>> Live on KPRC TV. I’m the
KPRC 2. Plus livestream.
The news starts now.
>> Right now at midday, an
elderly couple killed this
morning after their house
caught fire. They’re close
connection to the fire
department.
One of the busiest travel days
of the season. Houston airports
are seeing dozens of delays
and cancellations are
increasing. What we’re seeing
from inside Bush airport.
We’ve been talking about it
all week. Today is the day that
that Arctic blast arrives.
We’re just hours away from that
bitter cold snap. What you need
to know and how you can stay
safe and warm.
Good morning and thank you for
joining us. I’m Andy Cerota.
Those frigid temperatures are
on their way. Let’s get right
over to meteorologist Justin
Stapleton who is breaking down
the timeline for us. Justin,
the window for fair to prepare
for all of this. I mean, it’s
closing The clock’s running at
this point, really. I mean, it
is running. If you have not
done any prep.
>> Good. Good luck at this
point because it’s 2 things we
were talking about this when we
came out, it’s coming in faster
and it’s coming in colder as
well. Which kind of figured
would be at least the faster
part. But this is the real time
temperatures right now. It is
2 degrees in Amarillo, 10 in
La, big 3 in Oklahoma City.
22 in San Angelo, Dallas is now
at 20. It’s moving into the
hill country and that’s where
we expect things to plow
through over the next couple of
hours. Look at these feels like
temperatures in this is going
to be the real party. And as we
get in towards this afternoon
tonight and certainly tomorrow
morning as it is just going to
be bitterly cold, feels like
2 degrees in Dallas right now.
23 below 0. As you get up
Murillo. That’s dangerous.
Wind chill. Now that will be
that cold here. But we’re going
to get a taste of some of that.
Not only that we’ve been
watching a little bit of light
snow up around Fort Worth.
None of it is making it to the
ground. If it is it is being
blown around by the strong
winds. Very quickly, very dry
snow. We may see some flurries
out of this as it moves on
through. We’ll just have to
wait and see right now. The
fog, the bigger issue here
locally that we’re dealing with
the air mass is just kind of
stuck until that front’s going
to plow everything out of the
way. Temperatures anywhere from
the mid to upper 50’s. We’ve
got around 61 in Galveston.
55 in Tomball. 52 up to Conroe
right now. College station’s
of 49 and look at this. There
it is right to the north of us.
And so that’s what’s headed our
direction. Of course, the fog
is what we’ve been talking
about. So here’s our future
cast. This is our brand new
model that’s just come in right
now by 2 o’clock. We expect
that to be in the mid 30’s up
towards the brass is mid 40’s
across Conroe down to Cady 50’s that turn in the 40’s as you
that turn in the 40’s as you
get in towards portions of
downtown by 3 o’clock as we get
into 4, 5 o’clock that’s down
to the coast. Notice we’re
below freezing quickly by 8
o’clock. We’re going to see
those temperatures just
continue to tank down into the
teens as we take it through
tomorrow morning, widespread
mid upper teens low 20’s at the
coast. And Andy, coming up,
we’ll talk about with the wind
chill will be with that will
give you a hit. Take 10 to 12 degrees and chopping off of
degrees and chopping off of
those numbers. Even worse in
some spots. And we may get most
of Friday without even getting
to 32 degrees. That’s why we
say take care of this pets,
plants, pipes, people. Of
course, the pools will get into
all those details and the rest.
Your holiday weekend forecast
in just a bit. It is going to
be brutal. Justin, thank you.
Throughout the morning, we have
seen more delays and
cancellations at Houston
airports.
>> Right now at Hobby. There
are 64 delays and 21
cancellations for today.
Our Zach Lashway joining us
live from Bush airport this
morning with the latest on how
the winter weather is impacting
travel there. Zach, good
morning.
>> Andy, good morning. Those
numbers are also trending north
here at Bush right now. There
are 77 delays. 27 cancellations
and 2 of those cancellations
popping up on the board in Terminal a one flight to
Terminal a one flight to
Chicago. The other flight to
Denver.
>> Tis the season to travel.
I come intentionally only
because that’s just how travel
during the holidays.
>> But a massive winter storm
is causing a holiday headache,
debilitating travel in many
parts of the country in
Houston, delays and
cancellations have been
steadily climbing throughout
the day because of Arctic air
making its way south and east.
So I was concerned about the
weather.
>> I’m very worried about not
just here leaving my family
here with the cold, but also
going up to new. Are you
worrying about what’s going on
up there as well? Did you
arrive here early in
anticipation of any
disruptions? Yes, yes, that
did show set up by about 2 and
a half hours early. Well, John
Green is headed to New Jersey
Darren Gehrig and is headed to
South Carolina to see his mom.
He says he travels on the same
day from Bush each year I
thought was actually busy than
what it.
>> What is be also to so
actually is I think a great time close to 200,000 people
time close to 200,000 people
are expected to travel through
Bush and hobby today and
tomorrow, the Houston airport
system is monitoring and
working closely with airline
partners to ensure the least
amount of operational
disruption. Travelers are
encouraged to arrive to the
airport early pack. Smart to save time during TSA screening.
save time during TSA screening.
Monitor your flight 3. Your
airline app. C stay on top of
any changes, delays or
cancellations.
