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Road crews across Texas prepare for arctic blast of freezing rain, sleet, and snow

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Updated  February 11, 2021 11:37pm CST
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FOX 26 Houston

TxDOT stands ready to treat Houston-area roads ahead of arctic blast

FOX 26 Reporter Matthew Seedorff spoke with the Texas Department of Transportation about what they're doing to keep area roads safe ahead of the arctic blast.

HOUSTON - Road crews in Southeast Texas are preparing for an upcoming winter storm.

A fresh blast of arctic air is expected to reach the Houston area on Sunday. Forecasters are predicting the possibility of freezing rain, sleet, and/or snow.

On Thursday, we interviewed Danny Perez from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) about the upcoming storm.

"[We’re preparing for] an event that is going to impact the entire six counties that we have in the Houston district," said Perez.

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Temperatures are expected to dip well below freezing over the next few days. According to Perez, road crews are preparing for ice and/or snow. Although some parts of the region had winter weather about a month ago, Perez says they have the necessary resources available for another round of winter weather.

"We stand ready," said Perez. "We have materials ordered, supplies ready to go. Equipment is calibrated and ready to go."

A cold rain fell in Houston Thursday. Perez says they plan to wait until the roads dry before adding their salt mixture designed to prevent ice. We’re told the mixture will likely be added Friday or Saturday. Some places could receive more than one treatment.

"If you put the material down now, it’ll just be washed away with the rain," said Perez. "We need to have the roads dry."

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Jarring video taken Thursday morning in Fort Worth shows the dangers of ice on roads. At least six people were killed on Interstate 35, several injured, in a massive pile-up.

At a truck stop in Houston, we interviewed truck driver Chris Williams. According to Williams, he was in Dallas Thursday morning. Now, he hopes drivers in Southeast Texas stay home when conditions worsen.

"It’s not safe," said Williams. "You have to use your knowledge and your training. Think about the drivers. We want to go home to our families too. Without God and our families, we have nothing."