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Freezing Temperatures in College Station Texas

People may not give much consideration to freezing temperatures, but the consequences can be disastrous. During the historic winter outbreak in Texas in February 2021, extremely cold temperatures along with snow, sleet, and freezing rain impacted the entire state. Many records were shattered during this unprecedented “Valentines” storm system. In College Station, Texas, the coldest temperature was 5 degrees Fahrenheit at 7:26 on February 16, 2021. The coldest windchill was −8 degrees Fahrenheit at 8:53 on February 15, 2021. The longest stretch of freezing temperatures was 86 consecutive hours from 3:53 pm on February 13, 2021 to 5:53 am on February 17, 2021. As a result, many water pipes froze, and this damaged many buildings and produced significant property losses.

One of the most‐damaging and disruptive ice storms was experienced along the U.S.–Canadian border in January 1998. Ice piled up several times higher than prior records, and many power lines and transmission towers collapsed due to the excessive weight of thick ice. Widespread blackouts occurred in this region. A similar event occurred in Texas in February 2021. The combination of ice and extremely cold temperatures impacted the state for multiple days. The power grid was damaged and disrupted, and as many as 4 million people were without electricity over an extended period of time. Water mains in the street and water lines in homes broke across the state, and people were left without drinking water. Grocery stores also ran out of food and supplies, and deaths were reported due to hypothermia. Both of these storms reveal just how vulnerable infrastructure can be to the forces of nature.

Fog and dust storms are other hazards that result from atmospheric conditions. Fog occurs near the ground when water vapor condenses as warm and cold air interact. In 2017, dense fog accumulated between the cities of Hanford and Lemoore in California. Visibility became problematic and a series of accidents along Highway 198 involved more than 50 vehicles.

Dust storms (also known as sandstorms) occur in arid and semi‐arid locations such as the Sedan in Africa. They are also common in states like Arizona—particularly in April. Known as “haboobs,” these events make visibility problematic and likewise create many traffic accidents. Haboobs can also create respiratory problems since the fine dust will inevitably end up in people’s lungs.

A final atmospheric hazard to be discussed here is a heat wave. A heat wave is a prolonged period of high temperatures that may also be coupled with excessive humidity. Heat waves create loss of agricultural crops and also stress humans to the point that they cannot cool their bodies through the normal process of sweating. If relief from the weather or medical care is not given, coma, paralysis and death will follow. For instance, around 700 deaths (mainly among the elderly) resulted from a prolonged heat wave in Chicago in July 1995. The danger of such events requires constant communication with the public to alert them of such dangers. One of the things that needs to be relayed to the public is the heat index, which describes the severity of the situation. This index incorporates both temperature and humidity into a scale. It is used by meteorologists to help warn people to stay inside and drink lots of water.