And remember, this is a fluid situation. Things could change
situation. Things could change
at any moment. Again, we’ve
been here all morning long.
We’ve seen those changes take
place in Tucson, Pate, long
lines inside, but also outside
anticipate those slow downs.
Andy.
>> Really a lot of moving parts
this holiday travel season
Sack. Thank you. We can’t
forget about our four-legged
friends. It’s against the law to leave them outside the
to leave them outside the
nonprofit Houston Pet set is
checking on strays in providing
blankets a dog houses for
animals whose owners need help
keeping them warm leaders from
the organization say they’ve spent $10,000 on supplies for
spent $10,000 on supplies for
this week’s cold snap alone.
>> For whatever reason those
pets can be brought inside.
It’s so important to provide
them with adequate but shelter
so that they don’t parish in
that frigid temperatures for
every.
>> You know, one or 2, we get
to their 3 or 4 more that are
out there.
>> Houston pets at says they do have some supplies left.
have some supplies left.
If you need help, you can call
them that 713-960-6622, they
say if you see an animal
outside during the subfreezing
temperatures to please call
animal control immediately.
As Houston gets ready for today’s freeze. Experts want to
today’s freeze. Experts want to
remind you of the dangers of
carbon monoxide poisoning.
Symptoms include headache,
dizziness, weakness, upset
stomach, vomiting, chest pain,
and confusion to avoid becoming ill or worse. Never run your
ill or worse. Never run your
car or your generator wallet?
Inside a closed space.
>> Like a garage. Never use
your stove or your oven to heat
your home. Regardless. If it’s
electric or gas and get carbon
monoxide detectors for your
home because this deadly gas is odorless.
is odorless.
>> Those are all things that
cause a lot of carbon dioxide
build-up in that super
dangerous because it’s a it’s
not like you can smell it or
anything like that. Really
keep.
>> The CDC says in total carbon
monoxide kills more than 400
people every year. You might want to double check
You might want to double check
your car before the cold air
arrives. Keep an eye out for
bottles and soda cans just like
they do in your freezer.
Drinks tend to expand in the cold meaning they can burst in.
cold meaning they can burst in.
Make a mess in your car, canned
foods just like drinks can
also burst handheld electronics
in Texas. We know devices can
overheat, but the freeze can
also impact your batteries,
life and your devices response
time. Eyeglasses cold could
damage the frames, the glass or even the coating on the lenses.
even the coating on the lenses.
Your medications, if you keep
them in your car for an
emergency. This is the time
to take them inside and avoid
and expensive replacement.
On KPRC 2. Plus, we’ll have
live extended coverage as the
freeze pushes through starting at 2 o’clock this afternoon.
at 2 o’clock this afternoon.
You can watch at click 2
Houston dot com slash Texas
freeze. You can also watch it
on your smart TV or your
streaming device.
>> An elderly couple unable to escape a fire at their home
escape a fire at their home
overnight has died. Their
efforts to stay warm may have
sparked that fire. This all
happened on Hemlock Street in
southeast Houston. KPRC two’s
Taisha Walker is there live in
Taisha. We understand that the
couple son is a Houston firefighter.
>> That is correct. Andy,
according to relatives, we
understand that that sun was
working at Houston Fire
Department in the call center
when he himself learned about
the fire to his parents home.
We know that the other son
tells us that he had spoken
with his parents just an hour
before that deadly fire and
had plans to visit them this morning.
>> Tragedy less than 3 days
before Christmas. Houston
firefighters say a married
couple in their late 70’s were
trapped inside their southeast
Houston home as flames started
to spread in the early morning hours.
>> Elderly and not good health.
What they well known in this
neighborhood. I’ve known him
for years since we’ve been
living here.
>> Neighbor Edward Miller says
he knew the couple as Angie
and Morrow. Relatives say the
pair was inseparable. The wife suffering from dementia and the
suffering from dementia and the
husband from health issues
which may have prevented them
from escaping.
>> They were great people, a
well-loved and, you know, just
was very, very
very sad to learn.
firefighters say the fire may
have been started by
appliances, used to keep the
house warm. >> With the temperatures
>> With the temperatures
expected to drop in a matter
of hours. Firefighters want to
ensure people are warm that
safe.
>> It’s going to get called
anybody that that is trying to
stay warm. Want to make sure
that we keep falling heaters
away from any items that catch far. Always my office space
far. Always my office space
heaters.
We have We keep away from all
combustible
>> well, firefighters are not
ruling out any space heaters or
other heating devices. They are
working to figure out the
official cause of this fire reporting live in southeast
reporting live in southeast
Houston Taisha Walker KPRC.
>> 2 news Taisha. Thank you.
Metro released its Christmas
schedule. It’s business as
usual for Christmas Eve
services will be the same as
every other Saturday for Sunday
and Monday. Local bus service metro Rail and Metro Rapid will
metro Rail and Metro Rapid will
operate on a Sunday schedule
park and ride routes will not
operate on these days. All H o
V hot lanes will be closed on
Christmas Day and reopen on
Monday.
That bitter cold snap is
knocking on our back door at
this hour. Help next. Meteorologist Justin Stapleton
Meteorologist Justin Stapleton
with just how low those
temperatures will go over.
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