NEWS
Winter storm 2.0: This year’s February winter storm nothing like ‘Snowmageddon’ 2021
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Nearly one year after a major February winter storm iced in the state of Texas, another freeze swept into the state Wednesday creating hazardous road conditions across North Texas and shutting down schools and businesses.
However, this time, at least in Montague County, the storm did not dip to below zero temperatures or knock out power to residents like the “Snowmageddon of 2021.”
The weather forecasters nailed the timeline just right projecting snow would begin falling here mid-afternoon Wednesday.
Initially, it combined with sleet and continued that way on and off throughout the evening before giving way to snow that continued throughout the night.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Thank you to everyone who submitted their snow day photos. They were all great with lots of kids making snow angels, dogs playing ball, landscapes and babies seeing the snow for the first time. We had more than 200 submissions and while we won’t have room for all of them, we will put more in a picture page in the mid-week edition. Check out our Facebook page to see all the photos.
Ice Potential & What to Know:
– Impacts will vary over SHORT distances due to different precip types/amounts.
– Travel will be MOST impacted Thu night- Fri morning. Any water on the roads will freeze!
– Most likely ice is up to 0.15″, with a 10% chance of 0.25″.
While we are forecasting a mix of precipitation, potential has increased for more icing. This is especially true along the corridor of orange on the map below, where totals up to 0.15 inches are possible. As mentioned above, there is a 10% chance of 0.25″ of ice. Continue to keep monitoring the forecast as updates come this way. Either way, travel will become hazardous through tomorrow morning. Conditions will likely deteriorate through tomorrow night into Friday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from late Wednesday through Friday afternoon for most of North Texas including Montague, Cooke, Jack and Wise Counties.
The warning states heavy snow and mixed precipitation are possible with total snow accumulations between three and six inches and ice accumulations around one-tenth of an inch possible.
Roads and especially bridges and overpasses will likely become slick and hazardous. Travel will be difficult to impossible states the report and hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes.
Winter precipitations is forecast to start early Thursday morning and increase in intensity and coverage through the day Thursday and into Thursday night before tapering off during the day Friday.
NWS officials said the greatest uncertainty in the forecast is snowfall amounts across the west and northwest counties where accumulations may be lighter than currently forecast. The map shows Montague County located in an area forecast to get 3-6 inches of snowfall. As the storm moves south it turns more to ice.
Preparedness action include monitoring the latest forecasts and updates on the weather situation. Persons should consider delaying travel during this time.
If travel is absolutely necessary consider taking a winter storm kit along with you including tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit and anything else that would help you survive in case you became stranded.
All 12 Texas Department of Transportation maintenance offices spent Monday pre-treating bridges and overpasses with brine in the Wichita Falls District. Crews in the largest cities sprayed brine on secondary highways and roads first before moving onto the primary freeways. Employees transformed more than 86 dump trucks into snowplows and adding brine tanks and sand spreaders.
Tuesday was spent laying down brine on all primary high traffic roadways and making more brine for the holding tanks and tanker trucks.
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. You also can follow the Wichita Falls District on its Facebook page.
If you experience an emergency on the road, call 9-1-1 for help and stay buckled up inside your vehicle.
The following school districts have announced they will be closed on Jan. 9 due to concerns about the forecast for a winter storm. This list will be updated as information is released or provided to The Bowie News.
Bowie ISD
Gold-Burg ISD
Montague ISD
Nocona ISD
Prairie Valley ISD
Saint Jo ISD
NCTC campuses Thursday and Friday
Forestburg is already out for the county show Thursday and Friday
Bellevue School will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
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