A satellite photo of the United States that shows the incoming cold weather. Provided by the National Weather Service.
When Punxsutawney Phil, America’s most famous groundhog saw his shadow and predicted more winter, many of us, especially South Texans were a bit confused. You see, that week we had been experiencing unusually warm temperatures, hitting a high of 90°F in many cities. Yet, Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction appears to be coming true after all.
Alice and the wider South Texas region are bracing for a sharp temperature drop as a cold front moves in this evening. Temperatures are expected to plummet nearly 40 degrees, falling from today’s projected high of 81°F to just 45°F by Thursday.
However, despite this dramatic drop in temperatures, Alice is only expected to have one day that reaches a freezing temperature of 32°F, so not much preparation will need to take place this time around, compared to the last cold front that came to town.
Still, residents should heed any official warnings and take all necessary precautions going into this cold weather. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas or ERCOT has already issued a precautionary weather watch, as the state braces for these frigid temperatures.
“ERCOT is monitoring weather conditions closely and will deploy all available tools to manage the grid, continuing a reliability-first approach to operations,” part of the statement read. They also stress that grid conditions are expected to remain “normal”, and this is just an effort to stay prepared.