Crews prepare roads, overpasses for possible winter weather
DALLAS - The Texas Department of Transportation and North Texas Tollway Authority are already preparing for the possibility of winter weather on Thursday and Friday.
TxDOT road crews were out spraying a brine solution on the overpasses along Interstate 20 and Highway 67 in southern Dallas County Tuesday afternoon. Another NTTA crew began treating the Dallas North Tollway Wednesday morning.
The preparations have also started in Fort Worth and the areas to the south, west and northwest.
"So we are preparing today in response to that event. We're gonna start with spraying brine on our pavement, specifically our interstate highways and the bridges and overpasses. What we're hoping the brine accomplishes is it lowers the freezing point of any precipitation that falls on the surface. What we're trying to prevent is the ice forming on the bridge deck. So that's what we're focused on today primarily," said Val Lopez, a spokesman for TxDOT.
FOX 4 meteorologists say North Texas will see some rain and possibly some snow Thursday night into Friday morning.
Meteorologist Kylie Capps said areas west and south of the Metroplex have the best chance of seeing heavier, wet flakes and potential accumulation. Surface temperatures across the Metroplex should stay well above freezing but, of course, things can always change.
Meanwhile, elaborate Christmas displays will need to withstand some of the wind gusts in the 50-mile-per-hour range. It has a few homeowners in Arlington's popular Interlochen neighborhood taking some precautions.
Elizabeth Yelverton's yard decorations have outlasted rain, ice and snow. But it wasn't the big bad wolf that nearly blew down their gingerbread house.
“Half of it kind of came up and was blowing in the wind and our dogs were going crazy barking,” she said.
Needless to say, Yelverton isn't thrilled about the 40 to 50 mile per hour winds gusts forecast for Thursday.
"I think right now the plan is to leave it up and try to hope that the anchors will do their job,” she said.
Several residents in the popular Interlochen neighborhood are wondering if their Christmas decorations can take it.
Ralph Sobel would rather not be running around chasing after his decorations.
“We have several items that we don't think can survive 50-mile-an hour winds,” he said. “So we either won't blow them up or will disconnect them or disassemble them.”
Residents are just hoping it all clears up by Friday night when the community officially opens to light gazers.
Stay updated with the forecast at fox4news.com/weather or on the FOX 4 Weather Facebook page. You can also download the WAPP for a live radar, closings, watches & warnings and hourly forecasts.