Irving NWS Update: Extreme Cold, Near-Blizzard Conditions

Press release from the City of Irving:

February 11, 2021

NWS Update: Extreme Cold, Near-Blizzard Conditions

Updated 8:30 a.m., Feb. 14: The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued warning for a hard freeze and dangerous wind chill temperatures. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15 for the entire North Texas region.

Residents should prepare for extreme winter weather, including dangerous record-breaking low temperatures, freezing rain and heavy blowing snow. Travel is highly discouraged for Monday and Tuesday.

The forecast

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• Sunday, Feb. 14: Conditions have already deteriorated with a mixed wintry precipitation. Accumulation, especially icing, impacting roads, highways and all other surfaces.
• Sunday evening, Feb. 14 to Monday, Feb. 15: A dangerous significant winter storm producing blizzard-like conditions and heavy snow accumulations of 3 to 4 inches, with localized heavier accumulations of 6 to 8 inches possible.
  • Temperatures will be extremely cold, with wind chills in the -10 to -15 degrees range.
  • Blowing and drifting snow will produce near-blizzard conditions.
  • Strong winds combined with heavy accumulation amounts may lead to broken tree limbs and downed power lines.
  • Cold temperatures will result in record power demands, raising the possibility of power outages.
    • The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) expects record electricity usage in the state due to the weather. ERCOT is taking the necessary precautions to ensure there is plenty of power the next few days.
  • Water pipes will freeze and break, including some that are not directly exposed to the frigid air.
• Tuesday, Feb. 16: Dry and frigid cold, but with little improvement to road conditions.
• Wednesday, Feb. 17 to Thursday, Feb. 18: Another winter weather system with significant snowfall potential may move into the area, impacting the already dangerous conditions. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing into Thursday.

Impacts to roads will last for several days until temperatures rise above freezing. Plumbing, both outdoor and indoor, are at high risk for damage. In addition, the extreme cold may cause high energy demands that potentially can cause outages.

Stay Safe

• With record low temperatures and increased demand for electricity and natural gas, residents may experience rolling brown-outs. Residents are asked to reduce large appliance use and turn thermostats down to 68 degrees to conserve energy.
• Accumulation of ice and snow on power lines and trees, combined with up to 40 mph winds, set up conditions for likely power outages. Residents are urged to prepare for potential loss of power, heat or other utilities.
• Pipes are likely to freeze. Drip interior faucets, especially those adjacent to exterior walls, and open cabinet doors to ensure plumbing gets additional warm air.
• Residents are urged to use extreme safety precautions with candles, space heaters and other alternative heat sources to reduce fire risk.

Helpful Links

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• 24/7 Electricity Outage Information: Find outage information Opens a New Window.
• Report a Power Outage – toll-free, 24/7 hotline: (888) 313-6862 or (888) 313-4747
• Report a Power Outage online: Report power outages Opens a New Window.
• Text Oncor about a Power Outage: The service requires preregistration.
  • Text ‘reg’ to 66267 (ONCOR) to register. Please have either your ESID or the telephone number listed on your account and your ZIP code to complete registration.
  • Text ‘out’ to 66267 (ONCOR) to report your outage.
  • Text ‘stat’ to 66267 (ONCOR) to receive an update on your outage.
• Atmos Energy: To report a gas leak, call at (866) 322-8667
• Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
• Oncor Chronic Care Customer Application: Learn more

During this inclement weather event, general updates on city operations will be available at CityofIrving.org, on the city’s Twitter feed (twitter.com/thecityofirving) and Facebook page (facebook.com/thecityofirving). Visit the Emergency Winter Weather Resources page for information on contacting resources such as TxDOT and Oncor.

National Weather Service Fort Worth website

This press release was produced by the City of Irving. The views expressed here are the author’s own.