Houston Officials Alert The Public Of What To Expect Before Cold Snap Comes To The City

Ahead of the upcoming cold snap, local officials convened on Friday to alert members of the public about what to be aware of while bundling up and hunkering down in their residences to wait out the subfreezing temperatures early next week.

Mayor John Whitmire encouraged residents to stay home and avoid road travel, particularly during the worst cold days on Monday and Tuesday.

“If you unnecessarily drive in the next few days, or if you get caught outdoors, be smart during these times,” Whitmire said at the press conference. “It will pay off.”

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner echoed Whitmire’s urge to limit outdoor activity and transportation and assured residents that the weather should be all right for Saturday’s Texans playoff game.

However, Finner added this might not be true for the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday morning. The Arctic blast bringing in the low temperatures is expected to settle into the area during this time.

According to Space City Weather, those running or cheering family members and loved ones can expect temperatures in the upper 30 to low 40 degrees for much of the day.

Finner said the department’s Homeless Outreach Team will be out before the cold weather arrives, looking for individuals to relocate somewhere warmer. He asked that anyone who sees someone outside call the department’s non-emergency number, 3-1-1, so they can assist anyone looking for shelter.

The department’s Animal Cruelty Task Force will also be out in the community alongside the city’s animal shelter, BARC. During the previous winter storm, Finner said the team received roughly 544 calls reporting animals on the loose.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña warned residents with the cold weather coming in to stay cautious of how family members and neighbors stay warm.

Peña said every year, thousands of people end up at the emergency room for accidental carbon monoxide poisoning because they use improperly working furnaces, generators indoors and stoves or ovens to heat their homes.

“Carbon monoxide is colorless, it’s odorless, and it’s poisonous,” he said. “It can very easily reach levels that are lethal to both humans and animals.”

Peña added that people opt to use a space heater temporarily to make sure that they place it three feet away from anything that may be combustible, they don’t fall asleep with it on and avoid plugging it into an extension cord as it will likely overheat.

Meteorologists expect temperatures to be below 25 degrees for eight to 10 hour periods at a time in Houston on Monday and Tuesday night.

Officials said along with monitoring Texas grid operations for any energy or power-related issues, they will be watching Houston Transtar cameras for any potential ice on the roadways.

Houston Public Works is pretreating the nearby freeways, overpasses and streets. The department also has trucks ready to deploy sand and gravel.

Precipitation could be seen on Monday, which may cause light ice to cover the roads, particularly North and West of Houston, and could affect some spots along Tuesday morning’s commute.

Monday and Tuesday may feel chillier than anticipated with wind chills dropping to 10 degrees or lower on Tuesday. They stay in the teens for most of Tuesday into Wednesday morning. However, this cold weather is not expected to stick around for long, with freezing temperatures dissipating Wednesday afternoon.