Icy precipitation and freezing temperatures finally gave way to sunshine and warmer weather Friday in North Texas.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Fort Worth predicted that conditions across the region would significantly improve following a winter storm that swept through the state, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The storm brought freezing rain and sleet, creating hazardous road conditions across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Many residents were affected by school and business closures. Some even lost power due to downed trees and branches.
This winter storm was part of a larger weather system sweeping across the United States, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, according to BBC News.
Eight of these fatalities occurred in Texas, two occurred in Oklahoma, and one happened in Arkansas.
This system is expected to continue moving toward the East Coast, bringing sub-freezing temperatures to states in the northern section of the United States as well as Canada.
Matt Stalley with the NWS in Fort Worth told The Dallas Express that the most significant impacts to travel on Friday occurred during the morning hours, as melted ice on the roads refroze overnight.
Several major roadways were closed due to the icy conditions, and Dallas Fire-Rescue reported more than 160 crashes in an eight-hour period Friday morning, according to WFAA.
“Things are only going to improve through the morning now,” said Stalley. “Temperatures are already in the mid-30s with a full day of the sun, so things are going to drastically improve over the next few hours.”
However, some school districts, including Fort Worth ISD and Dallas ISD, opted to remain closed Friday.
The NWS forecast that this warming trend will continue into the weekend, with temperatures rising into the 50s on Saturday and into the 60s on Sunday.
ONCOR’s outage map estimates that over 3,700 outages across Texas are currently affecting about 67,000 customers.
The electric company said on Friday that it is deploying repair teams to fix damages to electrical infrastructure.
Despite this warming trend, the NWS warned of the possibility of freezing fog across the region in the overnight hours of Friday into Saturday morning. This fog could produce icy spots on bridges and overpasses.
Early next week, North Texas will see temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Chances of rain will return to the region, and a new cold front could arrive as soon as the middle of the week.
