North Texas Sees Varied Snowfall, Drivers Warned of Black Ice

DALLAS – North Texas experienced a mixed bag of snowfall overnight, with some areas receiving significant accumulation while others saw minimal precipitation. Meteorologist Evan Andrews described the event as a ‘crazy forecast,’ with some residents getting exactly what they expected and others left disappointed. ‘Some of you got that heavier precipitation [on Thursday]. Others were waiting for some overnight, and the precip overnight really never got going. We got a little bit of light snow on the backend but not a ton,’ Andrews said.

Areas north of Highway 182 in Cooke and Grayson counties, including Gainesville, Sherman, and Bonham, received more than 6 inches of snow. Wise, Denton, and Collin counties saw between 3 and 6 inches, while Fort Worth and North Dallas accumulated 1 to 3 inches. South of Dallas, snowfall was less than an inch. No additional accumulation is expected on Friday, with only a few light flakes possible early in the morning.

Despite the limited snowfall, drivers are being urged to exercise caution due to the potential for black ice. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned that water left on roadways from melting snow could refreeze as temperatures drop into the teens Friday night. ‘Crews are seeing drivers going too fast for the conditions; we ask drivers to not get overconfident, as there is still a risk of icy conditions,’ said Kenna Mitchell, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Transportation.

Road crews have been working around the clock to mitigate the effects of the storm. The North Texas Tollway Authority began plowing toll roads with convoys Thursday night, using motor graders and truck-mounted plows to move snow and slush to the shoulder. ‘These slow-moving convoys allow us to spread out over the entire width of our roads and get down to the surface as much as possible,’ said spokesperson Michael Rey. ‘Our goal is to get the surface prepared for a hard freeze overnight and into tomorrow.’

Local and state agencies emphasize that road treatments are not a substitute for caution. ‘We are doing everything we can to mitigate the effects of this storm, but it is an extreme weather event that requires patience, attention, and dramatically reduced speeds for travel in winter conditions,’ Rey added.