Fort Worth could get half an inch of ice. Why that could be disastrous
North Texans have only about a day and a half to prepare for the first significant winter storm of the year.
According to the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service, widespread rain on Friday will gradually turn into sleet and freezing rain along the Red River mid-afternoon. That freezing rain will hit Dallas-Fort Worth late Friday evening.
Then sleet will become mixed with snow Saturday night. On Sunday, the temperatures may dip to zero.
Forecasters are predicting that North Texas will see an ice accumulation of one-tenth to one-half of an inch, with areas east of Dallas seeing up to three-fourths of an inch of ice. Total snow and sleet accumulation is expected to be between 2 and 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The highest totals will be along and north of U.S. 380.
That may not sound like much — that’s thinner than a book, or even some cell pones — but even small amounts of ice can wreak havoc on power lines, trees, and roads.
As gas station lines get longer and grocery store shelves empty out, the Star-Telegram spoke to a forecaster who shared some insight into why ice can have such an impact — and what you can do to stay safe.
Different kinds of ice
Ice can come in multiple forms during a storm. There’s freezing rain, which occurs when rain freezes as it makes contact with whatever it falls on, and sleet, which happens when raindrops freeze in the air. Both are expected in North Texas this weekend.
Ice can create slick spots on the road — becoming “black ice” when a transparent layer of ice blends in with asphalt and looks like the road is just wet — and prevent drivers or pedestrians from realizing they are in danger until it is too late.
Why is ice so dangerous?
Even a small amount of ice, on the roads, said National Weather Service forecaster Brennen Darrah, can make driving unsafe for everyone because it prevents cars from getting traction.
“Whenever you get any amount of ice, it’s going to stick on any exposed surfaces that are below freezing,” Darrah said. “Any time you’re able to at least get a uniform coating of ice, no matter how thick, you’re going to see major implications when it comes to travel.”
Additionally, the dense ice can snap tree limbs and power lines as it accumulates. That density can make ice more dangerous than snow, even if there is less of it.
“The real reason that ice tends to be a lot more impactful in terms of damaging infrastructure is because it’s a lot denser,” Darrah said. “Ice doesn’t need as much liquid to have a lot of weight onto these exposed surfaces, but it’s also going to more readily stick and build up on these exposed outside surfaces.”
That gets more likely, Darrah said, if there is wind. This weekend, parts of the Metroplex could see wind gusts over 20 mph.
“Once we get to these higher ice amounts, especially once you add the wind into the mix of things, you start to look at widespread power outages and maybe branches falling on homes,” Darrah said.
Regular ice versus ‘black ice’
Anyone who’s driven on icy roads knows how difficult it can be to detect icy patches before your car goes skidding.
This is due to “black ice,” that ominous term that spells out dangerously slick roads.
“The real danger comes when people are driving, and they think the road is wet, and then they hit a patch of black ice where now, all of a sudden they don’t have traction, but they’re driving at speeds like they would on just a wet road, “ Darrah said. “And that’s where you see a lot of issues with potential car accidents and going off the road and things like that.”
When did Texas last see a similar storm?
The last time North Texas saw a similarly sized ice storm, Darrah said, was between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, 2023, when 1.3 inches of ice was recorded at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, and at least 25 people were injured in car crashes.
And before that, Darrah remembered the 2021 winter storm and its impacts across the state. But he wanted to caution folks — that doesn’t mean that this storm will be comparable.
“Every storm is going to look different than the prior, and it’s going to look different than every storm that follows it,” Darrah said. “We’re not expecting this big apocalypse...my recommendation is to take the time. The weather is great today. And we still have a couple of days before we get into the thick of things. There’s still time to prepare, and as long as you’re prepared, you’ll be fine.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 2:07 PM.
