The Greater Houston area, including the Bay Area, was blanketed in snow overnight—a rare occurrence in a normally hot, humid coastal city.
As of the morning of Feb. 15, snow has mostly stopped falling, but cold remains a factor.
Temperatures will remain 10 to 20 degrees inland and 20 degrees along the coast. Wind chill readings of -10 to -12 degrees are possible, according to the Houston and Galveston office of the National Weather Service.
The night of Feb. 15, temperatures will drop even further, but things will begin to warm up Feb. 16. Most snow and ice south of the I-10 corridor will likely begin melting the afternoon of Feb. 16, according to the NWS.
Later in the week, another storm system will move in, likely bringing rain to coastal areas and a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow to northern areas. Cold air will return the morning of Feb. 18, according to the NWS.
Residents have begun experiencing power outages. The Energy Reliability Council of Texas has begun rolling blackouts across the state to reduce constraints on the power grid. They could last 15-30 minutes, according to a League City news release, but already some have been without power for hours.
If a power outage lasts more than an hour, it is not a rolling blackout, according to the League City release. Generators are down across the state, and while operators are working to fix them, there is no timeline yet for restoration. More than 500,000 homes throughout the state are without power, according to the release.
League City residents should not call 911 to report an outage. Instead, call 888-866-7456 and select option 1. To view a power outage map, visit www.tnmp.com/power-outage-map.
In response to the weather, all League City building and parks are closed Feb. 15, and Clear Creek ISD is closed Feb. 15 and 16. All city programming has been canceled, and League City's and Houston’s trash pickup services have been disrupted. A determination has not been made if closures will remain Feb. 16.
Additionally, area roads are closed, including FM 270 over Clear Creek, Hwy. 96 over Dickinson Avenue at Hwy. 3, the Hwy. 146 bridge and I-45 from NASA Parkway to El Dorado Boulevard. For more information, visit http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/roadclosures/#iceonroadway.
According to a press release from Dave Martin, Houston City Council member for District E, residents can register for AlertHouston to receive critical information during emergencies. Residents can sign up for alerts through email, text message, voice call or mobile app push notification.
