Texas winter storm updates: Officials confident grid will hold as freezing weather descends
By Texas Tribune Staff, The Texas Tribune
January 24, 2026
An arctic storm is crawling across Texas, bringing frigid temperatures and frozen precipitation that is expected to last into Monday.
Much of Texas has or will fall under winter storm warning this weekend. According to Gov. Greg Abbott, a vast swath of the state — from the Panhandle to around San Antonio — could be hard hit. Even before the storm’s arrival, Abbott had already issued a disaster declaration for more than 130 counties, which he said will ensure local communities can access every possible resource.
This recent bout of cold weather will not be as severe as Winter Storm Uri, which killed at least 246 people after the electrical grid failed in 2021.
Abbott and other state officials also stressed that the power grid, operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, is currently well-equipped to withstand severe weather. Still, they said there could be local outages if ice accumulation or fallen trees bring down power lines or utility poles.
At the same time, state and local officials urged Texans to avoid traveling if they don’t have to — as the expected snow, sleet and freezing rain can create dangerous road conditions.
Check back for updates as the winter storm continues.
Winter storm updates
Winter storm makes its way into Texas
After days of forecasts warning Texans of a winter storm that would blanket the state with ice, sleet and freezing temperatures, the massive system crossed the state line Friday evening.
While most of Texas braced for the impending frost that was expected to make travel hazardous and shut down businesses, residents in northern regions of the state began experiencing sleet and ice accumulation Friday night. Temperatures in Amarillo and across the Panhandle also dipped into single digits late Friday.
The National Weather Service warned of wind chills in the northern tip of the Panhandle reaching lows of -17 degrees early Saturday. Wind chill is the combined effect of cold temperature and wind speeds on exposed skin.
Freezing rain and sleet could be seen in Wichita Falls that gradually increased through the evening. However, NWS forecasts expected the intensity of the precipitation to lessen into Saturday afternoon.
Officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth region said that precipitation, combined with freezing temperatures, would also develop into sleet through Friday night and warned residents of the growing potential for ice accumulation on trees and power lines that could cause localized power outages.
For Houston and the southeastern regions of the state, the more intense elements of the winter storm are expected to begin Saturday evening and develop through Monday morning. Several cities including Waco and San Antonio have winter storm warnings scheduled to go into effect at 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the NWS.
— Ayden Runnels
The electrical grid is ready, officials said
Ahead of the storm, ERCOT issued a weather watch from Saturday to Tuesday, citing the weather forecast, higher electrical demand and potentially lower reserves. Though it said the grid is still expected to operate as normal under this designation.
State leaders have similarly assured Texans that they can depend on the electrical grid through the winter storm.
“The ERCOT grid has never been stronger, never been more prepared and is fully capable of handling this winter storm,” Abbott said Thursday.
The governor added that there is an “abundance” of natural gas, the source of more than half of the state’s power. And since Uri, Texas lawmakers have pushed natural gas plants to harden their facilities against severe cold.
ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas also said the operator has increased the reserve margins held during these severe weather events in case it needs to call on those backup supplies.
“If there were to be an interruption of the gas supply, more than 30 power-[generating] facilities can draw on that on-site fuel to keep operating during an event like this,” Vegas said.
— Alex Nguyen
Utilities have learned lessons from previous storms
On the ground, a major issue to watch is ice accumulation.
While state officials say the electric grid is prepared, Texans could still see local outages if ice buildup or fallen trees topple power lines or utility poles. This was a major reason why tens of thousands of households and businesses in Austin went without power for days during the 2023 winter storm.
In turn, utilities in Austin and Houston have buried power lines in targeted areas.
More efforts to prevent falling trees from knocking out power are also underway. For instance, Public Utilities Commission of Texas’ Chair Thomas Gleeson on Thursday said Oncor did vegetation management on 8,000 extra lines and replaced almost 20,000 additional distribution poles, following the passage of House Bill 2555 in 2023.
And in case of local power losses, utilities’ outage trackers are currently all “up and running,” Gleeson said. The lack of a local outage tracker was an issue during Hurricane Beryl in 2024, leading some Houstonians to turn to the Whataburger app for information on where power had returned.
Check the PUCT’s map to see which utility operates in your area.
— Alex Nguyen
Disclosure: Oncor has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
