AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says the state is ready for severe winter weather that is about to hit the state, saying officials are ready to "robustly respond" to whatever the storm brings.
A Winter Storm WARNING will be in effect for all of the Austin metro counties from 3AM Thursday until 6PM Thursday...
An arctic cold front is expected to descend into the state throughout the day on Wednesday, bringing sub-freezing temperatures along with wintry precipitation to much of the state. That precipitation is expected to continue into the day on Thursday, leading to ice accumulation and other wintry impacts across much of the northern two-thirds of the state.
Among the biggest concerns for officials is the state's electric power grid, with ERCOT officials projecting last week that demand could reach near-record levels at the height of the coldest temperatures Friday morning. Abbott says those same projections show ERCOT with nearly 15,000 megawatts of excess power in reserve during those peak times.
With the forecast leaning towards freezing rain and sleet in much of the state, significant icing could create local power issues that aren't related to grid issues - issues such as fallen trees, ice on lines, animals, or other localized weather impacts. "That doesn't mean there are challenges with the power grid," said Abbott.
Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation say they're working on weather preparations in all 25 statewide districts, including crews here in the Austin area. While the agency says its crews will try to keep roadways open, Texans should still avoid any non-essential travel while conditions are unsafe.
"We don't want to give anyone a false sense of security that you're not going to encounter hazardous conditions," said TxDOT executive director Marc Williams. "There's simply going to be risk out there when we encounter this type of winter weather event."
Stay with Talk 1370 and Talk1370.com for the latest details as this winter storm event continues to develop.