Ice storm warning issued for western North Texas

The chilly climate and icy situations coating North Texas are prone to proceed by way of Thursday morning main the Nationwide Climate Service to increase its winter climate storm warning.

The warning, initially set to final by way of Wednesday, is now set to run out at 6 a.m. Thursday.

The storm — which introduced freezing rain, sleet, and iced-over roadways, to the area Monday — brought on colleges and companies to shut, canceled flights out of DFW Worldwide and Love Area airports, and despatched automobiles sliding on the highways.

“Widespread icing on bridges and overpasses in addition to floor streets is anticipated with journey considerably impacted,” the climate service mentioned. “There’s a low likelihood of some downed powerlines and tree harm as a result of ice.”

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Stay radar might be seen under, together with the newest updates from reporters at The Dallas Morning Information:

5:09 p.m.: Dallas-Fort Price units new day by day snowfall file

The Dallas Fort-Price space set a brand new day by day file for snowfall as sleet and freezing rain coated components of North Texas on Tuesday.

The climate service mentioned the Metroplex set a file of 1.3 inches of snow to date, breaking a file from three a long time prior. The final time the area noticed this a lot snowfall – or sleet on the bottom – was in 1985 with 1.2 inches.

Whereas all the precipitation could not have been precise snowfall, the climate service mentioned sleet on the bottom counts “for the aim of file retaining.”

Stay radar

2:54 p.m.: Ice storm warning in impact west of Dallas County

The climate service issued an ice storm warning for components of North Texas close to I-35W and counties west of Dallas.

Gentle freezing rain and sleet will proceed tonight and transition to primarily freezing rain on Wednesday, in response to the climate service.

The warning, which is in impact till Thursday morning, applies to Comanche, Denton, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Clever and Younger counties. About half an inch of ice might construct up on bushes and energy strains, in response to the climate service.

It mentioned to arrange for the ability to exit and for tree limbs to interrupt. Journey may very well be “practically not possible by way of Wednesday evening,” the climate service mentioned.

Dallas County remains to be underneath a winter storm warning.

2:01 p.m.: Abbott warns of driving situations, touts energy grid

In Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott warned of harmful driving situations and touted the effectiveness of the state’s energy grid.

Sitting alongside state company officers, Abbott mentioned at a information convention that greater than 1,600 roads throughout the state have been affected by the climate.

Abbott mentioned many roads will stay treacherous for as much as the following 48 hours. State officers suggested Texans to keep away from driving — however to decelerate if they have to go on the roads.

A state trooper was additionally injured whereas responding to a roadside incident, mentioned Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Division of Public Security. He didn’t present any extra particulars apart from it took about 90 minutes to get the trooper to a hospital.

Energy grid officers and the governor mentioned outages have been localized and that folks with out electrical energy ought to attain out to their native energy supplier. Nonetheless, Abbott mentioned, the ability grid is functioning “very successfully.”

About 17,000 prospects had been with out energy in Texas as of Tuesday, in response to poweroutage.us.

11:38 a.m.: Fatality accident in Arlington

A forty five-year-old man died in an accident in Arlington Monday evening after shedding management of his car on the icy street.

The person, who has not been recognized, was headed east on I-20 at about 8:45 p.m. when he misplaced management of his SUV crossing the Inexperienced Oaks Boulevard overpass. The automotive slid into the guardrail, went airborne and rolled down an embankment, police mentioned.

The person, who was ejected from the car, died later on the hospital. Police say he was not carrying a seatbelt.

11:21 a.m.: I-35 in Denton reopens after wreck

A stretch of northbound I-35W at Crawford Street in Denton is reopen after a jackknifed 18-wheeler compelled it to shut Tuesday morning, Denton police mentioned on Twitter.

11:02 a.m.: Metropolis rubbish assortment canceled

The Metropolis of Dallas’ rubbish and recycling assortment was canceled Tuesday as a result of street situations, officers mentioned. It was unclear if the pickups would resume Wednesday.

10:38 a.m.: Storm strikes over Dallas

The storm shifted over Dallas, bringing with it gentle to average sleet and freezing rain in some areas, in response to the climate service. Sleet accumulation might improve to a half-inch or inch.

10:28 a.m.: Wreck shuts down I-35 in Denton

A stretch of northbound I-35W in Denton is closed as a result of a jackknifed 18-wheeler blocking all lanes, Denton police mentioned on Twitter. Site visitors is being diverted on the Crawford exit to Freeway 377.

Lanes can be closed till no less than 11:30 a.m. Drivers ought to search alternate routes, police say.

9:50 a.m.: Flights canceled

DFW Worldwide Airport mentioned on Twitter that it’s monitoring the forecast and treating runways, roads, bridges and pedestrian walkways for ice.

Passengers ought to verify their flight standing with the airline earlier than heading to the airport, permit further time to get there and method entrance plazas with warning, the airport mentioned.

