Latest: North Texans brace for more below-freezing temperatures, another cold front on way

An Arctic cold front continued to hold North Texas in its grip Tuesday, and another cold front is on the way, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

In the Fort Worth area, wind chill was near zero around 7 a.m. Tuesday with the actual temperature around 10-12 degrees, according to NWS meteorologist Madi Gordon.

Temperatures rose throughout the day Tuesday, with a high around 28 degrees, but will drop to around 15 again overnight, according to the NWS.

Residents who have to go out should dress warmly and layer up, Gordon said. Faucets should be kept dripping to avoid damage to pipes.

Wednesday will see warmer weather with daytime highs in the 40s and an overnight low around 34, according to the NWS forecast.

Another cold front is expected to arrive Thursday, but Gordon said it won’t be as strong as the Arctic blast that hit the Metroplex over the weekend. Daytime temperatures for Thursday and Friday will rise above freezing even though overnight lows could dip into the 20s and high teens.

While temperatures will be warmer next week, there will be multiple chances for rain beginning Sunday.

Most of the snow that fell Monday has already melted, but Gordon cautioned that the roads could be still be slick in spots from refreezing. TEXpress managed highway express lanes reopened Tuesday. But broken water mains caused issues on some Dallas-Fort Worth roads.

A water main break at the intersection of Long Avenue and N. Calhoun St. closed the left lanes on both sides of Long from Commerce to Calhoun, the Fort Worth Water Department posted on X around noon. Traffic was being diverted to the right lanes.

Officials said the repairs could take up to two days, and asked commuters to plan their routes accordingly.

Employees from the Fort Worth Water Department were also on the site of a water main break on Felix Street and I-35W, officials said on X.

A Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson said the break hasn’t affected traffic to the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex, which is in that area. No roads have been closed due to that break.

The city has a map showing where water main breaks have been reported in the past seven days, with other spots including U.S. 377 north of Benbrook, and Texas 199 northwest of downtown Fort Worth. Residents can report main breaks and water emergencies using the MyFW app or by calling 817-392-4477.

As of 6 a.m., there were around 16 water main breaks reported in Fort Worth, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.

In downtown Dallas, a water main broke in the 2100 block of North Pearl Street and caused street closures in that area around 6 a.m., WFAA reported.

Autopsies have resumed at the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday after water was restored, officials said. The cold temperatures froze the building’s pipes, and autopsies couldn’t be performed Monday due to no running water.

The National Weather Service issued a hard freeze warning for North Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, that was in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday, and a wind chill advisory was in effect until noon.

ERCOT, which manages most of the state’s electric grid, asked Texans to conserve energy from 6 a.m. until 9 am. Tuesday, saying its operating reserves would be low before solar energy ramped up. ERCOT’s website showed the status of the grid was normal around 10 a.m. Tuesday, but the agency said it might issue another appeal to conserve electricity on Wednesday morning.

ONCOR reported 100 active power outages affecting more than 1,500 customers across its service area around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. About 80 customers were without power in Tarrant County and over 700 in Dallas County.

According to the ONCOR website, the outages were due to wind gusts, below-freezing temperatures and poor road conditions.

“Team members are trained to safely and efficiently work in low temperatures and will work around the clock, so long as weather conditions allow,” ONCOR officials said on the website.

Multiple North Texas school districts, including Fort Worth ISD and TCU canceled classes for Tuesday. Most schools were expected to reopen Wednesday.

Fort Worth ISD is preparing to welcome students on Wednesday at the regular starting time with all campuses open except for Polytechnic High School, which will remain closed because the building is completely without heat, the district said in a statement.

The Fort Worth district said it is taking precautions to provide for the well-being of students and staff, and it encourages families to dress students in layers to stay warm.

The city of Fort Worth shifted trash collections by one day. So Monday’s collections will be on Tuesday, Tuesday’s on Wednesday, Wednesday’s on Thursday, Thursday’s on Friday and Friday’s on Saturday. The city originally canceled collections on Monday and Tuesday but changed the schedule as road conditions improved.

Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County said it would not be delivering meals Tuesday due to “unsafe driving conditions,” according to a press release. It plans to resume meal delivery Wednesday.

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