NEWS
Governor Abbott activates state emergency resources ahead of severe winter weather
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate state emergency response resources ahead of severe winter weather expected to impact the state this week.
“The State of Texas is working around-the-clock to ensure Texans have the resources and support needed as severe winter weather impacts communities across Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “As temperatures begin to drop below freezing and regions of Texas face snow, ice, and freezing rain, it is crucial that everyone remain weather-aware, check DriveTexas.org before traveling, and heed the guidance of state and local officials. Texans can find the warming center nearest them at tdem.texas.gov/warm. I thank emergency management personnel and first responders for working tirelessly to help Texans prepare and stay safe during this winter weather.”
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures at or below freezing are expected across large areas of the state. Some areas may face disruptive snow, ice, and freezing rain, causing potentially hazardous travel conditions through the rest of the week.
Over the weekend, more than 700 Texas Department of Transportation personnel prepared for winter weather by pre-treating roads, bridges, and overpasses with over 500,000 gallons of brine and approximately 800 cubic yards of granular material.
At the direction of Governor Abbott, TDEM has activated the following state emergency response resources to support winter weather response operations:
- Texas Department of Transportation: Winter weather roadway equipment and crews pre-treating and treating roadways; personnel and equipment to assist with traffic control and road closures
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: Incident Management Teams; personnel working with local partners to update warming center maps
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Saw crews; motor graders and personnel to assist with snow/ice clearance
- Texas National Guard: High-profile vehicles and personnel responding to support stranded motorists
Additionally, the following state emergency response resources have been placed on standby for deployment as needed:
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordinating with utility providers across the threat area
- Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Winter Weather Packages including medics and ambulances
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster assessment and recovery agents
- Texas Animal Health Commission: Coordinating animal/agricultural resource needs
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol Texas roadways
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department: Game Wardens to support local law enforcement; high-profile vehicles to assist stranded motorists
- Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure
- Texas Education Agency: Monitoring school district needs across the state
Texans are urged to monitor local forecasts, check road conditions before traveling on roadways, and follow instructions from emergency officials.
Texans can access winter weather safety tips by visiting TexasReady.gov, locate warming centers opened and operated by local officials at tdem.texas.gov/warm, and check road conditions at DriveTexas.org.
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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