By mid-morning Tuesday, greater than one-third of flights out and in of DFW and Dallas Love Airport had been canceled, in response to FlightAware, a flight monitoring web site.

9:40 a.m.: As a number of metropolis buildings shut, libraries set to open

The hazardous street situations brought on a number of metropolis buildings to shut Tuesday, together with Dallas Municipal Court docket and all recreation facilities.

As of 8:15 a.m., metropolis libraries — which double as warming facilities throughout inclement climate — are set to open at midday, however metropolis officers say individuals ought to name places forward of time to confirm they’re open earlier than heading over.

Moreover, a scheduled metropolis council committee assembly scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday was postponed till Feb. 7.

8:49 a.m.: Enterprise as traditional in some locations

The Kroger on E. Mockingbird Lane was open for enterprise regardless of the icy roads surrounding it Tuesday morning. The car parking zone was a mixture of slush and newly fallen freezing rain.

A few dozen prospects walked by way of the aisles, grabbing last-minute meals and requirements as an intercom announcement echoed: “Consideration staff: Please report back to Starbucks for a free espresso.”

The close by 7/11 on the nook of Greenville Avenue was additionally open for patrons needing to refill on espresso or gasoline.

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7:45 a.m.: ‘Thunder sleet’ begins to maneuver by way of D-FW

Simply after 7:30 a.m., the Nationwide Climate Service mentioned a “average band” of sleet was starting to maneuver by way of the metroplex, along with areas each west and east.

The climate service mentioned to anticipate a number of remoted thunderstorms with bursts of each sleet and freezing rain to proceed all through the morning, including sleet accumulations will “common 1 / 4 of an inch, with remoted totals as much as one inch.”

“This may result in ice packed roads and treacherous driving situations,” the climate service mentioned.

Within the Hollywood-Santa Monica neighborhood of East Dallas, on the sting of Lakewood, the “thunder sleet” started falling at 7:50 a.m. so furiously that in three minutes, the roads and rooftops went from trying utterly clear to coated in white.

As Dallas Morning Information columnist Sharon Grigsby described the scene: “It seems like glass breaking on the roof.”

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6 a.m: Icy roads

North Texans have been urged to remain residence all through the storm if attainable, however Dallas metropolis officers mentioned for these nonetheless needing to make a commute, TxDOT work crews are on 24-hour shifts to deal with roads and highways.

Madison Schein, a TxDOT Dallas spokeswoman, mentioned individuals who should drive ought to plan routes forward of time and to search for data on drivetexas.org.

“We began pretreating roads with brine a number of days in the past and we’re persevering with with brine,” Schein mentioned. “Now we’re doing salt and sand combine as wanted and we’ll proceed to regulate our operations because the storm strikes by way of our space.”

The town mentioned it would even be utilizing a salt and sand combination to deal with roads near emergency services and icy bridges.

A whole lot of drivers had been in a multi-hour gridlock Tuesday morning on Interstate 20 in Palo Pinto and Parker counties. The site visitors resulted in no less than a 20-mile backup, KDFW-TV reported.

Within the Fort Price space, there have been greater than 140 reported motorcar collisions with reported accidents as of 5 a.m. Tuesday, together with 16 had been rollover crashes, in response to Matt Zavadsky, a spokesman for MedStar.

There have been additionally eight hypothermia-related calls, Zavadsky mentioned. Seven individuals required hospitalization and 5 of these had been in severe situation.

As well as, 9 individuals had been injured in falls from slipping on ice, Zavadsky mentioned.

“Out of an abundance of warning,” Zavadsky mentioned MedStar suspended using lights and siren responses as of 11:30 p.m. Monday to forestall crashes as motorists try to maneuver out of the best way for ambulances.

“An ambulance that doesn’t arrive on the scene of an emergency is just not capable of assist sufferers,” he mentioned. “It’s higher, and safer, to reply somewhat slower, guarantee we arrive, and don’t trigger any accidents on the best way to the decision.”

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Grid anticipated to fulfill demand

The Public Utility Fee of Texas and Electrical Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, the state’s essential grid operator, have mentioned they anticipate the grid to have the ability to deal with “forecasted demand” introduced on by this week’s storm.

In a written assertion Monday afternoon, Peter Lake, the chairman of the utility fee, echoed ERCOT’s message and mentioned individuals ought to proceed reporting native outages.

“Our greatest concern is energy line security, particularly in areas that have icing,” Lake wrote. “Ice can overwhelm strains and topple tree limbs inflicting native energy outages.”

Climate warms up later within the week

The forecast requires extra sleet and freezing rain Tuesday with temperatures hovering within the excessive 20s all day. As much as a half inch of ice might accumulate.

Journey has the potential to develop into “life-threatening,” in response to the climate service. Street situations might enhance by the afternoon, however water on the roads might freeze as soon as once more in a single day, worsening situations for Wednesday morning.

These situations proceed Wednesday earlier than warming as much as the 40s with rain on Thursday. The weekend must be sunny with temperatures within the 50s and 60s.