UPDATED: 10:38 a.m. Jan. 17

The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce monthly Public Safety forum scheduled at 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning has been canceled, event organizers announced on Wednesday morning.

UPDATED: 5:02 p.m.

Klein ISD and Spring ISD each announced on their respective social media and web pages that classes and after-school activities are canceled on Wednesday, Jan. 17 due to dangerous road conditions.








UPDATED: 3:24 p.m.

Harris County officials held a press conference today at 3 p.m. to update the community on the current winter storm and road conditions. It was streamed live on the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Facebook page.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said his office and the Harris County constables' offices have received more than 200 reports of accidents throughout the county on Tuesday, including major accidents—meaning an individual sustained some form of injury. He said no deaths had been reported.

Gonzalez also said over 100 county roads have been affected by icy conditions. He said he is concerned road conditions will only get worse as it gets colder later in the day.

A Texas Department of Transportation official said TxDOT has 40 crews working on clearing roads throughout the county. He said this event is widespread and affects both major roads as well as side streets.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said he encourages people not to travel if it is not necessary. He also said drivers should be aware of patches of black ice on the roads.

"Assume there is no water on the road—assume it's black ice," he said.

Emmett said he expects the road conditions will continue to worsen throughout the evening and tomorrow morning until the temperature warms up. The National Weather Service predicts Wednesday will be sunny with a high of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

Emmett also said he does not expect school districts to open Wednesday morning. Spring and Klein ISDs both canceled school Tuesday, but have not made an announcement regarding Wednesday as of 3 p.m. However, SISD announced it has rescheduled its board of trustees meeting for Thursday at 7 p.m.

11:41 a.m.

The winter weather that is passing through the area on Tuesday and early Wednesday has already canceled school in Spring and Klein ISDs on Tuesday, closed county offices and prompted event cancelations into Wednesday.

Road conditions


Motorists can visit the Houston Transtar website for information about which roads have icy conditions throughout the week. As of Tuesday morning, before precipitation had started, drivers on sections of I-45, Grand Parkway and Hwy. 249 already reported icy conditions in several areas, including exit ramps. The main lanes of Beltway 8 at Hwy. 249 were among the affected areas.

Canceled events


Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday morning it will cancel its scheduled Government Affairs meeting on Wednesday. The event was planned at 8:30 a.m. at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, featuring candidates in the Texas House District 126 primary. The event will be rescheduled, according to a news release.

School cancellations


Spring ISD, Klein ISD and Lone Star College System canceled classes on Tuesday and advised students and families to check their respective websites for information about future cancellations. After-school events and Tuesday night board of trustee meetings in both school districts were also canceled.

Here are some updates from county agencies about closures in the area.