HOUSTON — Houston-area officials are urging residents to start preparing now as an arctic blast approaches ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend.
Several elected officials, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, warned that the time to make preparations is now.
"Let me encourage people right now. Take a look at your exposed pipes and get them wrapped," Turner said. "People need to prepare for a hard freeze Friday and Saturday."
Turner was joined by Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia as the two discussed steps everyone should take, especially those heading out of town, ahead of the cold front.
"If you're going out of town, drain the water in your pipes and turn the water off," Turner said. "Have extra bottled water on hand."
Turner and Garcia said warming centers will be set up for those in need and that sand trucks will be ready in case of ice on the roadways. Shelters will also be set up for the homeless.
A list of warming centers and shelters will be announced within the next day, according to Turner. Turner also said he anticipates all shelters and warming centers will be opened by Thursday afternoon.
Despite the forecast, Turner is optimistic that it won't compare to the 2021 Texas winter freeze.
"It's not going to compare," Turner said. "From what I'm hearing from ERCOT, they don't foresee us losing power. We're looking at two days of a hard freeze."
Timeline of Arctic blast
Thursday -- Arctic cold front arrives, afternoon highs will max out in the 60s - front blows through late in the day leading to plummeting temperatures. In some cases, the temperatures may drop 20 degrees or more in an hour.
Friday -- Bitterly cold air pours in overnight, lows Friday morning are in the teens and 20s. Even high temperatures likely stay below freezing. Hard freeze likely.
Christmas Eve -- Hard freeze potential remains with low temps in the 20s, highs should crack just above freezing in some areas.
Preparing for the freeze
Many people are preparing to hit the road, leaving their homes behind for the holiday season, so you're going to want to prepare now.
It's important to know a hard freeze could impact agricultural crops, outdoor residential plants, and your pipes if you don't properly prepare.
Plumbing technicians say the worst mistake you can make during this cold snap is to do nothing. They recommend doing something as simple as covering your outside pipes with insulation to help make sure your pipes won’t burst.
"Water pipes have the potential to freeze and burst when the outside temperature reaches 20 F or below," according to a Texas A&M study.
Pipes that are most vulnerable to freezing are usually those exposed to severe cold air like swimming pool supply lines and water sprinkler lines.
During cold snaps, you also want to keep the heater running, even if you're out of town for the holiday. It's a good idea to leave your heat on at about 67 degrees to protect your home from the freezing temps, according to Chief Meteorologist David Paul.
Other tips to protect your home:
- Keep the garage door closed if there are water supply lines located inside.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing.
- Keep the heating thermostat set at a consistent temperature day and night.
- If you are going out of town and have a heat pump system, and if the temperature is forecast to be extremely low, you may need to switch the setting to emergency heat and reduce the thermostat setting to 55 °F.
Is ERCOT ready?
We may not see a repeat of the 2021 Texas winter storm, but with cold weather on the horizon, many of us think back to the power problems that crippled Texas and led to hundreds of deaths.
On Friday, ERCOT said this time around, the grid is ready for the Arctic blast headed our way, but as KHOU 11 energy expert Ed Hirs reminds us -- this is something we've heard before.
ERCOT said it has implemented a variety of improvements to make the grid more reliable, including new weatherization works and inspections. The organization said it's coordinating additional fuel supplies for power plants so we don't run into a situation where natural gas providers can't get fuel to the plants that need it.
It also said it has made sure plant maintenance is scheduled well in advance of weather events like this cold snap, but Hirs said there's still a long way to go.
The KHOU 11 Weather Team will know more about the arctic blast as we head into next week. Follow our team meteorologist for updates.