Houston airport operations stay suspended following snowfall – Houston Public Media

For the primary time in almost 4 years, residents throughout Southeast Texas woke as much as yards blanketed in snow.

Emergency officers on Tuesday morning urged drivers to remain off the roads as a mixture of snow and sleet continued to build up. Folks throughout Houston took to social media to rejoice within the climate rarity after which headed exterior to take pleasure in a uncommon heavy snowfall.

“This morning the realm is waking up with a mixture of precipitation,” mentioned Janet Maldanado, a meteorologist with the Nationwide Climate Service. “Now we have obtained stories of freezing rain, sleet, but additionally snow. So some areas, largely north of I-10, they’re seeing largely snow.”

Based on Houston Transtar, roadways and elevated highways stretching all the best way from Brazos Valley right down to Galveston County have been closed as heavy sleet and snow caught to the roads. A full record of roadways affected by ice accumulation might be discovered right here.

Loss of life associated to chilly climate

Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace deputies earlier than 11 a.m. Tuesday responded to a Katy car parking zone, the place a person was found lifeless.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez mentioned the demise, at 307 S. Fry, was possible weather-related. The person was believed to be homeless, Gonzalez mentioned.

Houston Public Media reached out to the sheriff’s workplace for added info. It wasn’t instantly clear why the demise was believed to be cold-weather associated.

Flight operations stay suspended

Flight operations at Houston’s two main airports stay suspended as ice strains the roadways on Tuesday, based on the airports system.

The George Bush Intercontinental Airport and the William P. Interest Airport are nonetheless coordinating with airways and monitoring climate circumstances to reopen as quickly as climate permits, based on a put up on X.

Please bear in mind that flights are briefly suspended because of the climate circumstances.

We’re coordinating with airways and carefully monitoring the climate as our devoted groups work to organize for a secure resumption of service as quickly because the climate permits. pic.twitter.com/k3nj3f9pFR

— Interest Airport (@HobbyAirport) January 21, 2025

“We’re coordinating with airways and carefully monitoring the climate as our devoted groups work to organize for a secure resumption of service as quickly because the climate permits,” based on the Interest Airport.

The flight suspension orders first went into have an effect on round 12 a.m. Tuesday. Snowplows and heavy equipment have been deployed at Houston airports to clear the airfield and put together for a secure return to operations as quickly as climate circumstances enhance.

99 % of CenterPoint clients have energy, firm says

CenterPoint Power round midday Tuesday mentioned that 99.9 % of shoppers have energy because the historic Winter Storm Enzo continues to push by Southeast Texas.

Greater than 3,000 CenterPoint frontline staff, contractors and mutual help personnel have been on standby ready to answer scattered outages throughout the 12-county space.

“CenterPoint marshaled hundreds of vital assets to organize for this historic winter climate occasion that is nonetheless impacting the Higher Houston space,” Darin Carroll, a spokesperson for the corporate mentioned. “Whereas it is rather constructive that outages stay low presently, our groups are responding rapidly to scattered outages as they happen.”

1000’s of Houston-area residents have been out of energy on Tuesday morning.

Greater than 8,500 energy outages have been reported throughout Southeast Texas round 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, based on CenterPoint Power’s energy outage tracker map.

Energy has been restored to greater than 19,000 CenterPoint Power clients previously 24 hours.

Mayor John Whitmire broadcasts metropolis will stay closed Wednesday

Whereas talking on Houston Public Media’s particular winter storm protection, Houston Mayor John Whitmire introduced that metropolis companies will stay closed on Wednesday.

“Now we have already contacted our human assets division … the municipal court docket metropolis service will likely be closed tomorrow,” Whitmire mentioned. “Important companies, first responders, the well being division, our psychological service heart [and] warming facilities will likely be open 24 hours into someday Thursday. We’re monitoring issues very fastidiously, however sure, metropolis companies will likely be closed tomorrow.”

HEB broadcasts different hours as a consequence of winter climate

H-E-B consultant Lisa Huffman advised Houston Public Media that the entire areas in Houston had been opened by Tuesday morning.

“As of 10 a.m., we had 100% of our shops open within the Houston area,” Huffman mentioned whereas chatting with Houston Public Media throughout its particular protection of the storm. “I’ll let you know at first security is our first name, particularly with our companions, which is what we name our staff.”

