Lead
As of Sunday, January 25, 2026 (04:43 GMT), most of southeast Texas is under Winter Storm Alerts after an arctic front moved into the region late Saturday. Alerts run from Saturday at 6:00 a.m. through Sunday at 6:00 p.m., with widespread freezing rain expected along the Gulf Coast and an Extreme Cold Warning in effect from Saturday through Monday. Local officials, including Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, urged residents to stay home through Monday while emergency operations centers remain active. Utilities and airports have mobilized crews and resources in anticipation of widespread outages and travel disruptions.
Key Takeaways
- Winter Storm Alerts for most of southeast Texas are in effect from Saturday 6:00 a.m. to Sunday 6:00 p.m., with freezing rain reaching coastal areas.
- An Extreme Cold Warning covers Saturday through Monday, bringing a hard freeze and the possibility of below-zero wind chills on Monday morning.
- ABC13 has activated a Weather Alert that runs from Saturday and continues through Monday morning for ice and extreme cold threats.
- Montgomery County officials urged residents to remain home through Monday while their emergency operations center coordinates law enforcement, EMS and county services.
- CenterPoint Energy increased its outage response workforce to 3,300 personnel, staging 1,500 trucks and drawing crews from nine states to aid restoration.
- CenterPoint projects, based on prior storms, a range of about 100,000 to 200,000 outages over the coming days.
- Houston Airports reported 185 cancellations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and 52 at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU); emergency operations centers at both airports were activated.
- Businesses and municipal services across the Houston area announced closures or service changes to limit travel on icy roads and prepare for possible power interruptions.
Background
The Texas Gulf Coast and greater Houston area rarely see prolonged episodes of freezing rain, but when an arctic airmass arrives from the north, surface temperatures can remain near or below freezing long enough for ice accumulation on roads, power lines and trees. Freezing rain is particularly disruptive because it forms a clear glaze that adheres to surfaces and increases the risk of downed wires and hazardous travel. Local governments and utilities have developed winter response plans since major outages in past severe winter events, focusing on mutual aid, staging centers and prioritized restoration routes.
Houston’s infrastructure is not routinely exposed to sustained subfreezing conditions, so a hard freeze strains water systems, uninsulated pipes, and outdoor equipment. Airports and transit agencies typically scale back operations when deicing and runway treatments are needed; these precautions, while necessary for safety, can produce widespread flight cancellations and travel delays. Emergency management agencies coordinate with law enforcement, fire-rescue and public works to keep critical services running and to open shelters or warming centers for vulnerable populations when power or heating fails.
Main Event
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said county emergency operations staff are monitoring the storm around the clock and that leaders from law enforcement, EMS and other agencies are stationed at the operations center. He described live camera feeds and interagency coordination as tools county officials are using to track road conditions and deploy resources where they are needed most. County messaging urged residents to stay home through Monday unless travel is essential.
CenterPoint Energy reported mobilizing a 3,300-person workforce assigned across 13 operating centers and two staging sites, with 1,500 trucks prepositioned for response. Nathan Brownell, vice president of resilience and capital delivery, said crews were brought in from nine states to supplement local teams. Based on patterns from past storms, the utility is preparing for an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 outages, though exact numbers will depend on evolving conditions and ice accumulation.
Houston Airports confirmed that deicing procedures were underway at both George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports and that each airport had activated its emergency operations center at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. As of the latest update, 185 flights at IAH and 52 at HOU were canceled; airport officials emphasized that both facilities remain operational but urged travelers to check airline status and avoid treating the terminals as shelters. The USO at IAH said it will remain open overnight to assist active-duty service members in transit.
Across the city, schools, clinics, municipal trash services and many private businesses announced temporary closures or service suspensions to reduce travel exposure. Local health and social service providers signaled that shelters and warming centers would be readied if outages or heating failures affect residents who lack safe alternatives at home.
Analysis & Implications
The combination of freezing rain and an arctic airmass poses a dual threat: ice accumulation damages infrastructure and creates hazardous travel, while prolonged subfreezing temperatures increase the likelihood of prolonged outages and secondary failures like burst pipes. Utilities’ prepositioning of crews and equipment reduces restoration time, but severe ice can slow access to damaged lines and elevate safety risks for crews. The projected outage range—100,000 to 200,000—reflects uncertainties in storm intensity and where ice adheres most heavily.
Air travel disruptions ripple beyond the region: cancelled flights strand passengers, create aircraft and crew positioning challenges for airlines, and complicate supply chains. For businesses that rely on same-day deliveries or just-in-time inventory, even a day of closures can cause downstream delays. Municipal services such as trash collection and outpatient clinics may be suspended, disproportionately affecting seniors, people with mobility challenges, and households dependent on powered medical devices.
Emergency-response capacity depends on mutual-aid agreements and pre-staged resources. Bringing crews from nine states increases manpower but adds logistics complexity—crew housing, staging fuel, and safe work/rest rotations become critical when temperatures drop below freezing. Local officials will be balancing road clearance, priority power restoration to critical facilities (hospitals, water treatment plants), and opening warming centers while minimizing risk to first responders and the public.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Current Storm |
|---|---|
| CenterPoint response workforce | 3,300 personnel |
| Trucks staged | 1,500 |
| Projected outages | 100,000–200,000 (estimate) |
| Flight cancellations (IAH) | 185 |
| Flight cancellations (HOU) | 52 |
The table above summarizes agency-provided figures released during the event. These operational metrics indicate the scale of the response and the immediate travel disruption. While staged trucks and expanded crews improve restoration prospects, the ultimate outage count and restoration timelines will depend on ice thickness, road conditions and damage patterns to distribution infrastructure.
Reactions & Quotes
Local officials framed the event as a high-priority emergency. Before and during the storm, county leadership emphasized preparation and caution.
“We have everybody here. We are engaged. We are focused, and we’re going to get through this.”
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough
Utility leadership highlighted force-multiplying steps taken to shorten outage durations while stressing uncertainty about final impacts.
“A hundred percent of those crews are on our system. We’ve been stationed across our operating centers and staging sites to respond as conditions allow.”
Nathan Brownell, CenterPoint Energy (VP, resilience & capital delivery)
Airport officials described coordinated operations with federal and local partners to manage deicing and traveler support.
“Both airports remain open and operational. We encourage passengers to monitor airline communications and avoid using airports as shelters.”
Houston Airports (statement)
Unconfirmed
- The projected 100,000–200,000 outage figure is an estimate based on prior storm patterns; final outage totals and restoration timelines remain unconfirmed.
- Exact duration of road closures, clinic suspensions and localized shelter openings will depend on evolving conditions and are subject to change as agencies assess damage.
Bottom Line
This storm brings both immediate travel hazards from freezing rain and a sustained cold threat that can prolong infrastructure impacts. Residents should treat official stay-home guidance seriously, make contingency plans for power or heating loss, and check with airlines and service providers before travel. Vulnerable populations — older adults, people with medical equipment that relies on electricity, and those experiencing homelessness — will need priority access to warming centers and aid if outages occur.
Officials and utilities have mobilized significant resources, but uncertainty remains about where the heaviest ice will accumulate and how long restorations will take. The coming 48–72 hours will determine the scale of impacts; monitor official channels and local media for hourly updates and instructions.