(The Center Square) – Multiple Texas agencies are making preparations ahead of a cold front moving into the state. The regulatory agency managing the state’s grid issued a Weather Watch from Jan. 15-17.
Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the Texas State Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response) as the state prepares formultiple weather threats over the next several days.
“The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources to take care of Texans and our communities as multiple severe weather threats begin to impact the state tomorrow,” he said. “To ensure that support and resources are swiftly deployed to all impacted communities, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the State Operation Center. Texans in at-risk areas are encouraged to remain vigilant, monitor weather conditions, and heed the guidance of local officials and emergency management personnel.”
The National Weather Service-Houston said, “An Arctic cold front is forecast to move through the region later this weekend followed by hard freezes through Tuesday night.”
An Arctic cold front is expected to move through the area on Sunday, with hard freezes expected through most parts of the Southeast Sunday night through Tuesday night.
The National Weather Service instructed residents to begin cold weather preparations “before the front arrives … ideally before Saturday evening. Outdoor pipes wrapped, sprinkler systems protected, have a plan for pets, check on neighbors that might need some help.”
Extreme weather correlates with higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves, ERCOT said. Despite this, the state’s grid conditions “are expected to be normal during an ERCOT Weather Watch,” it said.
ERCOT said it was continuing to monitor conditions closely and would “deploy all available tools to manage the grid, continuing a reliability-first approach to operations.”
In 2023, January peak demand was 65,632 MW, with the current all-time peak demand record of 85,508 MW set on Aug. 10, 2023, it said.
ERCOT encourages everyone to sign up for grid condition notifications through the Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) and Texans can monitor real-time and extended grid conditions at ercot.com.
Texans can also sign up for ERCOT Emergency Alerts, including downloading the ERCOT App, which are separate from TXANS notifications.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas will also be monitoring power outages and coordinating with utility providers across the threat area, it said.
Among the numerous state agencies taking action, the Texas Department of Transportation is pre-treating and treating roadways and monitoring road conditions, TDEM said. Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service activated urban search and& rescue teams and swift water boat squads.
The Texas A&M Forest Service also activated firefighting personnel, readied heavy equipment, including motor graders for snow removal and saw crews and Incident Management Teams. The Railroad Commission of Texas is also monitoring the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry.
