Weather News
There's still time to prepare for the big Dallas frigid weather event
The first big weather event of the season is looming upon Dallas, but there's still time to get your life in order.
Meteorologists predict two cold waves, beginning with a teasing dip in temperatures on Friday January 12, followed by a freeze that will hit DFW overnight on Saturday January 13 and is anticipated to last for 72 to 84 hours.
Saturday will likely be the big day for many to fetch provisions, wrap rags around outside faucets, and cover any gaps in your windows where the cold comes whistling in.
Timeline
Saturday will reach 55 degrees during the day. Saturday night is when the freeze starts, with temperatures forecast to drop to 21 degrees.
Sunday: Freezing cold all day and all night, never surpassing 31 degrees.
Monday: The worst day, with temperatures dropping as low as 15 degrees, and never getting warmer than 20 degrees.
Tuesday: Also cold, could get as low as 11 degrees on Tuesday night.
By Wednesday, the temperatures will climb out of the freezing zone, praise the baby Jesus, up to 45 degrees during the day.
Precipitation
There's also a chance of ice, sleet, or snow from the overnight hours of Sunday into mid-morning Monday.
ERCOT
Texas' power grid operator issued a Weather Watch, predicting increased electric demand and a possible drop in energy reserves. An ERCOT Weather Watch is a notification of forecasted significant weather and high demand.
MLK Parade
Due to the inclement weather, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade has been rescheduled to Saturday, Jan. 20 at 9 am. The parade will start at Fair Park Gate 6 at MLK Jr. Boulevard and Robert B. Cullum Boulevard, will proceed down MLK Boulevard to Atlanta Street turning south, then turning east on Pennsylvania Avenue returning to Fair Park.
Tips
KENS-5 has tips such as:
- Don't block your air vents. It makes your furnace work harder than it should.
- Insulate your pipes.
- Let the sun in during the day and close the drapes at night.
Pets
Get them inside.
Preparations
- Cover pipes and outdoor faucets.
- Get plant protectors.
- Check car batteries.
- Charge your cellphone.
Weather Shelter
The City of Dallas will activate a Temporary Inclement Weather Shelter (TIWS) on Friday, January 12, at 3 pm at Fair Park Grand Place, at 3701 Grand Ave. Intake hours will be from 3-10 pm on Friday, and from 8 am-10 pm daily thereafter, until the inclement weather comes to an end.