ERCOT Weather Watch issued Jan. 15 to 17 ahead of cold weather
HOUSTON - ERCOT has issued a Weather Watch to take place from Jan. 15 through 17 ahead of freezing cold temperatures across Texas.
ERCOT, or the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, operates the state’s power grid, says the alert came due to an expected forecast of significant weather and high demand.
On Tuesday, the organization used an Operating Condition Notice (OCN) for the predicted extreme, cold weather for Monday, Jan. 15 to Wednesday, Jan. 17.
SUGGESTED: Houston weather: Arctic plunge expected to bring frigid temperatures
An Arctic Blast is set to blow into the Houston area late Sunday or early Monday.
According to FOX 26 Meteorologist John Dawson, this will be the coldest temperature seen in Houston in over a year. Some in the Houston area will experience a Hard Freeze on Tuesday morning with temperatures below 24 degrees and wind chills even lower with some coastal counties seeing possible lows in the twenties.
Most of southeast Texas will stay in the 30s as a high Tuesday afternoon, with many around Houston seeing freezing or below for Wednesday morning as well, Dawson says.
No action is needed by the public at this time. You can monitor current and extended grid conditions on ercot.com.
The Texas Advisory and Notifications System, or TXANS, allows residents to get early notifications ahead of periods of higher demand. You can sign up through email, download the ERCOT app, or follow ERCOT on social media.
The notification system has four levels depending on grid conditions with different recommended actions for Texans: normal grid conditions, an ERCOT Weather Watch, a Voluntary Conservation Notice, and an Energy Emergency Alert.