Winter Storm Watch issued as Southeast Texas faces a major threat of snow and ice

DALLAS – Forecasters are closely monitoring the potential for another powerful winter storm that is expected to blast across the United States this week, just days after the first major winter storm of 2025 ends.

The FOX Forecast Center said the incoming storm is likely to affect cities further south than the latest storm, putting millions of people in cities such as Dallas, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia on alert for winter weather.

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In fact, the first winter storm watches have been issued in the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley and include the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, southeastern Oklahoma, the Little Rock area and extreme northern Louisiana.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has already activated the state’s emergency response resources ahead of the expected storm.

“The state of Texas is working around the clock to ensure Texans have the resources and support they need as severe winter weather impacts communities across Texas,” said Abbot. said in a statement. “As temperatures begin to drop below freezing and regions of Texas face snow, ice and freezing rain, it is critical that everyone remains weather aware.”

More than 700 Texas Department of Transportation crews prepared for winter weather by pretreating roads, bridges and overpasses with more than 500,000 gallons of brine and approximately 800 cubic yards of granular material as temperatures dropped.

Potentially hazardous travel conditions are expected later this week as this new winter storm begins to ramp up.

In addition, Dallas city officials plan to hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss the upcoming storm and what the city is doing to prepare.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said over the weekend it was issuing a Weather Watch because of the expected cold temperatures, higher electric demand and the potential for lower reserves.

Officials said grid conditions are expected to be normal during an ERCOT Weather Watch, but conditions will be monitored and will implement all available tools to manage the grid.

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Details are still uncertain and the forecast could still see some changes, but the latest computer forecast models show snow breaking out Wednesday across parts of New Mexico and Texas.

It is expected to be light at first, but snow and freezing rain will expand and spread across West and North Texas into the Ark-La-Tex region on Thursday.

Significant travel impacts are likely, including on Interstates 35, 20 and 40.

Dallas, which only averages about 1.6 inches of snow each year, will likely see more than a year’s worth of snow from this system and could face its biggest snowstorm since 2010, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

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Travel in cities to the south along Interstate 35, such as Austin and San Antonio, may experience freezing rain, which would make driving hazardous.

On Friday, the mix of snow and ice will spread to the Southeast, with cities like Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee looking at plowable snow, while cities like Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta are flirting with both snow and a significant ice storm.

The outlook becomes even more uncertain as we head into the weekend.

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The FOX Forecast Center said the system could remain weak and move eastward into the Atlantic, while another scenario finds the storm strengthening as it reaches the East Coast.

If that happens, the storm could move north, potentially bringing significant snow and wind to the northeast.

Be sure to download the free FOX Weather app and enable notifications to be alerted of any changes in the forecast.