What to know about the winter storm coming for North Texas
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A blast of arctic air is barreling toward Texas this weekend, raising the risk of snow, ice and freezing rain and prompting Gov. Greg Abbott to activate state emergency response resources.
Why it matters: Even modest ice accumulation can make roads dangerous, disrupt travel and strain the power grid — sensitivities that remain high in Texas nearly four years after the 2021 winter storm.
Zoom in: The National Weather Service is warning North Texans of "dangerous" weather this weekend, with a wintry mix expected Friday night through Saturday and lows expected to dip into the single digits.
- Friday is forecasted to start with cold rain, transitioning to sleet heading into Saturday. Some snowfall could be possible late Saturday.
- An extreme cold watch is also in effect 6pm Saturday-12pm Monday, with lows forecasted near 9 degrees.
State of play: The state's power grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, expects there will be enough power to meet this weekend's demand.
- Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation has started treating roads with brine solution.
- And, some airlines are allowing customers with existing bookings to reschedule their travel for free.
Flashback: This cold snap isn't expected to be as frigid as the winter storm of 2021, which left millions of Texans without power for days. At least 200 deaths were attributed to the freeze.
Zoom out: Nearly 40 million Americans were under a winter storm watch yesterday morning. The number will likely climb heading into the weekend.
- Some areas that don't usually see huge snowfalls could get walloped, with some of the latest model runs calling for over a foot of snow in parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.