The latest on road conditions, traffic in Fort Worth & North Texas during winter storm
With a winter storm warning in effect and a mix of snow and ice falling in North Texas, roads in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are becoming treacherous Thursday, Jan. 9, and are expected to remain so into Friday.
Residents who need to travel in the next couple of days can find TxDOT’s map of statewide road conditions at drivetexas.org.
Crews worked all night to prepare the roads, according to TxDOT Fort Worth district spokesperson Val Lopez. But Lopez said many roads could be slick or wet because of the sleet that has fallen in the area.
As of about 4 p.m. Thursday, ice and snow have been reported on bridges and overpasses of major highways in the Fort Worth area including on Interstate 20, I-30, I-35W, Loop 820, U.S. 287, Texas 183 and Texas 121, according to TxDOT.
TxDOT’s map also shows snow and ice on I-30 and I-20 to the west of Fort Worth, most major highways in Dallas, I-35W going north and south from Fort Worth, and the major roads in areas to the north of Tarrant and Dallas counties.
TxDOT is continuing to treat the roads, spokesperson Michael Peters said Thursday afternoon, when he described the conditions as “slushy.”
“This is a 24/7 operation until the icy conditions are over,” he said. Motorists are advised to drive with caution, expect delays, slow down and allow plenty of room to stop.
Between 6 a.m. and noon on Thursday, Fort Worth police responded to 51 vehicle accidents, including 11 that were classified as major crashes, 22 stranded drivers and six reports of other traffic hazards, according to police records.
Traffic accidents and injuries sustained from traumatic falls are the most prevalent emergency calls during this type of weather, with an average of 3.7 traffic crashes reported per hour as of early Thursday afternoon, MedStar said in a statement.
The ambulance service responded to 26 traffic accidents and 15 falls between 7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Arlington police responded to 17 vehicle accidents between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, including some crashes with non-life-threatening injuries but no fatalities.
The city has not seen much accumulation on the major roadways Thursday afternoon, however, the roadways are wet and as temperatures reach near freezing, the potential for icy spots to develop increases, police spokesperson Tim Ciesco said.
Ciesco advised drivers to avoid hard braking; use caution when traveling over elevated surfaces like bridges, overpasses, ramps, and flyovers, which tend to freeze first; and choose routes that avoid any steep or inclined roadways.
Eastbound Texas 114 was closed at Loop 12 in Irving on Thursday morning after an 18-wheeler jackknifed, with part of the truck’s cab hanging off an overpass.
On Wednesday night, the Texas Department of Transportation announced that the Texpress highway lanes are closed in the Fort Worth district due to the forecast for snow and ice. The non-tolled, main lanes of of I-35W, Loop 820 and U.S. 121/183 will remain open.
The National Weather Service Fort Worth said on Thursday morning that a tenth of an inch of ice could accumulate on raised surfaces, such as bridges, and some areas could get up to a quarter of an inch. But the main travel impacts will be from the sleet and snow, the NWS said.
Photos posted by the weather service about 8:15 a.m. showed a slick coating on roads in Decatur, Bridgeport and Sanger.
Types of precipitation are expected to change throughout the day Thursday with sleet and snow transitioning to rain later on and then finally to snow in the evening hours.
The latest forecast shows that the DFW Metroplex could receive 2 to 4 inches of wintry precipitation on Thursday.
Minor to moderate travel impacts are likely across much of the Metroplex all day Thursday and into Friday, the weather service said.
Thursday morning commutes were OK, but traffic conditions were expected to deteriorate by the afternoon, according to the NWS. Most untreated roads will be difficult to use, along with bridges and overpasses.
Traffic is also expected to be impacted early Friday, Jan. 10, as temperatures hover around freezing, the NWS said. Some melting is possible Friday afternoon, but any leftover water is likely to refreeze overnight.
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This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 5:35 AM.
