Freezing temperatures are returning to North Texas.
The National Weather Service said that a hard freeze is likely to impact North and Central Texas next week. At or below-freezing temperatures are expected to arrive in the region over the weekend.
Temperatures are expected to drop into the teens and 20s across the entire region by December 22. High temperatures will be just below the 30s.
These frigid temperatures are approaching Texas following a tornado outbreak in North Texas on December 13.
The National Weather Service said that the former Super Typhoon Nuri is the origin of this weather system. The storm produced hurricane-force winds in parts of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
This system will undergo bombogenesis as it joins up with the jet stream while moving across the Bering Sea. An upper ridge over Alaska will slow the progression of this system initially while causing the jet stream to warp. This will start the process of ushering this frigid Arctic air towards the south.
Texas’ power grid experienced multiple failures in 2021 due to an ice storm across the state. This storm crippled the power grid, resulting in rolling blackouts to prevent its overall collapse.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned in November that a large portion of the North American Power System is at risk of insufficient energy supplies in the event of severe winter weather.
John Moura, NERC’s director of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis, said that fuel supply issues are appearing prominently in the 2022-2023 Winter Reliability Assessment.
“Also, while the grid has a sufficient supply of capacity resources under normal winter conditions, we are concerned that some areas are highly vulnerable to extreme and prolonged cold. As a result, load-shedding may be required to maintain reliability,” said Moura.
Citizens are advised to protect indoor piping, cover plants, bring pets indoors, and turn off irrigation systems in preparation for the colder weather.