Ice, wintry mix prompt closures around Lubbock, more to come
Wintry precipitation and sub-freezing temperatures created icy roadways around Lubbock and the South Plains - prompting school and office closures Wednesday and likely more to come on Thursday.
Already, the threat of icy roadway prompted Lubbock County to announce a late, 10 a.m. start at the courthouse Thursday.
Some school and office closures announced for Thursday include
TTUHSC academics 10 a.m. delay. Clinics operate normal hours.
Lubbock ISD - classes are on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Thurs., Feb. 2. Buses will be on a two-hour delay schedule. Weather will continue to be monitored with a cancellation possible if necessary. Updates will be provided tomorrow no later than 7 a.m.
Frenship ISD - campuses will start two hours later than their regular start time. Buses are scheduled to run a regular route two hours later than normal on pavement only. Based on the weather forecasts, there is a possibility of a cancelation, so please watch for updates in the morning.
The YWCA on University Avenue will resume normal operations at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, this includes preschool dropoff. Sun 'n Fun will open at 9 a.m.
The Texas Tech campus in Lubbock has delayed the start of in-person classes until 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 2. In-person classes scheduled to start before that time should move online if feasible. Faculty should consult their email for further instructions. Online classes will continue as scheduled.
TTU and System Administration employees should report at 9:30 a.m. or as directed by their supervisor. Buses will begin running on a normal schedule approximately 1 hour prior to campus opening. Stay tuned to emergency.ttu.edu and local media for updates.
"Freezing rain will transition to light snow by sunrise (Thursday) morning," reads a statement from the National Weather Service in Lubbock. "Little to no accumulation is expected. Roads will continue to be icy thanks to below freezing temps and overnight freezing rain chances."
Lubbock County and much of the central, northern and western South Plains were under a winter weather advisory through early Thursday, with additional ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch transitioning to light snowfall expected through early Thursday.
"Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous," reads the winter weather advisory from NWS Lubbock. "Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commutes."
Southeastern parts of the South Plains and much of north-central Texas were under an ice storm warning, with heavier wintry precipitation accumulations expected, according to the weather service.
Drivers are urged to avoid travel. Those who must travel can go to the Texas Department of Transportation's www.drivetexas.org website for the latest road conditions.
The threat of wintry precipitation prompted Texas Tech and most Lubbock-area school districts to close for the day Wednesday, although drizzle and sleet largely held off until after noon Wednesday.
According to a statement from Covenant Health, the Grace Clinic closed at 4 p.m. Wednesday and Covenant Medical Group Urgent Care clinics closed at 5 p.m.
Lubbock's overnight low early Thursday was expected to fall to 29, with a 60 percent chance of wintry precipitation. The daytime high is expected to reach 49 Thursday, with precipitation chances falling to 20 percent chance through the day. Friday morning's overnight low is expected to fall to 25.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ice, wintry mix prompt closures around Lubbock, more to come
