North Texas braced for potentially dangerous wintry conditions and freezing temperatures as a powerful winter storm began moving into the area Friday.
Across Dallas-Fort Worth, officials and residents prepared for the storm, which is expected to cause plunging temperatures, strong winds and wintry precipitation for multiple days.
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According to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office, forecasts call for up to half an inch of ice, with additional accumulations of 1 to 3 inches of snow across most of North Texas.
D-FW Weather Wise
The weather service, which has issued winter storm and extreme cold warnings, warned of possible power outages and that “travel could be impossible” in some areas. Local and state officials have prepared by treating roads with a saltwater brine.
Throughout Friday, temperatures are expected to fall as rain drenches the area. That precipitation will later transition to a mix of freezing rain and sleet after temperatures dip below freezing, according to forecasts. Over the weekend, temperatures are expected to become dangerously cold, dipping into the teens and single digits with bone-chilling wind chills.
A thaw isn’t anticipated until early next week.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
National Weather Service warns of deteriorating road conditions, ‘life-threatening’ cold, slow resolution of storm
3:55 p.m.
Monique Sellers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office, said Friday that road conditions will be one of the primary concerns during the first portion of the storm. The amount of water already on the ground from rain that fell throughout Friday, as well as the forecasted freezing rain, will create extra issues with ice.
“We are going to see road conditions really deteriorate,” she said.
The ice accumulation will also create potential issues with power outages, both with ice forming on power lines and on tree branches that could break off.
Outages from ice could be widespread, but it’s difficult to predict the areas most at risk. There can be significant variation between neighborhoods regarding whether the right conditions form, Sellers said.
Extreme cold is also expected in the later part of the weekend with lows down in the single digits, which Sellers described as “life-threatening.”
It also may take some time for this winter weather event to end. While precipitation is expected to conclude Sunday, temperatures are not expected to get above freezing on Monday, significantly limiting melting. And even once temperatures finally get above 32 degrees, Sellers said, it could still take a while for cities and agencies to return to normal operations.
“It’s really not until Tuesday that we’ll be able to see enough of a change to start to see some melting, and that melting is still going to be slow,” she said.
Temperatures are also expected to dip back down into the low 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, which may result in melted ice refreezing.
“We really shouldn’t expect any sort of rapid improvement,” Sellers said.
— Julia James
A Dallas Area Rapid Transit train crosses over Northwest Highway toward the Park Lane Station in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Due to extreme winter weather across North Texas, DART’s light rail Red, Blue, Green and Orange lines experienced “significant delays,” the day before.
Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer
DART remains in service, Dallas libraries and some college campuses close as winter storm approaches
3:35 p.m.
Hours before a deep freeze grips North Texas, officials with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit announced there would be no reductions to service at this time. The agency’s preparations include: identifying roads that have been historically dangerous during winter weather events; treating bus stops, platforms and transit centers for icy conditions; and deploying ice scrapers or cutters along light rail wires.
In an email alert, the Dallas Public Library announced it was shuttering all locations at 3 p.m. on Friday, with its branches remaining closed through the weekend.
Some North Texas colleges and universities announced campus closures as icy weather bears down on the region. The University of Texas at Dallas will close its campus from 5 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. Texas Christian University is open Friday, but its campus will be closed Saturday and Sunday. Dallas College and Southern Methodist University will remain open.
Public school districts are expected to make the call about Monday’s classes sometime over the weekend.
— Suryatapa Chakraborty, Silas Allen
How to stay safe during the winter storm
2:50 p.m.
During the 2021 winter storm, hundreds of Texans died from cold exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning, accidents and other causes. While this storm isn’t predicted to be as long in duration or severe, it will still bring several days of treacherous conditions to North Texas and other parts of the state.
Local officials and weather forecasters have urged Texans to stay off roads this weekend unless absolutely necessary, as ice and snow may make some roads impassable. “If you can, stay home,” said Justin Ball, chief of Dallas Fire-Rescue. “That’s my advice.”
Marlenne Aleman, a fire prevention officer with DFR, warned that common household items like stoves and ovens should not be used as heaters. Cars should never be left running inside enclosed areas like garages. Generators should not be used indoors and should be set up at least 30 feet from homes. To prevent the accumulation of too much carbon monoxide while using a fireplace, open a window or door for ventilation. Be cognizant of overloading extension cords and be careful to keep heaters and flammable items away from other heat-generating devices.
Should your home lose power, weather and safety experts recommend shutting blinds and curtains, closing off rooms and blocking the cracks under doors with towels to retain heat. They also encourage wearing layers of loose-fitting, light-weight clothing, staying hydrated and fed and avoiding caffeine and alcohol.
Across D-FW, warming centers and shelters will be available to the homeless and others in need of refuge from the cold. In Dallas, the city’s main temporary shelter will open at 4 p.m. on Friday at Fair Park’s Automobile Building, 3809 Grand Ave. A full list of warming shelters across North Texas is available here.
During the storm, medical emergencies related and unrelated to the weather will still happen. Medical experts recommended refilling prescriptions for crucial medications ahead of the storm. Hospitals and emergency rooms will remain open, and medical providers reminded members of the public to not delay care if they need it. In the event of a medical emergency where driving seems unsafe, experts recommended calling 911 for an ambulance transport.
