Severe Winter Storm Set to Create Travel Nightmares Beginning Monday Night

HOUSTON – Houston is positioned in the center of a winter storm set to release multiple inches of snow and a mix of wintry precipitation over states recognized for their temperate winters.

A primary worry regarding this storm is travel. Navigating through snow, sleet, and ice will pose risks and may prove fatal.

“Travel is going to be extremely challenging, if not unfeasible,” indicated Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner.

The Texas Department of Transportation is presently working on preparing roads with pre-treatment as the Houston metro area could experience up to six inches of snow.

“We do not possess the ability to make them safe or usable for daily traffic,” stated Harris County Judge Linda Hidalgo. “Thus, I urge residents to plan accordingly.”

While teams focus on areas with high traffic and prioritize regions – such as interstates, the Medical Center, and main thoroughfares – they lack sufficient resources to treat all streets in every neighborhood.

This implies that your street could remain covered in ice and snow for several days.

A representative from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) mentioned during a press briefing on Saturday that the emphasis is placed on highways, bridges, and overpasses.

“This creates a very, very complicated situation for drivers,” explained Raquelle Lewis, a TxDOT spokesperson. “Please avoid any non-essential travel.”

Both the state and county are pre-treating the roads with a solution referred to as “brine.”

This is a straightforward mixture of salt and water. They blend these components and spray it onto the roadway as trucks traverse it.

You might spot brine on the roads as thin, white streaks that resemble chalk.

However, it cannot contend with six inches of snow.

Northern regions depend on salt and snowplows to maintain road access.

Both the City of Houston and Harris County inform KPRC 2 that they lack any snowplows.

“The county does not possess snowplows, consistent with the area we reside in,” Hidalgo stated.

The state has some plows and is actively working to position them in Houston prior to the winter storm on Tuesday.

“We have several snowplows being deployed in this locality should they be needed,” remarked Lewis.

With a zero snowplow presence in Houston or Harris County, how will we get the snow off the streets?

The solution: Mother Nature.

“Our plan, right, in these circumstances, is simply to wait for the temperature to increase, allowing the snow to melt,” Hidalgo explained. “This should take place late Wednesday, if not Thursday.”

Thus, it could take several days prior to your street being clear and safe for driving.