Many North Texans hoping for the first snowfall this winter are more likely to see a mix of snow flurries, freezing rain and sleet Sunday night through late Monday morning as an arctic cold front moves through the region, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

ERCOT, the agency that manages most of Texas’ power grid, is asking residents to conserve electricity if safe to do so from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday as frigid temperatures continue to grip the state.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from noon Sunday to noon Monday for most of North and Central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Accumulation totals of up to a tenth of an inch of ice are in the forecast. The greatest impacts will be across eastern Central Texas, where freezing rain accumulations are expected to range between 0.10 to 0.15 inches.

Up to half an inch of snow is likely in some areas northeast of the Metroplex, including the Paris area, the weather service said. The main areas that will have a potential for snow will be along the Red River.

Some North Texans saw scattered freezing drizzle Sunday afternoon and snow flurries Sunday night and more precipitation is expected overnight.

The weather service recommends that North Texans stay home if possible because roads may be slick. While elevated roads and bridges will be the most susceptible to ice, untreated surface roads may also become icy.

Temps will be frigidly cold, with a low around 12 degrees Monday night, and likely won’t rise above freezing until Wednesday afternoon. It will feel ever colder outside.

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A Wind Chill Advisory was in effect for Sunday and Monday, with minimum wind chills between 1 below zero and 12 below zero forecast in North Texas.

The Wind Chill Advisory will expand to all areas in the region Monday night through midday Tuesday. Minimum wind chills between 1 below zero and 12 below zero are expected across the entire region.

MedStar ambulance service said Sunday afternoon that it has treated 15 patients for hypothermia since Friday, with 10 of those people transported to hospitals. One woman also was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning from a vehicle running in an enclosed garage.

Weather watches and warnings

A live data feed from the National Weather Service containing official weather warnings, watches, and advisory statements. Tap warning areas for more details. Sources: NOAA, National Weather Service, NOAA GeoPlatform and Esri.

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Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com

Road conditions

The weather service is cautioning people not to drive if possible after wintry precipitation starts falling. But if driving cannot be avoided, a map of road conditions in Fort Worth, Dallas and across Texas can be checked using drivetexas.org or by calling 1-800-452-9292.

For those attending the Cowboys game Sunday, Arlington Public Works Field Operations Manager Shea Sumner said the City of Arlington sanded the walkways at AT&T Stadium and pretreated the roads to help fans get to and from the game.

“We treated all the bridge decks with the salt brine mixture as a precaution,” Sumner told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. “It will turn the snow and ice to a sludge which makes it easier for us to plow off the bridges to keep it safe.”

Arlington Public Works crews with snow plows, sanding equipment and salt brine started working 12-hour shifts Sunday afternoon to help keep the roads clear.

Texas Department of Transportation crews also pre-treat highways with brine before winter weather events. Once precipitation starts, TxDOT crews work around the clock to monitor roadways using salt, sand, chemical de-icers and plows, the department said.

The City of Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department prioritizes bridges and hospital entrances first, followed by critical hills and intersections and targets ices with a sand-salt mixture. The city doesn’t have its own snow plows.

Will power stay on?

ERCOT’s appeal for conservation says grid conditions are expected to be tight Monday and Tuesday morning, with low reserves. An additional appeal may be issued to conserve energy on Tuesday.

Energy-saving tips are online at ercot.com/txans#tips and include lowering your thermostat by a degree or two, avoiding use of large appliances like washers and dryers and turning off and unplugging non-essential lights and appliances.

ERCOT has not announced any plans for rolling blackouts and said the appeal does not mean the grid is experiencing emergency conditions.

Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials on Friday warned of “ultra cold temperatures” and urged Texans to take precautions, but said they’re confident that Texas’ electric grid will be able to stand up to the winter weather.

“We believe that the power grid, ERCOT, is going to be able to ensure that power is available through the entirety of this winter storm,” Abbott said during a news conference at the State Operations Center in Austin.

As of Sunday night, the supply and demand of electricity is projected to be the tightest Monday and Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. — with demand forecast to briefly exceed capacity Tuesday, according to projections on ERCOT’s website.

The current winter weather is different from the deadly February 2021 winter storm that left millions without power in two ways, Abbott said. This event will not last as long, he said. Additionally, during the 2021 storm, there were times when most if not all of the state was under cloud cover, which “made it more difficult for all of the power fleet to be operational,” he said.

Still, there is a possibility of local power outages that could be caused by ice on lines, high winds or accidents that damage power poles.

In the Fort Worth area, to report an outage or check the status of an outage with Oncor, text OUT to 66267 on your cell phone or tablet, download the MyOncor App, visit Oncor.com or call 888-313-4747.

View outage maps and contact info for other providers in the state at puc.texas.gov/storm/contact.aspx

Electric outages Dallas - Fort Worth vicinity

Here is Oncor's power outages map. Outage information is sent from Oncor to the outage map every 10 minutes. Source: stormcenter.oncor.com

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Current Temperatures

Current temperatures and weather data from NOAA weather stations updated hourly. Tap on the map for current weather conditions, including humidity, wind speed. and direction. Data provided by NOAA and Esri.

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Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com

Will schools close?

North Texas schools are already closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King Day holiday.

Most school districts likely will wait until Monday or early Tuesday morning to announce decisions about whether students will need to report for classes on Tuesday.

Cold weather shelters available

Fort Worth’s regular emergency shelters are ready to serve people on cold nights:

• Presbyterian Night Shelter: On cold weather days, shelter intake begins at noon instead of 2 p.m. Individuals enrolled in programs do not need to leave the shelter during the day. During extreme weather, overnight guests are able to stay in the shelter throughout the day.

• Union Gospel Mission: On cold weather days, UGM begins shelter intake at 1 p.m.

• Families that include at least one parent and one child can seek shelter at Broadway Baptist Church, which is open for check-in from 7-9 p.m. each evening.

If local homeless shelters reach capacity, overflow facilities will be opened. In that case, those in need of cold weather shelter in Fort Worth or surrounding cities should report to the Flag Building at 1100 East Lancaster, where the When We Love organization will handle check-ins and transportation.

In Arlington, anyone in need of shelter should go to Arlington Life Shelter at 325 W. Division St. If that shelter is full, transportation will be provided to another facility.

“Our community has a plan in place and is working to ensure no one is left out in the cold,” said Lauren King, executive director for the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, in a news release. “If a member of the public sees someone outside unsheltered, please encourage them to seek shelter. We will find them a warm bed.”

For more information about emergency shelter options, visit the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition website. To receive alerts about cold weather shelter in Arlington, text ARL COLD to 877-799-4950. For Fort Worth, text FWCOLD to 877-799-4950.

Airport flight statuses

The latest information about cancellations and delays is available on the FlightAware website at flightaware.com.

If you’re traveling out of DFW Airport, you can check the status of your flight at dfwairport.com/flights/

For Dallas Love Field, go to dallas-lovefield.com/airlines-flights/flight-status