Viewers across North Texas contacted NBC 5 by email and social media, asking why city and state crews didn’t treat or clear roads every day during the winter storm. According to officials, it comes down to limited resources and the rarity of such storms in the region.
“The gist of it is because these storms only happen once every four or five years in DFW and in other metro areas across the South, they really deal with it on an emergency basis,” a TxDOT spokesperson said.
On Wednesday, the sun helped melt snow and ice along major roads, while Texas Department of Transportation and city crews continued 24/7 operations, prioritizing major routes.
That still left many smaller roads icy, according to drivers.
“They were still a little icy. There were some rough patches,” said Travis Wright of Dallas.
“Pretty bad on the back roads, to be honest. All the highways were fine,” said Joel Shea, also from Dallas.
Many new D-FW residents, unfamiliar with Texas’ storm response, questioned why some streets were untouched. Tony Hartzel, a senior director at TxDOT, responded:
“It is not realistic to expect all highways to be completely clear during and immediately following a winter storm event. TxDOT understands the frustration with hazardous travel conditions caused by winter storms, especially when those extend over several days due to refreezing. We appreciate the continued patience of everyone as crews continue 24/7 operations to make passable routes through icy conditions.”
Because winter weather is infrequent in Texas, the state has fewer snow-response vehicles than colder regions. According to public records:
TxDOT has about 1,000 winter-weather vehicles for 73,000 miles of road.
About 200 vehicles serve the seven-county Dallas region, with roughly half equipped as snowplows.
By comparison, Minnesota has 800 snowplows for 12,000 miles, and California has 1,250 for 50,000 miles.
Crews have continued to urge patience as work continues.
“We definitely empathize, but our main focus is getting those major arteries open and passable,” said Victoria Lara, a TxDOT spokesperson, Monday night.
Even as sunshine helps with thawing, officials say overnight refreezing will likely extend hazardous conditions. Crews plan to work around the clock until the storm fully passes.