Best snow photos from a white Christmas in Dallas

by PegNews wire

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Wednesday's forecast calls for a high of 34° with a windchill as low as 7°.

A winter weather advisory has been extended from midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday for Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, Denton, Jack, Wise, Parker, Rockwall, Hunt, Delta, and Hopkins counties. After light snow keeps falling, “areas of freezing drizzle are also expected to develop this evening through midnight,” says the National Weather Service.

It also notes that subfreezing temperatures will contribute to “hazardous driving conditions” in the counties currently seeing snow.

The rain turned to sleet on Christmas Day, and the sleet led to fluffy snow that stuck to the ground. Kids brought sleds to parks like Flagpole Hill in Dallas to enjoy a rare white Christmas in Dallas.

As recently as Monday night, forecasters said Dallas-Fort Worth would receive possibly an inch of snow; a dusting, more than likely. But that changed: Some areas saw one to three inches, while counties north saw more.

Dallas’ Office of Emergency Management activated Ice Force 1, and driving conditions are expected to worsen, said Dan Huckabee, a climate specialist for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. “ ... With temperatures falling below freezing tonight, the main roadways will initially be slushy, and the snow will accumulate there," he said.

The storm we’ve been awaiting for more than a week ended up dipping further south than initially expected. And temperatures are going to remain frigid: Lows Tuesday will be in the 20s, and highs Wednesday may not make it higher than 32 — that depends on how much snow ends up on the ground. And Huckabee says it’ll remain cloudy Wednesday, which will also keep temperatures lower than initially expected. And outlying areas could see lows Tuesday in the teens.

Which means: “It’ll be a treacherous commute in the morning.”

DFW International Airport had a "mild impact" from the snow, according to a statement from airport officials. About 60 departures were canceled. [UPDATE: That number was increased dramatically to 415 flights that were canceled, most on Tuesday evening.] About 1,000 passengers stayed overnight at the airport, and personnel gave them blankets, cots, and toiletries.

Passengers are encouraged to check their flights online before heading to the airport. Roads into the airport are being treated with de-icer, but allow for additional time, since some bridges to the terminals are closed.

Also: Two holiday light shows — Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie and Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway — are closed Tuesday night because of the snow.

Text by Robert Wilonsky; Storify by Samantha Shaddock; posted by Sarah Blaskovich; contributions from Shannon Sutlief

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