An updated forecast on Monday shows that cities in north Texas and the panhandle will be hit hardest by an incoming arctic blast. Meanwhile, some areas in the state might be subject to temperatures as low as minus 1 degree Fahrenheit.
An arctic blast is set to target much of the United States this week, with a rush of colder than normal air accompanied by possible blizzard conditions expected to strike the middle of the country. For Texas, however, meteorologists and residents have been voicing concern over the harsh temperatures' potential to stress the power grid once again.
In February 2021, three severe winter storms burdened the state's power grid that had millions of people lose power in life-threatening temperatures. In addition, hundreds died after several days without access to heat.
Amarillo, Texas, could see temperatures dip to 1 degree Fahrenheit on Wednesday, which could fall even further by Thursday, according to the Weather Channel. If the forecasted lows are reached, the temperatures could be as much as 40 degrees lower than the average temperature during this time of year for the Texas panhandle. Winds reaching 30 or 40 miles per hour could cause Amarillo temperatures to feel as low as minus 17 degrees.
Earlier this year, Amarillo saw similarly uncommon forecasts when a storm threatened to dump an entire season's worth of snow on the city overnight.
Meanwhile, Monday's forecast said that cities a little further south like Dallas and Fort Worth could see temperatures plummet to 11 degrees, although temperatures could feel as low as minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit due to the wind chill.
"It's going to be a notable change for Dallas and Fort Worth," AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter previously told Newsweek. "They have been running considerably above average in terms of temperatures, so dealing with this is going to be a big change."
Temperatures, luckily, will begin to rise Friday and could return to 50 degrees Fahrenheit by Christmas or shortly after for Amarillo.
Although the arctic blast is expected to plunge Texas into frigid temperatures, the Lone Star State won't be subject to much snow. As of Monday, the snow was expected to miss Texas, which could be the power grid's saving grace.
Meanwhile, Porter told Newsweek on Monday that he doesn't expect the incoming arctic air to cripple the power grid as badly as the three storms did last year.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
