Refresh for the latest updates as winter weather moves through East Texas.
Power outages
Oncor is reporting the following outages in East Texas as of 11:30 p.m. Saturday:
Smith County: 668 (Estimated restoration: 8:30 a.m. Sunday)
Cherokee County: 2,445 (Estimated restoration: Under review)
Anderson: 65 (Estimated restoration: 5:30 a.m. Sunday)
Rusk: 299 (Estimated restoration: under review)
Van Zandt: 320 (Estimated restoration: under review)
To view an outage map or report an outage, visit stormcenter.oncor.com.
Oncor deployed extra staff to East Texas ahead of the storm. They also brought extra transformers, power poles and other key supplies.
“Oncor continues responding to the impacts of the ongoing winter storm while also monitoring a second wave of expected winter precipitation across our service area overnight Saturday and into Sunday,” the company said. “Oncor’s service area has so far experienced a wide-range of impacts, including freezing rain, sleet, ice and snow.
“The second wave of overnight impacts is expected to include an increased amount of freezing rain and ice accumulation. While new outage events are likely, restoration efforts will continue around the clock.
“We encourage customers to stay weather aware, monitor local forecasts, and avoid unnecessary travel during hazardous winter conditions.”
Roads
The Tyler Police Department on Saturday evening reported spotting icy conditions on bridges. Street crews are treating the areas as they learn about them. The county is monitoring roads and advises caution and not traveling unless necessary
TxDOT re-treated main roadways.
Forecast
Current watches, warnings, advisories
An ice storm warning is in effect most of East Texas, including Tyler, Longview, Rusk, Jacksonville, Palestine and other areas. The warning — upgraded from the previous winter storm warning — began at 6 p.m. Friday and will last through at least 6 p.m. Sunday. The ice storm warning means significant ice is expected in the affected area, with snow and sleet accumulations up to 1 inch with ice accumulations of up to 3/4ths of an inch. Expect power outages and tree damage due to ice, and travel could be treacherous, NWS said.
Travel is strongly discouraged during the ice storm warning. NWS said motorists should use extreme caution if travel is absolutely necessary.
“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” the NWS said.
An extreme cold watch was upgraded to a warning and will be in effect from Sunday evening through Tuesday morning, the NWS said. Smith, Wood and Cherokee Counties and eastern counties of East Texas are under the watch., which will bring “dangerously cold temperatures” dropping to as low as 0 degrees, according to NWS. People, pets, plants and pipes should be protected.
“It still appears the greatest threat for power outages will come late tonight into Sunday morning as temperatures fall into the low 20s and freezing rain rates increase,” CBS19 said.
CBS19 forecasts the wintry precipitation will move out Sunday morning, but it remains cloudy and very cold throughout the day Sunday with highs only warming into the mid-20s. Overnight into Monday morning, temperatures are expected to fall into the low teens. We will see extreme cold temperatures forecast with wind chills near zero both Monday and Tuesday mornings.
NWS said widespread ice accumulations will approach a half inch or greater across portions of the region through Sunday. The higher snow and sleet amounts are possible across far northern zones while the most ice accumulations will be along and south of the I-20 corridor. Still, NWS says not to focus on absolute specific amounts in any given location as it can be unpredictable.
Disaster declaration
The City of Tyler has issued a disaster declaration. It will be in effect for seven days unless the city council extends it.
“Declaring a local disaster ahead of this storm ensures the City is prepared to respond quickly and effectively,” Mayor Don Warren said. “Our priority is keeping people safe and maintaining essential services as conditions change.”
City of Tyler departments, including Streets, Fire, Police, and Tyler Water Utilities, are actively preparing for the storm and coordinating response plans. Crews are monitoring weather conditions, staging equipment, and preparing to respond to roadway issues and emergency calls as needed.
Smith County Judge Neal Franklin on Friday afternoon also issued a disaster declaration for Smith County ahead of the winter storm expected to hit the area.
“Doing this now allows emergency management officials to respond quickly to any issues that arise during the disaster and to ask for aid when needed,” Franklin said.
The local declaration comes after Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster for multiple counties Thursday.
(NWS SHREVEPORT)
Cancellations/closures
City of Tyler offices and facilities will be closed Saturday, Jan. 24 through Monday, Jan. 26. Essential and emergency functions will continue.
Smith County Jury Duty is canceled for Monday. Anyone who received a jury summons for Jan. 26 does not have to report to the courthouse.
Smith County’s non-emergency county offices will be closed Monday.
Green Acres Baptist Church will close for the weekend, postponing several on-campus events. Sunday services will not be held in person, but there will be online services at 9:30 and 11 a.m. at gabc.org and facebook.com/GABCTyler .
An American Eagle Airlines spokesperson confirmed all American Airlines flights leaving Tyler Pounds Regional Airport have been canceled Saturday due to hazardous winter weather conditions. Airline officials said operations are expected to resume Sunday, but that timeline remains tentative as weather conditions continue to be closely monitored.
CHRISTUS Pediatric Clinic – Turtle Creek (Tyler) will be closed Saturday and reopen for normal business hours beginning on Monday at 8 a.m.
LIST: Warming centers in Smith, Cherokee counties
Safety tips to follow when using portable generators
TxDOT plans to de-ice roadways as need arises in Tyler district
City of Tyler, Smith County issue disaster declarations ahead of East Texas winter storm