Managing Editor Alex Ortuno

**UPDATE II: Dallas College will remain closed on Saturday, Feb. 5, due to inclement weather. All in-person classes are cancelled, with online classes remaining available. Regular operations are scheduled to resume on Monday, Feb. 7.

**UPDATE: Dallas College announced that all of its locations would close beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday due to inclement weather, including the Richland Campus.

Winter weather arrived in the DFW Metroplex Wednesday evening, and a Winter Weather Warning was issued by the NWS for all of the Metroplex and surrounding counties and will be in effect until 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Sleet and snow accumulations are expected to be around 2 to 4 inches while ice is expected to accumulate to between .1 and .2 of an inch.

The Warning advises that travel can become dangerous as hazardous conditions will impact Thursday’s commute. Persons who must travel are advised to keep a flashlight, blanket, water and emergency food in their vehicle.

While not anticipated to bury the state in snow, winter weather is expected for the Metroplex and surrounding areas for Wednesday evening and Thursday, followed by cold temperatures. In anticipation of this storm, Dallas College has closed all of its campuses for Thursday and Friday, sending out the following message:

“Due to anticipated inclement weather, all Dallas College locations will be closed Feb. 3 and 4, and all in-person classes will be canceled . All online classes and virtual student services will remain open and available. Employees should work remotely to continue college operations and student support virtually.”

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth is forecasting rain for the Metroplex for Wednesday with the evening hours expected to be icy weather. Thursday is expected to continue the icy weather. A wintry mix of sleet, rain, frozen rain and ice is expected with a large part of the day having snow. Friday and Saturday are expected to be clear of any precipitation,  but the cold temperatures will be present with wind chills as low as single digits. A winter storm warning is in effect for all North Central Texas, including the Metroplex from 6 p.m.  Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday.

The National Weather Service mentions on its website that this event will be different than the snowstorm of  February 2021. With ice expected from the storm, travel can become dangerous and more difficult  compared to snow. Temperatures will not be as cold as the previous storm and will allow thawing much sooner.

Even though a winter storm alert can bring back memories of the “Big Freeze” of  2021, it is not expected to be a repeat of last year’s devastating winter storm.  According to the National Weather Service, the upcoming winter storm is expected to be different in several ways.

This storm will be have more ice and sleet than snow and will have about three days where temperatures will be around or below freezing.

Low temperatures will reach around 5 to 15 degrees on Friday in comparison to the previous winter storm where temperatures reached from 5 to negative 5. One of the largest concerns of this upcoming storm is the possibility of ice potentially causing more dangerous driving conditions compared to snow.

Localized power outages may occur rather from ice on trees and powerlines in comparison to the outages caused from the freeze by high demand.

With the winter weather predicted to strike very soon, Dallas College decided to take preemptive action and close all of its campuses. Alex Lyda, senior director of communications for Dallas College, explained “With the freezing temperatures and hazardous road conditions forecasted for Thursday, Dallas College will continue to monitor conditions over the next 48 hours. In the event of a campus closure and as circumstances dictate, employees may be asked to work remotely to continue college operations and support students virtually. Winter weather events such as the one predicted for Thursday are often when our students need us most, so it is important we continue to be available to serve our students”

“Alerts regarding changes to campus operations will be sent via, text, voice, email and be posted on official Dallas College social media accounts, as well as via the Dallas College homepage, which will feature live updates,” said Lyda.

Further updates on an ongoing situation about inclement weather should be monitored closely, even if any updates come during a regular day of operations.

“Students, faculty, and staff should monitor Dallas College notifications, the college website, local television and radio stations for weather closing announcements.”

As campuses close for the inclement weather, Dallas College will still maintain operations as classes and services will transition to virtual operations.

“Facilities is also planning to have someone walk all our buildings several times per day. Buildings will be kept as warm as possible to prevent freezing pipes. And our facilities staff have been working valiantly to seal off leaky and drafty dampers that may let in cold air that would hit HVAC coils, fire sprinkler pipes, etc,” Lyda said.

The National Weather Service urges residents to take action such as changing plans to stay home if possible, stocking up on essential supplies, checking on elderly neighbors, family and anyone who may be vulnerable during winter conditions. Residents are also asked to take precautions on pipes, pets, people and plants. Sprinklers can become a hazard as they can create icy surfaces that can lead to injuries if not taken care of.

Dallas College officials said they  will continue to monitor the situation on the inclement weather and provide updates if deemed necessary.

The weather forecast may change as more information becomes available. Local media and the National Weather Service will be providing further updates on the forecast as new data is gathered. Readers are advised to monitor local media and the National Weather Service as the day progresses as new changes to the forecast may happen. To see the National Weather Service in Fort Worth’s page, visit: www.weather.gov/fwd/

**This story will be updated as necessary as new information becomes available.