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Weekly Weather Event -Week of Feb. 15

February 19, 2021

Last week’s Weather Event covered the historic winter weather that would be encroaching on the southern United States. Predictions were in line with the observed weather, as large swaths of the Southern Plains dropped well below freezing, shattering low temperature records in Oklahoma and Texas. Snow fell as far south as the U.S. - Mexico border with some snow even reported along the Gulf Coast.

This historic cold and snow also brought devastation in its wake, plunging hundreds of thousands of Texans into rolling blackouts that lasted for days. As temperatures fell, wind turbines, gas wells, pipelines, and equipment panels froze, reducing energy supplies at a time people were using more energy to heat their homes. Ultimately, this resulted in massive blackouts, frozen and burst pipes, and boil water orders for many Texas’s counties.

Thankfully, warmer weather is creeping its way back into the Southern Plains, a well needed relief to those unaccustomed to frigid weather. We recommend staying up to date with the news as more information becomes available.