Winter weather events like ice and snow storms are exceptionally rare in Texas, a state better known for mild winters and blazing summers. Most years pass with little more than a few cool days, and even when cold fronts sweep through, they typically bring temperatures just below freezing for a short time rather than prolonged subfreezing conditions. Because the state’s infrastructure, homes, and utilities are not built for extended cold, even a moderate freeze can cause outsized disruption to daily life. Houston and other Gulf Coast cities in particular rarely see significant snow or ice, making each such event a novelty for residents and forecasters alike.
When ice and snow do arrive they can be devastating. Even light accumulations of freezing rain can turn roads into hazards and knock down tree limbs and power lines, leading to power outages and travel chaos. In more severe events, widespread ice and snow have crippled communities, disrupted transportation networks, and caused billions of dollars in economic losses. The impacts are often most acute for vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, and people without reliable heating, underscoring just how unprepared much of Texas is for sustained winter extremes.
Perhaps no winter storm in recent memory illustrates Texas’s vulnerability like the February 2021 deep freeze, which brought days of subfreezing temperatures across the entire state. Millions lost power and water for several days, and the cascading infrastructure failures contributed to significant loss of life and economic damage. While rare relative to other weather threats in Texas, these ice and snow events leave an outsized mark when they occur…