WICHITA FALLS DISTRICT – All 12 TxDOT maintenance offices are out pre-treating bridges,
overpasses, and main lanes with brine in the Wichita Falls District. Crews are spraying brine on
primary highways and roads first before moving onto the secondary freeways.
Yesterday, employees transformed more than 86 dump trucks into snowplows by adding brine
tanks and sand spreaders yesterday.
Tomorrow, Thursday the 22nd
, will be spent laying down brine on all primary and secondary high
traffic roadways and pretreating lesser traveled tertiary roads.
The Wichita Falls District covers 9 counties (Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Montague,
Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young). We have 12 maintenance officers including,
Wichita Falls, Archer City, Bowie, Electra, Gainesville, Graham, Henrietta, Nocona, Olney,
Seymour, Throckmorton, and Vernon.
TxDOT crews are ready to go on 12-hour shifts around the clock.
Motorists can obtain travel information, road conditions and see 15 Wichita Falls traffic cameras
and 1 Vernon camera by visiting DriveTexas.org or calling (800) 452-9292. Traffic cameras are
also at TxDOT.Gov.
Remember to follow the Wichita Falls District in our newly created Facebook page,
www.Facebook.com/TxDOTWichitaFalls and on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/TxDOTWF
If you experience an emergency on the road, call 9-1-1 for help and stay buckled up inside your vehicle.

Here’s the latest info for the upcoming winter weather event from Friday through the upcoming weekend. Finish your preparations during the next couple of days while temperatures are still mild! In addition to impacts from wintry precipitation, temperatures will become bitterly cold both Saturday night and Sunday night with lows in the teens and single digits and wind chill values of -10 to 0 degrees.

Wildfire activity across the state is expected to increase this winter and spring as above-normal levels of vegetation dry and become highly flammable, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The dormant wildfire season, which occurs during winter and spring, is typically characterized by fire activity in freeze-cured grasses and by increased wind speeds associated with passing dry cold fronts.

Above-normal grass growth across much of Texas in 2025 creates increased wildfire potential into early spring 2026.

Areas west of Interstate 35, including the High Plains, Rolling Plains and South Plains, have heavy grass loads that could support large, hard-to-control fires under dry, windy conditions. Exceptional grass loads in the Hill Country and Cross Timbers regions pose similar risks, while South Texas and the Lower Gulf Coast remain lower threat until grasses freeze-cure.

Above normal wildfire activity

Texas A&M Forest Service wildfire response has trended 136% above normal from October through mid-January, with agency personnel responding to 434 wildfires that burned 11,425 acres during this period.

“Wildfire activity has increased across the state, driven by underlying drought conditions and above-normal grass production from last year’s growing season,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service fire chief. “With a La Niña climate pattern forecasted, Texas is expected to experience more conditions that favor increased wildfire activity.”

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center forecasts a La Niña pattern for early 2026, bringing warmer and drier-than-normal conditions to much of Texas from January through March. These conditions are expected to increase wildfire risk during the dormant fire season.

“We are closely monitoring the increased likelihood of wildfire effective weather in Texas, including conditions associated with Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreaks,” said Luke Kanclerz, Texas A&M Forest Service Predictive Services Department head. “These outbreak events have historically resulted in multiple large, high-impact wildfires that can be difficult to contain and are an immediate threat to public and firefighter safety.”

Stay wildfire aware to reduce human-caused fires

Since 2005, wildfires that ignite under Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak conditions represent only 3% of reported wildfires but have accounted for 49% of the total acres burned. Under these conditions, grasses dry rapidly and become highly flammable, where even a small spark can ignite a wildfire that spreads rapidly.

Nine out of 10 wildfires in Texas are human-caused. Texas residents are encouraged to stay wildfire aware. Avoid outdoor activities that could spark a wildfire during warm, dry and windy conditions. If a wildfire is spotted, contact local authorities immediately. A quick response can help save lives and property. To stay up-to-date, get the current wildfire situation in Texas or get the current fire environment conditions and fire potential on the weekly Texas Fire Potential Update. Also available is the 2026 Dormant Fire Season Outlook.

Texas Forest Service fire photo