It Is Going To Be Brutally Cold In East Texas Thursday Night

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A major Arctic blast is making its way from the North Pole across Canada, down through the Great Plains, on the way to East Texas and eventually out to the Gulf Of Mexico. This 'Polar Express' cold front will bring with it some of the coldest weather we've experienced since the debilitating winter storm we experienced in February 2021.

That storm brought with it ice, snow, wind and power outages across the state of Texas and caused widespread damage and unfortunately some deaths too. Thankfully with this system, we are not expected to see the type of winter precipitation like we did in February 2021, but there will be a slight chance that some parts of East Texas could see snow, freezing rain and/or sleet.

How Low Will The Temps Go Thursday?

Once the fast-moving cold front clears East Texas Thursday afternoon, temperatures are expected to drop quickly and will be below freezing by early evening and settle down into the middle to upper single digits in our northern counties, low teens in the central counties and mid-teens in our southern counties, according to KLTV 7 Meteorologists and the National Weather Service.

How Long Will The Sub-freezing Temps Last?

Once we fall below freezing Thursday afternoon/evening, we aren't expected to get back above freezing until Christmas Eve (Saturday), possibly. While it might not be a white Christmas for us, it is going to be a cold one. We're expecting a high near 40 on Christmas Day.

Protect Yourself From The Northerly Winds.

Thanks to the blustery and gusty north winds associated with this front, it is going to feel brutally cold thanks to the sub-zero wind chills. This type of weather could be dangerous for anyone who is outdoors for longer than 15 to 30 minutes.

Prepare For Extreme Cold Weather.

During extremely cold weather events like this remember "The Four P's": People, Pipes, Pets, Plants

You will want to check on your elderly neighbors and make sure they have heat for their home.
You will want to protect and wrap any outside exposed pipes and leave indoor cabinets open and faucets dripping.
You will want to allow any outdoor pets to come indoors, or at least the garage and out of the elements during extreme weather events like this. Make sure any livestock have access to a shelter and some hay for warmth.
You will want to cover and protect any outdoor plants during this extreme cold weather snap.

Will The Texas Power Grid Deliver Power?

That is the biggest question that is on a lot of East Texans' minds after going days without power during the storm in 2021. According to CBS19, ERCOT and the Texas Public Utility Commission have stated that the changes they made to electric delivery after the last storm have improved the performance of electric delivery. At this time ERCOT officials say the electricity supply should keep up with the demand.

Pictures From The Great Winter Texas Snowstorm of 2021

Where were you when Winter Storm Uri hit Texas the week of February 14th and 15th 2021?

The country was already dealing with the COVID crisis and then came another one.

According to weather.com, the storm produced damaging ice from the Northwest.

Texas Cities like Abilene and San Angelo had record snowfall. Beating records that were made back in the late 1800s.

In Austin a record 6.4 inches of snow was recorded at Austin - Bergstrom Airport, their heaviest snow in 72 years, since Jan. 30, 1949.

San Antonio had almost 3 inches of snow bringing them their heaviest snowfall since 1985, those nice people art Seaworld also saw 6 inches of snowfall.

Locally here in the Killeen- Temple area, streets, schools, and businesses were shut down and there were massive power outages. Not to mention a certain electric company going out of business due to the rates of customers skyrocketing!

It was a disaster!

But here we are a year later, we now have stories we can tell our grandkids about how the effects of Winer Storm Uri of 2021 had us all in a frenzy.

Here are some pictures that showcase the good and bad of the great Texas Snowstorm of 2021.