3:30 p.m. update: The combined City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled due to weather. All agenda items will be moved to the Jan. 29 meeting. The city secretary office will contact all constituents who signed up for public comment to inform them of the change.
12:30 p.m. update: Against the backdrop of frigid temperatures, no classes and a day off for many workers, Houston did not disappoint. Houston firefighters and cops launched into an impromptu snowball fight, captured on X.
related to WEATHER
Makeshift sleds & snowball fights: A Houstonian snow day in photos
by Lexi Parra / Photo Editor
Hermann Park and Allen Parkway became mini skip slopes and makeshift sled trails. Cardboard boxes serving as the urban sled. And trains, covered in snow, moved through Houston, with some resembling a giant Lionel train set, as seen on Livetrains.com. And side streets remained quiet, kids and parents taking selfies, even a 4-wheeler pulling a laundry basket with a well covered child in tow.
12:00 p.m. update: After warnings from city and state officials to stay off the roads, Houstonians appear to be doing just that. Outside of a few stragglers across the city, Houston TranStar’s traffic cameras show an unusual sight for the city at around 11:30 a.m.: mostly empty freeways.
The agency’s traffic monitoring system shows 51 roads closed due to the presence of ice as of noon. On the accident front, TranStar shows five incidents on the freeway and three local street incidents, along with eight stalled vehicles.
Freeways across the city remain covered in snow, and icy conditions are expected to last into Wednesday. TranStar’s traffic map shows much of the area’s freeway traffic is moving slower than normal at noon.
— Akhil Ganesh
11:40 a.m. update: Deputies from the Harris County sheriff’s office responded to a call after a “possible unhoused” man was found dead at a Wendy’s parking lot in Katy on Fry Road.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted that the death is “likely weather-related,” which would make it first reported fatality in the Houston area from Winter Storm Enzo.
— Céilí Doyle
10:30 a.m. update: Road safety was the main message from the Houston Police Department to Houstonians as snow continued to fall on Tuesday morning, according to HPD.
Officers were also reaching out to members of the homeless community caught in the cold “offering rides to the city’s warming centers, if desired,” spokeperson Shay Awosiyan told the Houston Landing.
“We’re urging everybody to stay off the roads,” he said. “Officers are still working.”
— Eileen Grench
9:45 a.m. update: Mayor John Whitmire’s office announced this morning that 1,100 people have used the city’s warming centers after Winter Storm Enzo swooped through the Houston area last night and into this morning.
The number is up from yesterday’s announced total of 600 people in the city’s warming centers.
9:00 a.m. update: Watch the snow fall from livetrains.com railcam
8:30 a.m. update: As predicted a heavy band of snow swooped through the Houston area over the last hour. The heaviest of the snow may be coming to an end but the roads will be treacherous and people should stay off the roads.
6:30 a.m. update: Houston Transtar’s roadway map shows ice on dozens of highways and overpasses across greater Houston, including highways 290 and 99 and interstate 45 and others. Highway directors are recommending that motorists avoid the highways.
The city and region is blanketed in snow that continues to fall. The University of Houston webcams show widespread snow across campus.
6:00 a.m. update: As many Houstonians wake up for the morning cup of coffee, a thin layer of snow has fallen over night. For the first time since 2021 the area has experienced snowfall with more expected into the early afternoon.
Winter Storm Enzo began dropping precipitation in the Houston area around 10 p.m. last night and the snow started falling before midnight. Snow totals have varied in the region, but according to the National Weather Service the stronger bands of snow will begin around 9 a.m.
Mayor John Whitmire urged residents to find a safe place to wait out the storm.
“We think maybe the freezing temperatures will never get above freezing until probably Thursday, so don’t let clear skies for Wednesday and other days fool you,” Whitmire said at a Monday evening press conference. “This is a serious arctic blast.”
The National Weather Service has projected between one to three inches of snow in Houston with some areas, specifically around the I-10 corridor to the coast, potentially seeing as much as three to five inches.