— Elissa Jorgensen, María Ramos Pacheco, Emily Brindley
Water from a broken water main break along Luna Rd near Champion Dr in Carrollton created an icy scene as it froze on power lines, trees, and cars, February 20, 2025. The break happened overnight as crews were working to get it fixed.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Ice storm warning issued for parts of North, East Texas
1:15 p.m.
Multiple counties on the border of North and East Texas were switched to an ice storm warning Friday, including Anderson, Freestone, Henderson, Leon and Van Zandt.
An ice storm warning in this region indicates the National Weather Service has a high confidence in half an inch or more of ice accumulation. That much ice can cause significant damage to trees and power lines and make travel extremely hazardous.
The severity of an ice event varies based on the amount of ice accumulation, the strength of the wind and whether the storm is occurring in an urban or rural area. Urban areas tend to suffer more economic and physical damage than rural areas because they have a higher concentration of utilities and transportation systems such as planes, trains and automobiles, according to Midwest Regional Climate Center.
Power lines can sustain heavy damage because as little as a half-inch of ice on a transmission line can add hundreds of pounds of weight, weather experts say, causing them to sag or droop.
— Julia James, Lana Ferguson
Volunteer Don Carey, 61 of Richardson, left, sets up a stretcher at the inclement weather shelter in Fair Park, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Dallas. As dangerously cold temperatures are headed to North Texas this weekend, volunteers and employees from Austin Street Center and OurCalling set up hundreds of stretchers on Thursday at the inclement weather shelter in Fair Park.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Grocers to limit weekend hours as North Texans stock up on supplies
12:55 p.m.
Some North Texas grocery stores will limit their hours this weekend, as the winter storm is likely to cause hazardous roadway conditions for employees and customers alike.
Hours at Tom Thumb and Albertsons locations in North Texas, which are usually open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., will instead operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. H-E-B, meanwhile, has delayed the grand opening of a new store in Forney that was scheduled for next week.
Ahead of the storm, North Texas residents have swarmed grocery and home improvement stores to stockpile winter storm staples. Retailers have seen high demand for bread and bottled water, as well as bananas and beef.
At the Albertsons in Casa Linda Plaza shortly before 8 a.m. on Friday, the bread aisle was largely cleared out and the milk case was barren. At a Costco in Fort Worth, store employees had pre-loaded generators onto flatbed carts when the store opened for executive members. Bottled water and toilet paper were well stocked.
The rush by customers has been driven by the desire to stay off area roads this weekend, as well as lingering anxiety from the winter storm almost five years ago that led to widespread power outages across Texas. During that storm, millions of Texans went without power and water for days amid frigid temperatures. Hundreds died.
— Brian Womack, Emily Brindley, Amy Hollyfield, Elias Valverde II, Miriam Fauzia
North Texas museums close, arts events canceled ahead of winter storm; professional sports games expected to happen
11:55 a.m.
While Dallas-area schools held classes Friday, many North Texas performing arts centers and museums began announcing closures and cancellations.
On Friday, the African American Museum will be closed. Late Night at the Museum at the Dallas Museum of Art was postponed until early February, while an exhibit at the Latino Cultural Center was rescheduled for January 30. Friday and Saturday performances by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra were also canceled.
Over the weekend, Dallas Contemporary, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the Arlington Museum of Art and Kimbell Art Museum will all be closed. Concerts by the Dallas Opera and the Lone Star Wind Orchestra have been canceled or postponed.
The Dallas Stars were still expected to play their game against the Blues in Dallas on Friday night. The coach of the Mavericks said earlier this week that he didn’t expect Saturday’s home game against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers to be postponed.
— Alyson Rodriguez, Uwa Ede-Osifo, SportsDay Staff
Rain falls in Dallas as D-FW, Oklahoma prepare for severe winter weather impacts
11 a.m.
By mid-morning, light rain was falling at DFW International Airport and Love Field with a temperature of 48 degrees. That cold rain is expected to last through Friday, forecasts by the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office indicate, later transitioning to freezing rain and sleet by early Saturday.
Both North Texas and neighboring Oklahoma are expected to be hit hard by the winter storm, with both anticipating perilous roadway conditions and power outages from a combination of freezing rain, ice, sleet, snow and strong wind gusts. Texas and Oklahoma will both experience frigid cold from the massive storm, which will impact large swaths of the South, Midwest and Northeast.
Nationally, D-FW, Oklahoma, western Mississippi and northwestern Alabama are among the areas predicted to experience some of the severest effects of the storm.
While D-FW schools remained open Friday with cancellations for after-school activities, schools in Oklahoma and Houston were closed ahead of dangerous roadways and extreme cold.
— Lauren Caruba
A worker sprays deicing fluid on a Southwest Airlines plane at the gates of Dallas Love field after a winter storm moved through Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Dallas. Southwest suspended all flights in and out of Dallas Love Field on Thursday due to the storm.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
More than 1,000 flight cancellations at D-FW airports
8:55 a.m.
At DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field, airlines have canceled more than 1,000 flights scheduled for Saturday, when winter weather conditions in North Texas are forecast to deteriorate.
Cancellations at DFW Airport had reached 1,036 shortly by 8:21 a.m., according to flight tracking site FlightAware, while Love Field had cut 136 flights.
With the worst of the storm expected to move through the area over the weekend, airlines anticipate major disruptions to air travel. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, both D-FW based, are giving customers the chance to change their flights.
Fliers who become stranded at Dallas-area airports should keep an eye on their flight status and communications from airlines, pack snacks and be prepared to wait.
— Jordan Parker