DALLAS – As an arctic front moves through North Texas, it is crucial to remain informed. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for North and Central Texas from 6 p.m. Friday through noon Sunday. This will be followed by an Extreme Cold Warning from Saturday evening through Monday morning.
FOX 4 forecasters warn that temperatures may stay below freezing until Tuesday afternoon, meaning hazardous travel conditions could persist for more than 72 hours. A full changeover to sleet and snow is expected across parts of the region late Saturday. Localized power outages are also possible as ice accumulates on trees and power lines.
Stay connected with FOX LOCAL. For winter storm coverage—Download Now.
Friday, Jan. 23 | Live Updates 4:40 p.m.: Utility workers on standby
FOX 4 employee Arnold Evans shared these photos of utility workers staged in Plano.
Photo by Arnold Evans in Plano
4:30 p.m.: Fort Worth opens warming shelter for homeless
Fort Worth will open an emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness in preparation for this weekend’s sub-freezing temperatures.
WhenWeLove.org is opening a shelter located at 1100 East Lancaster Avenue. It will be open at 5 p.m on Friday, Jan. 23 and stay open until temperatures rise to a safe level.
3:30 p.m.: School Closings
Several school districts in North Texas have announced closures and cancellations.
Birdville, Carroll, Corsicana, Ferris, Gainesville, Mabank, and Melissa, Millsap, and Red Oak ISD have already canceled classes for Monday.
Many districts in the DFW area have also canceled after-school activities, including Arlington and Plano ISD.
2 p.m.: Mavs game is still on
The Dallas Mavericks are still planning to hold their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. However, fans are encouraged to arrive early. The North and North Platinum entrances will also be closed to help the building maintain its temperature.
1:30 p.m.: Ice Storm Warning
An Ice Storm Warning is now in effect through Sunday at noon for parts of North Texas, including Anderson, Freestone, Henderson, and Van Zandt counties.
1:10 p.m.: TEXpress Closures
TEXpress has finished applying a brine solution on its corridors, including the LBJ Express, North Tarrant Express, and NTE 35W. Crews will now switch to patrolling the roads with salt trucks.
All of TEXpress’s managed lanes have closed as of 1 p.m. on Friday. They will reopen when it’s deemed safe.
1 p.m.: City of Dallas holds inclement weather shelter briefing 
The city of Dallas is making contingency plans for people who may find themselves in extended power outages. It’s a change of procedure that came out of the big winter storm in 2021.
The city will monitor for outages with Oncor. If neighborhoods have severe damage to lines and transformers, the city said it has generators staged at park and recreation facilities around Dallas.
“We’re ready to move resources and people and activate those sites and then provide transportation, if we need to, to affected residents so that they can have a safe place to go to,” said Kevin Oden, Dallas’s Director of Emergency Management.
The city has also opened a primary shelter at Fair Park with about 1,000 beds for the homeless.
Dallas also has 50 sanding trucks prepositioned to treat icy bridges, overpasses, and major intersections, along with hospital and fire station entrances.
12:45 p.m.: TEXpress crews begin salting the roads
Managed lane operators have announced that all DFW TEXpress corridors, including the LBJ Express, North Tarrant Express (NTE), and NTE 35W, are scheduled to close starting at 1 p.m. today, Friday, Jan. 23.
Crews have already completed initial brining cycles across all corridors to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement. Starting this morning, trucks transitioned to salt treatments and began active patrols. Officials will continue to monitor road conditions throughout the weekend, with plans to reopen the managed lanes only when it is safely appropriate to do so.
12 p.m.: Arlington ISD cancels all after-school activities Friday
Arlington ISD has officially canceled all after-school activities for Friday, Jan. 23, and all weekend events have been called off or rescheduled. While elementary after-school childcare remains open today, parents should note that Boys and Girls Club and Tarrant County Kids (TCK) locations will close early at 5 p.m.
District officials are currently monitoring the storm and aim to announce a decision regarding Monday’s class schedule by Sunday afternoon. Residents are encouraged to check the Arlington ISD mobile app and website for the most immediate updates.
10:50 a.m.: Meteorologist Evan Andrews dives deep into how this storm will differ from 2021 
10:30 a.m.: North Texas teachers have sun on social media with winter storm 
10 a.m.: Dallas-Fort Worth expected snow totals update 
Ice accumulation from freezing rain is expected Friday night through Saturday. Following the freezing rain, the system will transition to sleet and snow. The DFW area is currently expecting 0.25 to 0.5 inches of pure ice.
Multiple inches of sleet and snow are also forecast. For areas north of Interstate 20, 2 to 5 inches of sleet and snow are expected on top of the initial ice layer. Slightly higher totals may impact eastern parts of North Texas. Officials warn it is crucial to stay off the roads as ice will coat trees, power lines, and roadways.
9:05 a.m.: Major flight cancellations
Over 1,000 flights canceled The travel impact has reached a national scale. More than 1,000 flights scheduled for Friday and Saturday have been canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field combined. DFW currently leads the nation in total disruptions as airlines proactively slash schedules.
9 a.m.: Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo still on 
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo remains on schedule Despite the frigid forecast, officials with the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo say the event is proceeding as planned. Crews are working around the clock to sand the grounds and protect livestock. Organizers remind guests that while the show goes on, ticket holders should use extreme caution when traveling to the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
8:45 a.m.: Tips for your car during extreme cold 
AAA Texas offers car prep tips AAA officials are urging drivers to check their car batteries today, as starting power can drop by 60% in zero-degree weather. They recommend keeping gas tanks at least half-full to prevent fuel lines from freezing and packing an emergency kit with blankets, a flashlight, and jumper cables.
8:30 a.m.: DFW emergency weather shelters prepare for storm 
Dallas activates emergency shelters The City of Dallas is opening emergency warming centers ahead of the deep freeze. The primary temporary inclement weather shelter will open at the Fair Park Automobile Building at 4 p.m. today. Additional warming stations will be available at city libraries and recreation centers during normal business hours.
8:15 a.m.: Record-breaking cold expected this weekend 
Dallas weather: Jan. 23 morning forecast
You may be experiencing light drizzle in DFW Friday morning, but temperatures will plummet later today. Meteorologist Berkeley Taylor has your winter weather forecast.
Record-breaking cold on the horizon FOX 4 meteorologists are tracking a potential historic freeze. Sunday night and Monday morning could see lows near 6 degrees, which would shatter daily records from 1948 and 1950. Combined with gusty winds, wind chills are expected to plummet to between -4 and -12 degrees.
8 a.m.: TxDOT urges everyone to avoid driving 
TxDOT pre-treating major highways Texas Department of Transportation crews have already begun applying brine and salt to bridges and overpasses, which are the first to freeze. TxDOT urges drivers to avoid the “High Five” and major interchanges once precipitation begins this evening. If you must drive, check DriveTexas.org for real-time road closures.
6 a.m.: Shopper sell out grocery stores 
Dallas Winter Storm: Shoppers clear out grocery stores
If you waited until the last minute to stock your pantry ahead of the major winter storm, prepare for a busy trip to the grocery store. FOX 4’s Payton May is inside Walmart with a look at the sold-out items across Texas.
Shoppers flock to grocery stores Grocery stores across the Metroplex reported long lines at opening as residents stocked up on nonperishable food, water, and batteries. Store managers are encouraging shoppers to buy only what they need for a three-day period to ensure supplies remain available for others.
The Source: Information in this article comes form the National Weather Service and previous FOX 4 reporting.
WeatherWinter WeatherDallasFort Worth