Couples and individuals planning to head out and celebrate Valentine’s Day this evening are encouraged to be off the roads by 9 p.m. because of possible icy conditions on the roadways.
So says Barry Goldsmith, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville, during an Sunday afternoon Webinar.
Arctic conditions are expected to affect the Valley for at least two more days with the icing of roadways and interstates expected to begin later this evening and last until at least noon on Monday.
Officials are urging motorists to stay off the roads.
“Do, not, do not, do not, go out unless you absolutely have to,” Goldsmith said.
“A safe road is an empty road.
Goldsmith said something known as a “flash” freeze could occur making driving on the roads extremely dangerous.
“If we drop to 22 to 25 degrees in the RGV at the end of the precipitation and an hour or two after, even roads against the ‘earth’ could ice up,” Goldsmith said. This is why officials are urging everyone, outside of emergency workers, to stay home late tonight through noon Monday.
Life threatening wind chills will continue through Monday, as well as a period of freezing rain- that could turn into ice pellets – and possible snow flurries.
The “feels like” temperatures will be between 10 to 20 degrees after midnight and 10 to 15 degrees by sunrise on Monday. The “feels like” temperatures will drop to 8 to 18 degrees Monday morning and could be as low as 5 degrees in some locations.
The actual temperatures for Monday could be as lows as 18 to 25 degrees in the morning and increasing to the low to mid 30s by noon.
