North Texas braces for days-long deep freeze as Winter Storm Fern brings ice, sleet, and dangerous conditions to the region, with officials warning residents to prepare for extended home stays and hazardous travel through Tuesday.
Ice Storm Warning in Effect as Texas Faces Multi-Day Winter Blast
Parts of North Texas are under an Ice Storm Warning through Sunday noon as a dangerous winter system settles over the region. The National Weather Service has also issued a Winter Storm Warning for North and Central Texas and an Extreme Cold Warning from Saturday evening through Monday morning, creating what officials call a “triple threat” of winter hazards across the state.
How bad will it get? Meteorologists predict temperatures may remain below freezing until Tuesday afternoon — potentially creating more than 72 hours of hazardous travel conditions. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is expected to see 1 to 2 inches of sleet accumulation, with ice buildup between a quarter-inch to half-inch, while bitterly cold temperatures could produce wind chills as low as -12 degrees, according to forecasts.
“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,” said Kevin Oden, Dallas’s Director of Emergency Management, as officials prepare warming centers and emergency resources.
The January 2026 North American winter storm, dubbed Winter Storm Fern, prompted Texas Governor Greg Abbott to declare a state of emergency on January 21, days before the system’s arrival. The governor’s early action comes as forecasters predict up to an inch of ice or two inches of sleet across portions of the region.
Power Concerns Grow as Ice Accumulates
Unlike the devastating 2021 winter storm that crippled Texas’s power grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) anticipates stable power throughout this weather event. That said, localized outages remain a significant concern, particularly in areas that could see up to 0.75 inches of ice accumulation south and east of the Metroplex.
Those worries aren’t unfounded. Entergy already reported over 7,400 customers without power across four states early Friday, including 660 outages in Texas, 3,700 in Arkansas, 2,180 in Mississippi, and 2,900 in Louisiana as of 7 a.m. on January 24. These numbers are expected to rise as ice accumulation exceeds half an inch in some locations.
Saturday looks to be the most significant day of the storm, with FOX 4 forecasters warning of a full changeover to sleet and snow late in the day. The wintry mix will create dangerous icing conditions throughout the South, with Dallas squarely in the path of both freezing precipitation and prolonged cold.
For residents who lived through the 2021 winter disaster, this storm brings uncomfortable memories. Still, emergency management officials stress that improved infrastructure and earlier preparation should prevent the widespread grid failures seen three years ago — though they continue to urge Texans to prepare for localized disruptions and limited mobility for several days.
As temperatures plummet and ice begins to coat roads and power lines across North Texas, the message from officials is clear: stay home if possible, check on vulnerable neighbors, and prepare for what could be the region’s most significant winter weather event in years.
