9 p.m.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Fort Worth said in a tweet that it is expecting more freezing rain accumulation tonight.
620 PM: As one area of freezing rain heads for the Red River, more can be seen developing to the southwest. This will keep the potential for additional accumulations going tonight. #dfwwx #texomawx # ctxwx pic.twitter.com/rI5gSLp0Zu
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 2, 2023
Meanwhile, an Ice Storm Warning is still in effect until Thursday morning. Most of the ice accumulation is expected in the west and northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the NWS Fort Worth website.
The DFW Airport and Love Field are still seeing a tremendous amount of flight delays.
According to Flight Aware, 659, or 75% of flights, have been canceled at the DFW Airport with 115, or 13% of flights delayed.
At the Love Field Airport, 197 flights, or 64%, have been canceled and six flights have been delayed.
DFW Airport has not released any further information but continued urging passengers to stay apprised of the status of their flights.
Both Dallas ISD schools and Fort Worth ISD schools are closed Thursday due to winter weather. A full listing of school closures is available here.
School districts that will be closed Thursday:
- Dallas ISD
- Fort Worth ISD
- Arlington ISD
- Aledo ISD
- Allen ISD
- Alvarado ISD
- Alvord ISD
- Anna ISD
- Argyle ISD
- Athens ISD
- Aubrey ISD
- Azle ISD
- Birdville ISD
- Blue Ridge ISD
- Blum ISD
- Boles ISD
- Boyd ISD
- Bridgeport ISD
- Burleson ISD
- Carroll ISD
- Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD
- Castleberry ISD
- Cedar Hill ISD
- Celeste ISD
- Celina ISD
- Chico ISD
- Cleburne ISD
- Collinsville ISD
- Commerce ISD
- Coppell ISD
- Crowley ISD
- Decatur ISD
- Denton ISD
- DeSoto ISD
- Dublin ISD
- Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD
- Ennis ISD
- Everman ISD
- Farmersville ISD
- Forney ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Gainesville ISD
- Garland ISD
- Glen Rose ISD
- Gordon ISD
- Grand Prairie ISD
- Grandview ISD
- Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
- Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD
- Highland Park ISD
- Irving ISD
- Itasca ISD
- Joshua ISD
- Keller ISD
- Kemp ISD
- Kennedale ISD
- Krum ISD
- Lake Dallas ISD
- Lewisville ISD
- Lipan ISD
- Lone Oak ISD
- Lovejoy ISD
- Malakoff ISD
- Mansfield ISD
- McKinney ISD
- Melissa ISD
- Mesquite ISD
- Midlothian ISD
- Millsap ISD
- Mineral Wells ISD
- Muenster ISD
- Northwest ISD
- Palmer ISD
- Palo Pinto ISD
- Paradise ISD
- Peaster ISD
- Plano ISD
- Poolville ISD
- Princeton ISD
- Quinlan ISD
- Rains ISD
- Red Oak ISD
- Richardson ISD
- Rio Vista ISD
- Rockwall ISD
- Royse City ISD
- Sanger ISD
- Santo ISD
- Sherman ISD
- Springtown ISD
- Stephenville ISD
- Sunnyvale ISD
- Terrell ISD
- Trenton ISD
- Trinidad ISD
- Van ISD
- Venus ISD
- Walnut Springs ISD
- Waxahachie ISD
- Weatherford ISD
- White Settlement ISD
- Wills Point ISD
- Wylie ISD
School districts that will have delayed starts on Thursday:
- Blooming Grove ISD
- Canton ISD
- Corsicana ISD
- Frost ISD
- Paris ISD
- Van ISD
5 p.m.
The National Weather Service Fort Worth tweeted at 3:30 p.m. that current radar showed rain across the region, with temperatures in the upper 20s, which it said was “not great.”
3:33 PM: Current radar is showing rain across the region with temperatures in the upper 20s… not great. Freezing is 32F. The sun sets at 6:02 PM tonight. Road conditions will be AWFUL after sunset and overnight. The freezing rain will continue. DO NOT BE ON THE ROADS. #dfwwx pic.twitter.com/z8WKG7hz3h
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 1, 2023
“Road conditions will be AWFUL after sunset and overnight. The freezing rain will continue. DO NOT BE ON THE ROADS,” NWS Fort Worth tweeted.
The NWS Fort Worth said on its website that if travel was necessary, “make sure to slow down, watch for ice/black ice, and give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.”
Some brighter news is on the horizon, though: The NWS Fort Worth forecasts sunshine and warmer weather on Friday, with temperatures returning to the 60s and possibly even the low 70s.
