A frozen fountain on Broadway in Tyler. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

From Staff Reports

Frigid conditions will continue in East Texas through Friday.

The bitterly-cold air came as a cold Arctic mass moved into the region overnight. Ryan Knapp, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Shreveport, said earlier this week that a strong area of high pressure from Canada would settle in across the Central Plains, keeping temperatures frigid across East Texas through the end of the week.

Temperatures were in the 20s Wednesday in Tyler. After light rainfall overnight, ice was reported on some area roadways in the region, mostly bridges and shaded areas.

Water reservoirs, such as fountains at area shopping centers, were frozen. Tyler Water Utilities reported that it was working Wednesday afternoon to restore its ozone generator at the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant after a portion of the system froze during Tuesday night’s hard freeze.

Restoration efforts to the ozone generator were expected to continue through the night Wednesday. The temporary outage of the ozone generator may lead to an increase in taste and odor concerns, the city said. TWU staff have deployed heaters and are taking all necessary precautions to maintain temperatures above freezing inside the facility to combat the freezing conditions that are forecasted over the coming days.

Things won’t get warmer until the work week wraps up. On Thursday, temperatures will start out at a historic low of 17 degrees. CBS19 reported the current record low is 19 degrees.

All East Texas cities will be below freezing Thursday morning with dangerously cold wind chills expected to be in the single digits to low teens. Tyler’s wind chill will be about 5 degrees while Longview and Marshall’s will be 7. A little farther northeast, Mount Pleasant’s wind chill will be as low as 1 degree, according to NWS, while southern areas like Rusk and Lufkin will see wind chills ranging from 11 to 14 degrees. Due to these conditions, the NWS issued a cold weather advisory from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Thursday.

Sunshine will lift temperatures to the mid 30s Thursday afternoon.

The air will still be cold Friday with clouds and a high of about 39 degrees and a low of 22.

Temperatures will rise to the mid-to-high 40s by Saturday. Meteorologists predict some chilly rain will come along with the slightly warmer temperatures. Sunday will see a high of about 57 before temperatures return to the 70s next week.

Even though temperatures hovered in the 60s and 70s in late January and early February in East Texas, winter isn’t over, so people in the area should prepare for colder weather and keep their homes winterized, Knapp said. Outdoor plants should be covered or taken inside; pets should have adequate shelter or be taken indoors; indoor water faucets should be left to drip, and outdoor pipes and faucets should be covered, among other precautions.

“We’ve still got probably another month of these colder temperatures before we return to maybe some more springtime, milder conditions,” Knapp said earlier this week.

Motorists should also use caution when driving. The Texas Department of Public Safety reported one person was killed Wednesday morning in a crash on Highway 69 in Jacksonville. Ice had been accumulating on the shoulder of the highway, according to CBS19.

TxDOT recommends the following driving tips:

Slow down. It’s important to remember that posted speed limits are based on normal road and weather conditions — not winter road conditions, TxDOT said.

Maintain at least three times the normal following distance on snow or ice.

Watch carefully for snow removal equipment and stay at least 200 feet behind snow plows.

Use extra caution on bridges, ramps, overpasses, and shaded areas. These spots tend to freeze first.

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease off the gas pedal or brakes. Steer into the direction of the skid until you have regained traction, then straighten your vehicle.

Information on road conditions in the state is available at drivetexas.org or by phone at 800-452-9292.