The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a “weather watch” for Jan. 6-10 as temperatures dropped below freezing across the state. The weather watch does not indicate an emergency and is not a call for conservation, according to ERCOT.
What you need to know
The watch was issued “due to forecasted cold weather across the ERCOT region, higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves” this week, according to a Jan. 5 news release. Grid conditions are expected to be normal during the watch period, ERCOT said.
There will be enough power available to meet demand throughout the week, according to ERCOT’s supply and demand forecast, which is updated periodically. Electric demand is expected to hit a peak of 73,458 megawatts at 8 a.m. Jan. 7, with about 85,700 megawatts of supply available.
During cold periods, demand for electricity typically spikes when people get up in the morning and return home in the evening. Less solar and wind power are available during these “higher-risk” periods, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said Dec. 3, which can cause tight grid conditions.
When demand is high, and wind and solar capacity are low, ERCOT may direct large industrial customers to reduce their power consumption or ask Texans to voluntarily reduce their energy use for a few hours.
Officials asked residents to conserve electricity twice during a January 2024 arctic blast. The grid operator did not issue any conservation requests this summer.
“We have far more power available this winter than we’ve had any winter ever before, and that power is far more reliable than it’s ever been,” Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Dec. 3 news conference on emergency preparedness. “We’re working nonstop to make sure that the power stays on so that no one will suffer any type of disaster, regardless of what type of winter storm hits.”
Texans can sign up for alerts about grid conditions at www.ercot.com/txans.
Zooming out
This winter will be generally mild, but Texas is on track for “something like a Uri,” ERCOT meteorologist Chris Coleman said Dec. 3. In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri brought days of below-freezing temperatures to Texas, knocking out power for millions of people and leading to nearly 250 deaths. Temperatures fell as low as 6 degrees Fahrenheit during the storm, according to previous reporting.
“You can have a warm winter in Texas and have a cold extreme, and that's becoming more frequent,” Coleman told the ERCOT board of directors.
From 1991-2016, just three winter storms pushed temperatures below 14 degrees Fahrenheit in Dallas, below 19 degrees in Austin and below 21 degrees in Houston, Coleman said. Since 2016, temperatures have dropped that low five times.
Temperatures will not reach those thresholds Jan. 6-10, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service. The forecasted low temperatures are as follows:
- Austin (Camp Mabry): Low of 27 degrees Fahrenheit late Jan. 6
- Dallas (Love Field): Low of 25 degrees Fahrenheit late Jan. 6
- Houston (Hobby Airport): Low of 30 degrees Fahrenheit late Jan. 6
- San Antonio (Stinson Municipal Airport): Low of 30 degrees Fahrenheit late Jan. 6
Texans looking for shelter from the cold may be able to visit warming centers in their communities. Austinites can register to stay at a shelter at the One Texas Center offices, located at 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin, daily between 6-8 p.m. Fort Bend County residents can visit county libraries during the day or stay overnight at 1908 Ave. E, Rosenberg.
For additional information about cold weather shelters, Texans can visit www.tdem.texas.gov/warm or call 211, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
