Subfreezing temperatures are expected to arrive in Texas by Friday, and in some places stay through Monday. That’s the word from weather forecasters. Based on the anticipated conditions, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), expect there will be sufficient power generation to meet demand ahead of the storm.
As The Texas Newsroom reports, ERCOT officials point to grid upgrades for renewed confidence in the system. Those changes came about after a catastrophic failure five years ago. In early 2021, a series of winter storms [February 10-11, then February 13-17 (known as Winter Storm Uri) and then again on February 15-20], triggered the worst energy grid failure in Texas state history.
The winter storm left 4.5 million homes and businesses without power for days, which led to massive shortages of food, water and heat. According to the state, the death toll stood at at least 246, either directly or indirectly; with some estimates as high as 702. That’s why there is so much attention focused on the power grid.
Meteorologist Allison Prater is with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. She says arctic air should push into Texas on Friday. “We’ll start out with a cold rain across North and Central Texas, and that will quickly devolve into a wintry mix Friday and Saturday, so we’re expecting some ice, some snow.” Prater is urging Texans to prepare now by winterizing homes and stocking emergency supplies. It should warm up a bit on Tuesday, with highs climbing into the lower 40s. Ahead storm, Governor Greg Abbott has activated state emergency response resources, saying the winter weather “could create hazardous travel conditions into the weekend and cause impacts to infrastructure.”
On a far bigger, longer term picture, researchers at the Urban Resilience AI Lab at Texas A&M University have used machine learning to create a Nationwide Power System Vulnerability Index (PSVI). Their findings, released in August 2025, identifies areas at increased risk of power outages. Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and Winter Storm Uri in 2021, along with many other severe weather events have increased the length and severity of power outages for Texas residents in recent years, and identified the gulf region as one of a number of major hot spots, which also include both the East and West Coasts, and Great Lakes regions.
