“It's going to be pretty much everything across our area,” Sellers said.
What you need to know
The first freeze should hit overnight on Jan. 11 with the second cold front expected over the weekend, Jan. 13-14. The second cold front is expected to be more impactful, bringing temperatures below freezing for multiple days, Sellers said.
“We're looking at seeing temperatures as low as 12 and 13 degrees across the entire metroplex,” Sellers said. “By Monday night, it looks much of the same—about 10-12 degrees—and then Tuesday night we're still going to be in the 20s, a little bit warmer but still well below freezing.”
The next chance to see above-freezing temperature should be Jan. 18, Sellers said.
Any precipitation before then means snow, Sellers said. Weather service staff are still looking into how much, if any, will fall, she said.
“Right now, it looks like any sort of accumulation is very light,” Sellers said. “We still could see some impact just because of how cold the temperatures will be at the surface.”
Texas Department of Transportation crews will begin treating major roads—including I-20, I-35 and US 380—with salt, sand and brine starting Jan. 12, TxDOT spokesperson Tony Hartzel said.
“We work as hard as possible to keep [roads] passable, even during winter weather events like this,” Hartzel said.
Going forward
Residents should remain home during the freeze, if they can, to stay safe and allow TxDOT officials more time to treat the roads, Hartzel said.
“If you do have to get out, just drive to the conditions,” he said. “Drive slowly and carefully; just because there is a speed limit sign doesn't mean that you can drive that fast. You should be focused on driving to the speed that is safe to drive based on the conditions.”
DFW residents should continue monitoring weather predictions and traffic notices as they plan their commutes, Sellers said.
“What's in the forecast right at this moment may not necessarily be what’s in the forecast tomorrow or even Saturday,” Sellers said. “In order to be the most prepared, the best thing to do is to keep up with the forecast changes.”
Up-to-date road closure information can be found at www.drivetexas.org.
