Preparing roads, homes for winter weather

TxDOT crews covered all the major corridors, bridges and overpasses with brine, a salt and water combination that helps prevent ice from forming on the roads.

TxDOT spokesman Val Lopez says crews will be out looking for ice accumulation Monday night. He says North Texans just have to do their part by driving for the conditions if they have to be out.

The agency has nearly 200 heavy trucks ready to dump gravel on roads and bridges if they start to ice over. They’ve already used 300,000 gallons of brine in the last two days. It was enough to treat 10,000 miles of lanes in the DFW area.

Because of the advanced warning about this possible wintry mix, TxDOT was even able to retreat certain bridges to try to prevent any untreated patches. The brine is good for more than a week, something that has helped TxDOT prepare better for winter weather in recent years.

But TxDOT spokesman Ryan Lafontaine says people still need to be careful if they must be out on the roads.

“If out this evening, be alert and aware. We have people out on the roads working. Bridges and overpasses are the first to freeze,” he warned. “If you're going to be out, be prepared to encounter frozen precipitation on the roads.”

A lot of homeless people are worried about the extreme cold about to settle into the area. The Salvation Army says it won't turn anyone away. But if they run out of matt space, people will have to sleep in the chairs in the lobby.

The salvation army says during the cold snap at Christmas, they practically doubled their emergency shelter capacity. The non-profit is expecting that again this week.

Freezing pipes will be another concern for the next three nights. State Farm says a 1/8 inch crack in a pipe can leak 250 gallons of water a day, which can flood your home.

To keep pipes from freezing and bursting, allow warm water trickle overnight. Keeping the thermostat set at the same temperature, day and night, will also help prevent pipes from freezing.