Dallas weather: Road conditions across North Texas

DALLAS - Temperatures across North Texas are below freezing, and many of us will remain below the freezing point until Friday.

Early-morning temperatures in Dallas County were in the teens with feels-like temperatures in the single digits.

TxDOT crews are in 24/7 operations to monitor overpasses, bridges and other road spots that could become icy due to the cold.

Luckily, there haven't been any major issues on the roadways.

LINK: Dallas-Fort Worth School Closings & Delays

Live Traffic Conditions

 

Wednesday Traffic Conditions

What we know:

Some parts of the Metroplex saw light snow flurries Wednesday morning, but road treatment crews seemed to be well-prepared.

A band of lake-effect snow coming off Lewisville Lake affected Highway 67 in southern Dallas County for a brief time during the morning commute. 

Aside from some minor accidents on major roads, things went pretty smoothly for commuters on Wednesday morning.

The only major slowdowns were because of construction and not the light snow that fell in parts of the DFW area. 

A FOX 4 Drive Cam saw some ice and snow on the ground while driving through several Dallas neighborhoods. As the sun came up, conditions slightly improved.

Some of Wednesday's snow accumulated on the shoulders of some roads. However, major roadways stayed dry after crews pre-treated and cleared out the roads.

TxDOT reopened the express lanes Wednesday since the main lanes were clear.

Keeping Drivers Safe

Local perspective:

The Dallas County Sheriff's Department sent out its Courtesy Patrol Team to help stranded drivers. Fortunately, they weren’t high in demand.

"Every time I pull up behind a vehicle, you don’t know the situation. It could be a single mom, children," said Courtesy Patrol Officer Alan Ordway. "People are stranded every day. And without us, the roads would just be littered with stalled vehicles and people."

The courtesy patrol team can do everything from helping change a tire, giving folks a jump or even dispensing a few gallons of gas to those who've run out.

It's a free service to motorists in Dallas County.

But the team wasn’t as busy as one might think during Wednesday’s frigid weather.

"You can tell the traffic is really medium to light," said Ordway. "So people do stay at home. The news helps to warn people."

Ordway says the elements can be a challenge, but it could always be worse.

"We are non-stop because we’re first responders," he said.               

Well Prepared for the Freeze

What we know:

Crews have pre-treated roads with brine since Friday and are now beginning their around the clock shifts.

TxDOT says crews are staged in different areas to respond to any problem areas.

Fort Worth firefighters stocked up with extra blankets and flares, which they can use to block off roadways or defrost frozen fire hydrants.

Warming Shelters Remain Open

For many, getting inside isn't always easy.

Emergency centers are open across North Texas, and some have even extended their hours.

In response to the dangerous winter weather conditions, the Salvation Army also opened six warming stations across the Metroplex. It is working with other area nonprofits to make sure there is enough shelter for everybody who wants it.

The bitter cold drove the numbers up significantly at Fort Worth’s Presbyterian Night Shelter.

Officials say they housed 786 people overnight campuswide.  Typically, they accommodate 725.

The city of Fort Worth overflow shelter served 89 people. They also shared that 150 additional meals were prepared.

Extended times allowed guests a few more hours indoors than normal.

Shelter will remain open Wednesday night into Thursday morning for another day of freezing temperatures.

Winter WeatherDallasFort WorthTraffic