70 one day, 17 the next…that’s Texas weather for ya! If you’ve been paying attention to the weather this week, you may know that a freeze and snow are expected. Wednesday 2/2 it will drop down into the teens, with a wintery mix tonight, and continued icy rain, and maybe even snow on Thursday 2/3. So here are some tips so you can stay safe these next couple days!
We could be waking up to a white Friday morning with freezing temperatures continuing through the weekend, bringing back memories of last year’s storm.
We can only hope that never happen again, but it’s important to be prepared. And if it does, we’ll do a 180 again from positive and upbeat information on enjoying the city to helping y’all navigate power outages, pipe bursts, firewood shortages etc through the power of Instagram.
- Locate your water line and meter so you know how to shut off in advance and make sure you have the right tools to turn it off
- Turn your thermometer above 55 degrees
- Insulate exterior pipes
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors or drip faucets if needed
- Clear out gutters
- Make sure you have blankets, firewood or an alternative heat source
- Have reserves of water…bottles or buckets depending on the purpose
- Have external batteries charged and on hand
SOME WAYS THE CITY IS PREPARING
- ONCOR is pre-staging crews throughout the area with mutual aid on standby
- The Emergency Operations Center will be open starting Wednesday at noon through at least Friday
- All libraries and rec centers will become warming centers during normal business hours, and may become 24-hour if needed
- A weather shelter will be open at the Fair Park Automobile Building with cots, water, snacks and water
- Ensure you can get your car out of your garage manually
- Make sure to cover your plants with cloth, burlap or even sheets (water the soil first). Even a few degrees can keep your plants alive!
- Make sure you have enough coolant in your car’s reservoir
- Crack a window open in your house if you’re using a wood burning fireplace
- Follow Oncor’s website to track or report an outage by visiting
- Look out for your neighbors and vulnerable friends & family