The city has not seen snow since the 2021 Great Texas Freeze that lasted almost nine days and left almost 10 million people statewide without power.
The current winter storm warning is in effect from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday with the most snow projected Tuesday evening, followed by a widespread freeze through Wednesday. NWS predicted an extreme cold watch though Wednesday morning.
The city has been preparing since last week, Whitmire said. City offices, courts and airports will be closed Tuesday, but essential services will still be available.
“The city of Houston is prepared for severe weather,” he said Sunday. “Lower activity. Look out for one another. But let’s collaborate with one another. If you see a neighbor or a loved one that needs something, reach out to them and contact your city resources.”
How to prepare for the freezing temperatures coming to Houston this week
Whitmire’s administration did not have any pressing concerns as of a Monday evening briefing but is keeping in communication with Centerpoint, NWS and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, spokesperson Mary Benton told the Landing.
The CenterPoint outage map showed 70 outages as of 5:30 p.m., affecting more than 1,100 customers. ERCOT has told the city there is enough excess power in the grid to keep from widespread outages, but situations could change in the coming days, Benton said.
No work was done by city teams to reduce vegetation to protect powerlines, Whitmire said, but the precipitation is not expected to cause widespread damage to overhanging trees as it did during Hurricane Beryl.
The city also operates 10 warming centers for residents that will remain open potentially until Thursday. More than 600 people utilized the centers Sunday night, Whitmire said Monday. The state government worked with the city to provide blankets and meals at the centers, Whitmire said.
Residents can call the non-emergent police line or 311 for information on how to get a free ride to a warming center near them.
Houston Public Works began treating local roads with a brine solution Sunday. The Texas Department of Transportation also pretreated highways and overpasses. The agency is recommending that motorists stay off roadways, but if drivers must be on the road, they should slow down and avoid steep roadways and overpasses, the latter which may be closed.
To keep track of road conditions, traffic cameras and roadways, link to TxDOT here.
The treatment acts differently than if the department had salted the roads – instead of melting the ice, it lowers the freezing point. The roads still will freeze and residents should keep off the roads said Randy Macchi, Houston Public Works Director.
Officials said the roads will likely freeze before being covered with snow, which could then freeze again. When driving is absolutely necessary, Whitmire told residents to reduce their speeds.
“Most folks really should prepare to batten down the hatches for the next few days and to plan to stay put,” Macchi said. “This is one of those things that the weather experts tell us is unprecedented for Houston. So we need to take unprecedented measures.”
In preparation, a slew of offices and businesses have closed.
Houston Independent School District, closed schools through at least Wednesday.
Metro will cease operations starting at 9 p.m.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington, will close at midnight and remain closed Tuesday. Directors will monitor the weather to determine if they resume flights on Wednesday.
Harris Health announced via X that it will close all clinics and outpatient centers on Tuesday through noon Wednesday. Here is a list of centers and clinics impacted. Harris Health also said that all elective procedures are canceled for Tuesday.
Whitmire will give an update on storm preparations at 5 p.m. Monday that can be streamed on Houston Television Live, Facebook and X.
St. Luke’s Health said Monday that outpatient and clinic appointments are rescheduled Tuesday and appointments for Wednesday morning. Impacted patients can also reach out to their doctor’s offices. All emergency rooms and hospitals remain open. For more information, go to St. Luke’s website.
Memorial Hermann issues guidance Monday for patients ahead of the winter storm. Patients with appointments were asked to reschedule by calling 1-713-222-CARE (2273). A list of closed facilities can be found here.
Houston Methodist said on its website that all hospitals are open, but outpatient elective services for Tuesday are cancelled. Clinics, medical offices and imaging centers are also closed Tuesday, the hospital said.
Texas Children’s posted on its website that all “elective surgeries, diagnostic, therapy and in-person appointments are canceled” Tuesday and Wednesday. The hospital said patients will be notified if a virtual care visit is possible. Patients are asked to use the MyChart app or by call the clinic once it reopens, For more information, go to https://www.texaschildrens.org
Editor Manny Garcia contributed to this report.
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