|
MRT (free): Snow Comes to Houston // Bush, Hobby Airports Closed // Grid Holds Steady // CenterPoint: 3k Workers Ready // TX Dems to Benefit from Burrows Win?
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
|
| |||||||||||||||
 |
MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
Subscribe to the daily email here
TUESDAY || 1/21/25
Good Tuesday afternoon.
Thank you for being a paid subscriber.
“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED
Are you one of the 100,000+ subscribers to ATX Pulse, a newsletter that delivers EVERYTHING you NEED TO KNOW about Austin?
 |
Subscriptions are $5/mo, $50/yr or $199/lifetime here: ATXpulsepremium.com.
TOP NEWS
“A rare winter storm is bringing snow, sleet and ice to Texas and the northern Gulf Coast,” AP's Sarah Brumfield — “A rare winter storm charging through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday has closed highways and airports and prompted the first blizzard warning for southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.
The storm is expected to scatter heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain around the Deep South as a blast of Arctic air plunges much of the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.
Nearly 2,000 flights within the U.S. or entering or leaving the country were canceled Tuesday with about 10,000 more flights delayed, according to online tracker FlightAware.com. In Texas, both Houston airports said that flight operations would be suspended starting Tuesday in expectation of hazardous conditions.
The East Coast endured a thick blanket of snow while people from the Northern Plains to the tip of Maine shivered in bitterly cold temperatures from the frigid arctic air mass that sent temperatures plunging well below normal. Dangerously cold wind chills were expected to persist through Tuesday morning.
Lakesha Reed, manager of Beaucoup Eats catering in New Orleans, had plans to fly out Tuesday to cook for a Mardi Gras-style event in the nation’s capital, but flights were canceled amid extreme cold. The 47-year-old New Orleans native said it was in the 30s early Monday afternoon in her port city, where near-freezing temperatures are rare.
“We can barely drive in the rain,” she said. “Last year, we wore shorts for Mardi Gras.”
Winter storm warnings extended from Texas to North Carolina on Tuesday, with heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain expected to move eastward through the region into Wednesday. Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared Monday night across at least a dozen counties in New York as heavy lake-effect snow was expected around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie through Wednesday — with 1 to 2 feet possible — along with extreme cold temperatures.
Ahead of the storm, governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, declared states of emergency and many school systems canceled classes Tuesday.
The blizzard warning in effect until midday Tuesday was the first issued by the office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to meteorologist Donald Jones. Strong winds with heavier snow bands were reducing visibility, and areas across the Gulf South that rarely see snow are expecting near-record or record snowfall, Jones said.
“The last time we saw snow of this magnitude was way back in 1960, and prior to that, the previous snowfall record that even stands to this day was way back in 1895,” Jones said. “By modern standards this is going to be a historic and very memorable storm for this part of the world.”
In Harahan, a suburb of New Orleans, as a rare snowstorm began to cover the roads, a Harahan police officer without gloves rubbed his hands to warm them, after responding to a church security alarm. Sleet changed to snow as the sun rose, with scarcely a car on the road.
Before snow and sleet began falling Monday night, Houston Mayor John Whitmire asked residents to stay off the roads.
“Get prepared to be in your house, in your residence, in your warming place for the next 48 hours,” he said noting that temperatures weren’t expected to get above freezing until Thursday. “So don’t let even clear skies on Wednesday and other days fool you. This is a serious arctic blast.”
Snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour or more were possible from eastern Texas to the western Florida panhandle and historic snowfall of 3 to 6 inches was forecast along the Interstate 10 corridor including Houston; New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected across Georgia, northern Florida and the eastern Carolinas from Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Forecasters warned the subfreezing morning lows could threaten sensitive vegetation and exposed plumbing in areas unaccustomed to bitter cold." AP
TOP NEWS
KHOU: “Latest on icy road conditions from sleet and snow in the Houston area” KHOU
KHOU: “Bush, Hobby Airports remained closed Tuesday due to snow, sleet” KHOU
HOU CHRON: “CenterPoint updates Houston on winter storm prep, has 3K workers ready” Houston Chronicle ($)
HOU CHRON: “Funeral held for Brazoria County Sheriff's Deputy Jesus 'Jesse' Vargas” Houston Chronicle ($)
#TXLEGE
TX TRIB: “Texas Democrats hope to benefit after boosting Dustin Burrows to House speaker” Texas Tribune
TX TRIB: “Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Legislature should clarify Texas abortion law to protect mothers at risk” Texas Tribune
STATE GOVERNMENT
BLOOMBERG WIRE: “Extreme cold and record snowfall to test Texas power grid” Bloomberg Wire
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
TX TRIB: “Trump praises Abbott at inauguration, promises to militarize border and build wall” Texas Tribune
BUSINESS NEWS
AAS: “2.6M Tesla vehicles under investigation due to Actually Smart Summon feature” AAS ($)
BLOOMBERG WIRE: “Trump plans to enact 25% tariffs on Mexico, Canada on Feb. 1” Bloomberg Wire
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> AP: "Bitter cold spreads across much of the US as Texas and the South brace for rare winter storm" AP
> TX MONTHLY: "Cecile Richards Found Joy in the Fight" TX MONTHLY
> TX TRIB: "Trump ends CBP One, a Biden-era border app that gave legal entry to nearly 1 million migrants" TX TRIB
> TX TRIB: "Texas regulators overhaul oilfield waste rule for the first time in four decades" TX TRIB
> FWST: "‘Going to be madness.’ Trump’s flood of day one executive orders would upend tradition" FWST
> HOU CHRON: "Trump declares energy emergency in boost for Texas oil and gas" HOU CHRON
> AP: "Deep South braces for a rare winter storm threatening heavy snow, sleet and ice" AP
> HOU CHRON: "Trump moves to expand on Abbott's border crackdown in first actions" HOU CHRON
> AP: "Former Planned Parenthood president, women’s rights activist Cecile Richards has died at 67" AP
> FWST: "‘Aggressive’ driver gunned down after brake checking and chasing couple, TX cops say" FWST
> TX TRIB: "Oil companies leaked less methane in West Texas, a new report says. Environmentalists are skeptical." TX TRIB
> DMN: "Migrants outside El Paso turned away" DMN
> DMN: "Fire in North Dallas injures 3 people early Monday" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "Here's which areas of Houston and Texas could see the most snow" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Inside Los Vaqueros' new Fort Worth Stockyards location" DMN
> DMN: "Old White Rock Skate Center in Lake Highlands for sale" DMN
> DMN: "Blue Fish closed in Dallas — but founder wants to bring it back" DMN
> DMN: "Dallas weather: North Texas may get snow flurries, no accumulation" DMN
EXTRA POINTS
Last night's Texas sports score:
> NBA: Detroit 107, Houston 96
> NCAAM: Lamar 78, Nicholls 74
> NCAAM: Alcorn State 78, Prairie View A&M 70
> NCAAM: SE Louisiana 76, East Texas A&M 68
> NCAAM: McNeese 79, Stephen F. Austin 59
> NCAAM: Texas Southern 81, Jackson State 73
> NCAAM: UT-RGV 85, Incarnate Word 78
> NCAAM: Houston Christian 76, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 72
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 6pm: NCAAM: Texas Tech at Cincinnati (ESPNU)
> 6:30pm: NCAAM: UTSA at UAB (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NHL: Carolina at Dallas (ESPN+)
> 8pm: NCAAM: #23 Missouri at Texas (SEC Network)
> 8pm: NCAAM: #25 Louisville at SMU (ACC Network)
HOUSTON TEXANS: "Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans plans to evaluate staff this week" Houston Chronicle ($)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Will Jerry Jones go big, bold with Cowboys head coach" DMN ($)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Cowboys interested in interviewing Brian Schottenheimer for Head Coach job" DMN ($)
HOUSTON ROCKETS: "Houston Rockets: Detroit wins with fast breaks, rebounds" Houston Chronicle ($)
| ||||||||||
