Texans are bracing for a harsh winter storm that's expected to plunge the entire state into subfreezing temperatures starting Friday, bringing an arctic mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
Frigid air is blowing in from northern Canada, and according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Kurt Van Speybroeck, it's expected to reach the very southern tip of Texas by Sunday morning.
Texans from Wichita Falls west to Lubbock and Amarillo should be preparing for snowy weather late Friday. The cold air and precipitation is expected to move south Saturday. Every part of the state, from El Paso to the Houston region, will experience a hard freeze during the storm, Speybroeck said.
"By Sunday, the whole state will definitely be experiencing well-below normal temperatures and dangerous wind chills," Speybroeck said, adding that the storm brings a strong chance of ice for most of the state, which may cause power outages.
"We're talking about two thirds to three quarters of the state having some pretty dangerous winter driving conditions," he said, but "everything south of I-10 should be drivable."
Officials in North and Central Texas, which have the highest chances of snow and sleet, have already issued winter storm watches ahead of the storm. Other areas are also under a winter storm watch, including Houston.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday said he has activated state emergency response resources, saying the winter weather "could create hazardous travel conditions into the weekend and cause impacts to infrastructure."
At a press conference Thursday morning, Abbott said he was issuing a disaster declaration for 134 counties. He also said the northern two-thirds of the state — from the Panhandle to potentially as far south as the San Antonio region — was expected to be hit the hardest.
Here's what Texans should expect and when, depending on where they live:
Dallas-Fort Worth area
The Dallas-Fort Worth region is expected to see freezing rain and sleet accumulate Friday night, which may become snow by Sunday morning in some areas, according to the NWS.
Cities north of Dallas-Fort Worth, from Graham to Paris, should expect the most snow.
The coldest weather forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area is expected to hit Sunday night, with a low of 6 degrees. The freezing temperature will last through Monday, when the high is predicted to be 31 degrees.
The Panhandle
The Panhandle is expected to experience the worst of the storm on Saturday night, according to the NWS, when the low is expected to reach 2 degrees and the chance of precipitation is 100%.
"That's going to change over to snow really fast and it'll be a fairly dry and fluffy type of snow," Speybroeck said, adding that wind may make visibility while driving difficult and dangerous.
Friday night into Saturday morning, the storm is expected to move further south.
Central Texas
Central Texans should also expect sleet and freezing rain, but Speybroeck said chances of heavy accumulations are lower compared to North Texas.
"We're expecting sleet and freezing rain in the Hill Country, maybe into the Austin-San Antonio corridor, but we're not expecting significant winter precipitation," Speybroeck said.
Temperatures in Central Texas are expected to drop as low as 16 degrees on Saturday night.
El Paso and far West Texas
El Paso most likely will not see snow, according to the NWS, and could see up to 10 inches accumulate during the storm.
Wind gusts are expected to be as high as 20 miles per hour on Saturday night, making roads dangerous to drive on.
Forecasters don't expect the area to see temperatures as low as other parts of the state — the coldest temperatures Saturday night are expected to reach 40 degrees before rising to 51 on Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to dip back below freezing on Sunday night.
Houston region
The Houston region has a 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms Friday night going into Saturday morning. By Saturday night, that's expected to turn into rain showers with a possibility of thunderstorms with a low of 33 degrees, the NWS said.
Rain is expected to continue throughout Saturday. On Sunday morning, there will be a slight chance of rain and sleet when temperatures are expected to dip below freezing. Partly sunny weather should bring temperatures above freezing on Monday.
South Texas
The winter storm is expected to reach Texas' southern tip by Sunday night, according to the NWS.
Residents from Laredo to Brownsville, Speybroeck said, should expect temperatures right around freezing on Sunday night, but they are forecast to rise above freezing by Monday.
The coldest temperatures are expected Saturday night and Sunday night, with lows around 48 degrees and 33 degrees, respectively, and a slight chance of light rain.
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