Winter Storm Warning:

Much of North Texas will go under a Winter Storm Warning on Wednesday, Feb. 2. The Winter Storm Warning for Dallas County will begin at 6 p.m. and significant impacts are expected throughout out the night into Thursday. Rain will transition to mainly freezing rain and sleet this afternoon/evening, then mostly snow on Thursday. Up to 1/2 inch of ice is possible, as well as up to two inches of slow/sleet.

The four Ps:

The Town would like to remind residents to follow the "four Ps" of winter weather safety:

• People: Keep your family warm and check on any elderly family members or neighbors who may need extra blankets, a warm place to stay, or assistance winterizing their homes.
  
• Pets: Dogs and cats get cold too. Bring your pets inside at night to keep them healthy and safe.
  
• Plants: Cover your plants to keep them warm or bring them inside.
  
• Pipes: Cover exposed pipes to prevent freezing and breaks.
  

Travel:

Hazardous travel is expected. Travel conditions will deteriorate today/tonight with impacts possible through Saturday morning. Slightly improved conditions are expected Friday afternoon, Feb. 4, but any melted snow/ice will refreeze overnight into Saturday morning. Widespread improvement is expected on Saturday afternoon.

If you must travel, prepare your vehicle with blankets, extra layers of clothing, water, chains, ice scrapers, and a first aid kit in case you become stranded.

Wind Chill:

Dangerously cold wind chill values in the teens and single digits (some areas even below zero) are expected for both days, with mainly Friday seeing below zero wind chill values, west of I-35. Make sure to take precautions if you have to get out during these mornings.

Some Town facilities will close early today, Feb. 2 to allow employees to get home safely.

• Town Hall will close at 4:30 p.m.
  
• The Doris Padgett Public Library will close at 4 p.m.
  

Delayed opening:

The Town of Sunnyvale will have a delayed opening on Thursday, Feb. 3. Town Hall will not open until 10 a.m. Phone lines will not be affected by this delayed opening. This applies to in-person services such as Utility Billing, Municipal Court, and Permits. An update will be sent via the NewsFlash and posted to the Town's social media platforms if this changes.

Other important information:

• Town Center Park restrooms will close at 4 p.m. today, Feb. 2. Staff will evaluate reopening the restrooms on Friday, Feb. 4.
  
• It is extremely important that you locate where your water shut off(s) are in case of busted pipes.
  
• If you do experience a busted pipe and you are unable to locate your water shut off, do NOT call 9-1-1. Instead, call the Public Works on-call number, Town Hall, or the non-emergency number (listed below). Someone will be available to assist you as fast as they are able to get to you.
  

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:

Non-Emergencies - (972) 203-0312

On-call Public Works - (972) 251-0567

Town Hall - (972) 226-7177

Please call 9-1-1 for true emergencies only during this time. It is imperative that the system does not become overloaded with non-emergent calls, so that our first responders are available to respond to actual emergencies.

AUSTIN, TX, Feb. 2, 2022 — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued a Watch effective through Sunday, Feb. 6 as winter weather moves into Texas. ERCOT is forecasting high energy demand for the duration of the winter weather. This cold front will bring freezing temperatures and precipitation to the ERCOT region. ERCOT is taking action ahead of the expected increase in demand to ensure grid reliability. On Friday, Jan. 28, ERCOT issued an Operating Condition Notice (OCN) to the electricity market for extreme winter weather. ERCOT projects to have sufficient generation to meet the high demand for electricity.

“ERCOT is using all the tools available to manage the grid effectively during this winter weather,” said Interim CEO Brad Jones. “ERCOT will deploy all the resources and aggressively implement the tools available to us to manage the grid reliably during this winter weather. We will continue coordinating closely with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Public Utility Commission, the Railroad Commission and elected officials — as well as electric generators and transmission and distribution utilities — to keep Texans informed throughout the week.”

ERCOT has implemented many reforms to increase the reliability of the Texas grid:

• Inspected generating units and transmission and distribution facilities for weatherization to comply with new PUC requirements. ERCOT has inspected hundreds of electric generation units and transmission facilities and found only 3 with any deficiencies.
• Requiring CEO attestations of weather readiness. A rule change implemented last year requires all market participants who own or operate generation resources and/or transmission/distribution power lines to submit a letter signed by their CEO twice a year certifying their companies have completed their weatherization preparations to protect the electric grid for the summer and winter seasons.
• Taking a more conservative approach to operating the grid. ERCOT’s grid management is at its most aggressive since the market was created two decades ago. ERCOT is increasing operational reserves to ensure adequate generation is available to Texas homes and businesses and is bringing more generation online sooner if it is needed to balance supply and demand. The grid operator is also purchasing more reserve power, especially on days when the weather forecast is uncertain.
• Assessing on-site fuel supplies. ERCOT has assessed the on-site fuel supply for some gas-fired generators.
• Performing unannounced testing of generation resources. This testing helps verify that generators have provided accurate information about their availability.

“While grid conditions remain strong with enough capacity, our weather forecasts show there is potential for significant frozen precipitation behind this week’s cold front,” said Jones. “With frozen precipitation there is always a chance for local outages caused by things like ice on wires or fallen tree limbs. These local outages are not related to the amount of available electricity generated and put on the grid. Texans should contact their utility in the event they experience a localized outage.”

Consumer assistance:

• Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline – 1 (888) 782-8477