturday evening through Monday morning. The storm delivered on its promised punch, leaving roadways in dangerous condition throughout the metroplex.
“As temperatures could drop below freezing and regions of Texas face snow, ice and freezing rain, it is crucial that Texans remain weather-aware, check DriveTexas.org before traveling, and heed the guidance of state and local officials,” Governor Abbott said in a statement released ahead of the storm.
Several major thoroughfares have become particular trouble spots. SH 114 in Grapevine was closed overnight with an expected reopening around 9 a.m. Monday. Other problematic areas include LBJ at Marsh Lane, the intersection of I-30 and I-35E, Highway 360 at Highway 183, I-30 at Walton Walker Boulevard, and Highway 67 at Red Bird Lane, reports indicate.
Just how bad are conditions? One traffic observer put it bluntly after witnessing a driver moving too quickly for the conditions: “It’s just dangerous out there. So, when you do have to get out on the roadways, you have two choices. You can either choose wisely or you can choose poorly, like this guy did, going way too fast given the conditions,” Chip said in an on-scene interview.
Safety First
For those who absolutely must travel, safety officials have issued several critical recommendations. The most important advice? Drive significantly slower than normal on icy roads and increase stopping distance between vehicles. Drivers should also avoid using cruise control, ensure they have a full gas tank before departing, and prepare emergency kits.
These emergency supplies should include warm clothes, non-perishable food, water, a phone charger, and basic first aid supplies. Such preparation can make the difference between a minor inconvenience and a dangerous situation if stranded.
Still, the overwhelming consensus from authorities remains clear: if you don’t need to be on the roads, don’t risk it. With temperatures expected to remain below freezing until Monday afternoon at the earliest, ice will continue to create hazardous conditions throughout the region.
As one veteran Texas driver noted while carefully navigating an icy patch near downtown Dallas: “We forget how to handle this stuff between these storms. Best thing most folks can do today is enjoy a snow day from home — the roads will still be there tomorrow.”