Gov. Greg Abbott told Texans via Twitter to check DriveTexas.org for updates on road conditions and to report any power outages to local providers.
Fox News reported that at least six people have died so far in traffic accidents in Texas due to the storm.
MedStar said that as of 5 a.m. on Wednesday, crews have responded to 168 motor vehicle crashes, including 21 rollover crashes, over the last 48 hours.
As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, there were only 16 active power outages affecting about 97 customers in Dallas County, according to ONCOR. Tarrant County had 11 outages affecting 39 people.
But east and southeast of Dallas, the situation is much worse. More than 32,000 customers in Smith County and some 2,400 customers in Henderson County have been hit with power outages.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers not to operate portable generators inside a home or enclosed space during a power outage, as it risks carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators should be located at least 20 feet away from the home, with the exhaust directed away from entrances to houses or other buildings.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons are stranded in Dallas due to the ice storm and are unable to make their Wednesday match against the Washington Wizards. The game has been postponed, and the date for the rescheduled game will be announced later.
12 p.m.
The NWS said that freezing rain was beginning to fall across north Texas before noon on February 1.
Freezing rain is occurring across much of North TX. Ice is building up on trees and powerlines and will result in sporadic power outages especially in the Ice Storm Warning area by tonight. While most shouldn't lose power, there are things you can do now to prepare! #dfwwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/CdyMkAejLh
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 1, 2023
Some of this rain is reported to be melting the surface of preexisting ice.
11:46 AM: Freezing rain and sleet are continuing to fall to the surface. It’s possible some of this is melting surface ice a bit. This does NOT mean we are in the clear yet. Temperatures are still below freezing and road conditions are still hazardous out there. #dfwwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/GJvZCrrn2W
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 1, 2023
The agency predicted that “sporadic” power outages might occur across the region as ice builds up on trees and power lines by nightfall, and encouraged citizens to be prepared in case of an outage.
9 a.m.
Icy weather continues to persist across North Texas this week.
A winter storm has impacted much of Texas since January 30, bringing sleet, freezing rain, and ice across the state, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. This storm has brought multiple closures to school districts, disrupted travel, and caused numerous injuries.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth reported on Wednesday at 7:50 a.m. that precipitation was once again beginning to fall across the region. The northern section of the weather system is predicted to produce sleet and freezing rain, while the southern section is expected to produce freezing rain.
7:50 AM: Radar is beginning to light up again this morning. Circled area to the north is most likely sleet with freezing rain. The area in the south is most likely freezing rain. PLEASE advise against driving on the roads today. #dfwwx #ctxwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/usizpzky3q
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 1, 2023
The NWS said that road conditions remain unfavorable for travel and urged civilians not to travel on roads unless absolutely necessary. The agency predicts that “hazardous to potentially impossible” travel conditions will remain likely until the night of February 1.
Got cabin fever? We get it. Several of us haven't been home in days. But do not travel unless it's absolutely necessary! Roads are bad. The good news is above freezing temperatures arrive from the southeast in the next 24-30 hrs. #dfwwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/0cLY3CQM0e
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) February 1, 2023
Conditions are expected to improve on February 2.
“Today is probably going to be more freezing rain, a lot more icing back on the roads. It’s gonna be a nasty day,” said Jason Dunn with the NWS in Fort Worth.
Dunn said that February 2 will see temperatures rise above freezing with some ice beginning to melt, and February 3 will see “noticeable improvements across the region.”
DFW Airport also reported on February 1 that its TSA personnel was limited for the day and urged travelers to consider icy conditions in their travels and exercise caution on all surfaces.
AIRPORT UPDATE: DFW Airport continues to mitigate the impacts of the current winter weather in the area. We remind customers to check with their airline for their flight status before coming to the airport.
1/3 pic.twitter.com/VJFGcfmcv5
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) February 1, 2023
Governor Greg Abbott also urged Texans to be cautious on roads in the wake of worsening weather conditions on February 1.
“The State of Texas is working around the clock to respond robustly to the substantial winter storm that is expected to impact our state over the coming days,” said Governor Abbott in a news release.
“Every state agency is in close communication and coordination to provide resources and valuable information to keep Texans safe during these winter weather conditions,” he continued.
The governor also said that ERCOT predicted that the electric grid will remain reliable and will meet power supply demands.
“We expect to have sufficient generation to meet the power demands of Texas during this winter weather,” said Peter Lake, Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), in a news release on January 30. “Our biggest concern is power line safety, especially in areas that experience icing. Ice can weigh down lines and topple tree limbs, causing local power outages, he continued.”
ERCOT urged citizens who experience a power disruption to contact the PUCT.
