Abbott activates emergency response as arctic air nears Texas

As an arctic blast moves toward Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has activated emergency response resources. This means that big parts of the state could get snow, ice, and freezing rain this weekend.

The National Weather Service said that an icy mix could start Friday night and last through Saturday. In some parts of North Texas, temperatures could drop to 10 degrees below. Expect lows around 9 degrees during an extreme cold watch from 6 p.m. Saturday to noon Monday.

Forecasters say cold rain will start Friday morning and turn to sleet overnight. As colder air moves across the region, light snow could fall late Saturday night.

Officials from the state said the plans show that people are still worried about what happened after the deadly winter storm in February 2021, which cut power to millions of Texans and killed at least 200. Even a small amount of ice can block roads, slow traffic, and strain infrastructure.

The Texas Electric Reliability Council, which oversees the state's power grid, said it expects enough electricity to go around during the cold spell. Grid officials have spent the last three years ensuring that fuel sources and power plants are ready for winter so that widespread power outages do not occur again, as they did in 2021.

The Texas Department of Transportation has also begun using a brine solution to treat highways and major roads, preventing ice from sticking to the ground. The bridges, overpasses, and high parts that freeze first are getting the most attention from the crews.

Airlines are also making changes based on the predictions. As freezing rain and snow threaten to disrupt air travel across North Texas and beyond, some airlines are letting customers with existing reservations rebook their flights without paying extra.

The weather service said the storm won't be as bad as the 2021 freeze, but even light icing can be dangerous.

Earlier this week, nearly 40 million Americans were under some kind of winter storm watch across the country. That number is likely to go up as the system moves east. Forecast models indicate that heavy snow could fall in areas beyond Texas. In some parts of Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas, it could be more than a foot.

State and local officials in Texas advised people to monitor weather forecasts, refrain from unnecessary travel, and prepare emergency supplies. Drivers were warned to avoid icy roads, keep fuel tanks full, and check road conditions before heading out.

There will likely be more alerts and maybe even warnings as people get more sure of the storm's path and strength.