Cold temperatures and chances of snow are in store for much of West Texas this week, with the National Weather Service in Midland forecasting anywhere from 1 to 3 inches through Thursday night in the Permian Basin and Big Bend regions.
Temperatures are set to dip into the teens and low-20s across the region Tuesday night, with snow chances beginning to develop first in the Permian Basin and then becoming more widespread by Wednesday afternoon.
Forecasters are expecting between a 30 to 40% chance of snow for the Permian Basin and some of the Big Bend mountain areas by Wednesday afternoon. For most of West Texas, the possibility of snow is expected to grow to about 50% on Thursday.
“The heaviest snowfall potential in our area would probably be up to the Permian Basin, Midland-Odessa, and along the I-20 corridor toward Snyder, Big Spring and points east,” said Cody Lindsey, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Midland office.
Still, Lindsey said the Big Bend mountain regions – from the Davis Mountains to the Marfa Plateau and the Alpine area – could also see an accumulation of snow.
Some parts of the Big Bend area near the Rio Grande will more likely see a mix of snow and rain, forecasters said.
Daytime temperatures will struggle to get above freezing for many areas on Wednesday and Thursday, which forecasters said could lead to travel hazards as snow accumulations refreeze overnight.
“That’s something people need to be very mindful of. You could have some slick roadways continuing with the very cold temperatures even after the snowfall has ended,” Lindsey said.
With most of Texas set for winter weather this week, officials will be pretreating roadways across the state and taking other precautionary measures. Forecasters in the El Paso area said the snow could lead to some “minor” travel impacts on untreated roads.
ERCOT, the electric grid operator for much of the state, issued a Weather Watch on Sunday, citing the potential for high energy demand across the state and lower power reserves. Still, ERCOT said grid conditions were expected to remain normal through the week.
In Midland, officials said multiple warming centers would be open through the duration of the cold snap, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. The Salvation Army in Midland and Odessa typically open as warming centers when temperatures drop below freezing.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management also maintains an interactive map of warming shelters across the state.
