Winter weather is here, Dallas: How to decide whether to travel, or ‘simply stay home’

Winter weather has officially arrived in North Texas, with snow forecast as early as Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

The Texas Department of Transportation’s Dallas District began emergency operations Monday, with crews working 12-hour shifts to treat roads throughout the winter event.

Crews began applying brine to roadways mid-morning Monday across the district’s seven-county area, a spokesperson confirmed.

Brine is being applied to the outside lanes of all major highways first, and then other lanes and roadways as time permits before the storm arrives.

Bridges and overes are the first to freeze, TxDOT warns, so drivers should exercise caution.

“If winter storms are forecast, consider delaying your travel or simply stay home,” TxDOT spokesperson Tila Grant said.

“If travel is a must, check forecasts and visit DriveTexas.org or call 800-452-9292 for highway and road conditions on your planned route,” Grant added.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail lines were operating on 30-minute headways Monday morning due to “various cold weather-related issues,” with delays possible throughout the rest of the day, the agency said in a rider alert update.

‘Variety of scenarios’

DART staff are checking and maintaining the generators at the agency’s facilities, and will work to treat walkways at bus and train stations ahead of Thursday. However, specific impacts will depend on weather developments, staff said Monday.

“If, for example, a large amount of ice accumulates on our overhead catenary system, or the system loses power, DART could establish bus shuttles to help aid in transporting engers,” spokesperson Anna Kurian said in an email.

“Our team is preparing for a variety of scenarios that are dependent on the weather,” Kurian added.

DART has previously expanded times at agency transit centers when temperatures drop below freezing for several days to allow customer making transfers within the system shelter, Kurian said. Riders can sign up for alerts and find warming stations using the Go app.

The Dallas Police Department is reminding drivers to slow down and stay alert, and advising not to leave vehicles running unattended to warm them up. The department will continue to post safety tips on its social media platforms, a spokesperson said Monday.