As of early Tuesday afternoon, H-E-B mentioned its Houston areas can be closing at 8 p.m. The corporate has not but introduced when the areas will likely be opening on Wednesday, however stay updates might be discovered on the H-E-B Newsroom web site.

Galveston experiences snow, sleet

Nic Morrow

The Metropolis of Galveston opened warming facilities after an unprecedented quantity of snow and ice was dumped on the island in a single day.

“CenterPoint Power has notified us that they’re having load capability points, particularly impacting areas west of 61st,” Marissa Barnett, a public info officer for the town mentioned. “They’re asking all in Galveston to preserve electrical energy wherever potential by this occasion to assist in electrical energy distribution to the west finish.”

There have been about 170 meters with out energy throughout the island due to remoted points. Crews are engaged on addressing outages.

Town at 11 a.m. opened McGuire Dent Recreation Middle as a warming and charging heart. The Metropolis of Jamaica Seashore has opened their metropolis corridor constructing for residents searching for heat.

“That is being finished out of an abundance of warning, not out of certainty that energy will likely be misplaced,” Barnett mentioned. “These facilities will likely be accessible till the specter of energy outages is lowered.”

Houstonians on sleds

Exterior of the Miller Out of doors Theatre, keen climate watchers reveled within the snowfall. Patrick Van Pelt and his two youngsters slid down the snowy hillside on sleds as wintry wind whipped throughout the Texas air early Tuesday.

“There’s one thing actually outstanding strolling out your entrance door and stepping out into snow,” Van Pelt mentioned.

He’s been within the state since 1991— however by no means recounted a snow incident as vital as this one.

“Nothing like this. It looks as if each 10 or 12 years we’ll get some snow however by no means the place I might ponder going sledding,” Van Pelt mentioned. “I acquired some snow sneakers to stroll round in later right this moment, so perhaps someday of pure snow enjoyable.”

“I really feel nice as a result of I grew up up north and after I was a child, we might simply stroll exterior in winter and there have been snow days on a regular basis,” he mentioned. “We tried to order sleds on Amazon they usually wouldn’t are available time, so we discovered that eBay would get to us on time.”

Warming facilities

Warming facilities throughout Houston remained open as snow continued to fall Tuesday morning. The winter climate additionally prompted closures of colleges, authorities workplaces and medical services throughout Southeast Texas.

Talking stay throughout Houston Public Media’s particular winter storm protection, Harris County Choose Lina Hidalgo mentioned residents ought to name 311 in the event that they must be transported to a warming heart.

“Now we have 23 complete warming facilities they usually’re open in collaboration with the Metropolis of Houston, with the Harris County Commissioners and with the Purple Cross,” Hidalgo mentioned. “People can name 311 from anyplace within the county, whether or not you reside in unincorporated Harris County, Cypress, Hockley, and so on.”

Hidalgo mentioned that not all warming facilities have been providing the identical companies.

“So some are open 24-7, some are open solely in the course of the day,” she mentioned. “Some will welcome pets, some don’t have that capability, some have cots, some don’t. … We did see round 1,100 individuals throughout the 23 warming facilities final evening.”

Here’s a rundown of the services which can be opening in Houston and its surrounding areas, with accessible assets:

WARMING CENTERS: Here is the place you may escape the chilly within the Houston space

Keep off the roads, CenterPoint says

Harris County officers and CenterPoint Power are encouraging individuals to remain off the roads because the winter storm blankets the Houston space.

“As Winter Storm Enzo continues to make its manner by the Higher Houston space, CenterPoint desires to induce our neighborhood to heed the calls from metropolis and county leaders to remain off the roads,” a spokesperson mentioned in an e mail Thursday morning.

CenterPoint has already skilled a automobile impacting a pole because the snow and ice started, based on the e-mail.

“Vehicles, vans, autos and energy poles will not be a great combine,” the corporate mentioned. “These impacts could cause wires down and energy outages. Security is our high precedence, and we urge everybody to make use of a safety-first mindset. Keep dwelling. Do not drive right this moment.”

The corporate, which provides electrical energy to a lot of the Houston area, is taking steps to maintain the lights and warmth on.

RELATED: CenterPoint prepares for potential energy outages from winter storm in Houston

1,200 further mutual help staff arrived to Houston on Monday at three staging areas to assist with potential energy restoration efforts. That basically doubles the corporate’s response workforce, officers mentioned on Monday.

Matthew Harab and Lucio Vasquez contributed to this report.

It is a growing story.