North Texans, already reeling from a record day of snowfall, were braced this morning for a tough commute.Throughout the region, temperatures at 5 a.m. were hovering right around freezing – but falling fast. As they dip into the high 20s by sunrise, roads, bridges, and overpasses – many of them already caked in snow – could freeze, making driving treacherous. “It is strongly encouraged not to venture out this morning unless absolutely necessary,” the National Weather Service warned.
If ice on the highways weren’t trouble enough, the Weather Service also warned that patchy fog was possible during the morning commute.People who must drive this morning should allow plenty of extra time to reach their destinations. Anyone planning to fly out of Dallas should check first on the status of flights, as many airlines were expected to delay or cancel routes. By this afternoon, temperatures will rise to the high 30s, meaning dangerous ice patches would start to thaw. The forecast for Saturday calls for sunny skies and highs in the 50s.
Snow continues to fall early today, mainly to the east of Interstate 35. In many counties east of the Dallas area, the snow was reported to be heavy. Thursday’s record snowfall – officially more than 11 inches – left tens of thousands of people throughout North Texas without electricity. Those outages, scattered throughout the region, also have knocked out traffic signals at scores of intersections. Drivers approaching those intersections were urged to use extreme caution. With very few exceptions, school districts, private schools, community colleges and universities throughout the region were closed today. The City of Dallas had already declared today as a “furlough day,” closing all nonessential city offices as a cost-saving measure.
Santosamaru 