Will Dallas cancel school this week due to snow? – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

As temperatures continue to be cold and the chance of snow increases Thursday, parents and students across North Texas are wondering if classes will be canceled.

School districts in the area, including Dallas ISD, said they are still in the assessment and planning phase and are expected to operate on a regular schedule until further notice. David Bates, director of operations for Dallas ISD, said this week’s bitter cold has led to earlier start times for staff.

The latest school closures can be found here.

“For example, at 5 a.m. or 5:30 a.m. we send people to hot spots,” Bates said.

While students barely returned to class on Tuesday morning, winter preparations began in all Dallas ISD schools and buildings on Sunday.

“So we are fortunate to be able to start this yesterday before the children return. Our teachers and all key staff have truly prepared as you would at home. You know, cover the hose beds, look at all the faucets and things like that,” Bates said. “We shut off some water sources on the outside of the buildings… And then yesterday we even had our transportation department come and start the buses, walk around and make sure the heat was working.”

Teams have also focused on preventive maintenance of boilers.

“We centrally monitor all of our HVAC systems,” Bates said. “Since the 2015 bond we have modernized and with the 2020 bond we were able to really see something and see when things go downhill.”

However, the decision on whether to cancel school due to snowfall expected Thursday afternoon will largely rely on discussions with federal authorities.

“We are in contact with the National Weather Service,” Bates said.

Typically, calls come as early as 3 or 5 a.m., Bates said.

“We’re on the phone with them and we’re taking that information to our Office of Emergency Management, our police department,” Bates said.

Dallas ISD and surrounding districts have scheduled a final call with the NWS for Wednesday at 1 p.m

“We will make the decision early to give our parents and our communities time to respond,” Bates said.

In a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Dallas city leaders said they stand ready to help the school district.

“If there are resource needs that we can provide or vice versa, we communicate regularly,” said Kevin Oden, director of emergency management and crisis response in Dallas.

Over the years, Bates said, their relationship with city resources has strengthened.

“Our emergency management office and our police department are doing a really good job communicating with them,” Bates said. “We have coordinated a lot more with the fire department because we have seen a lot of burst pipes in the past. And they were very helpful in coordinating and saving our buildings.”

And while some hope snow accumulates; There is a possibility that classes will continue as planned.

“It would be like today. It was cold today. We just want to make sure our families send their children prepared,” Bates said. “To have the right clothes and jackets when they get to the bus or are being dropped off, make sure they are bundled.”

Bates assured his team and other emergency departments that they would continue to work to ensure the safety and warmth of their students, teachers and staff.

“I’m really proud of the staff we have here,” Bates said. “Since 2019, we’ve been through it: a tornado, you know, an ice Armageddon, and then it seemed like every year we had storms like this. And our guys aren’t shy.”

Bates said Dallas ISD expects to make a final decision on school closures or delays by Wednesday afternoon.

PREPARE FOR COLD WEATHER

Winterize your home
Replace weatherstripping on doors and windows that has worn out before the cold to ensure a good seal. This ensures that warm air stays in and cold air stays out. Most modern windows are sealed in the frame, but older windows may be sealed with a glaze that can crack and need to be replaced. The glaze may need to be applied above a certain temperature and may require time to harden – this maintenance is ideally done in the spring or fall. Finally, check your gutters to make sure they are clear and water can flow freely to the downspout. Clogged gutters can cause water to enter the home. The Texas Department of Insurance also recommends keeping trees away from power lines, homes and cars and checking insulation levels in attics.

Protect your pipes
Most North Texans know to insulate their outdoor faucets, but if the cold snap lasts longer, it might be a good idea to also let indoor faucets on exterior walls drip overnight to keep them from freezing. The drip, drip, drip of running faucets can be annoying when you hear it. Therefore, place a sponge or towel in the sink to silently catch every drip. If you’re going out of town for a few days, the Texas Department of Insurance recommends leaving closet doors open to expose pipes on exterior walls to more heat. If you have pipes in the attic or crawlspace, or other exposed pipes outside, these will also need to be insulated. For external faucets, disconnect the hoses and insulate the valves. Wrapping valves with towels is not the best solution in the long run. Most, if not all, hardware stores in North Texas sell inexpensive exterior foam faucet covers that attach easily to the faucet neck in just a few seconds and provide excellent protection for the pipe from freezing. If you suspect a pipe is frozen, leave the faucet open to allow water to flow as it melts. Also, make sure you know where your main water valve is (and how to close it) in case a pipe bursts.

Bring your pets
Even if you have a pet or animal that normally lives or sleeps outdoors, they could be susceptible to colds, hypothermia and pneumonia. The SPCA of Texas says if you’re cold outside, there’s a good chance your pet is cold too. Bring pets indoors and ensure other outdoor animals have appropriate, dry, well-insulated shelter to protect them from freezing temperatures and possible death.

Protect your plants
Perennial potted plants should be brought indoors. Plants that cannot be brought indoors must be covered. Delicate plants can be covered with sheets, blankets, or landscaping frost blankets that can retain heat. In times of extreme cold, multiple frost blankets can be used. For plants left outside a day or two before frost, the Dallas Arboretum recommends watering the soil only by hand and keeping the foliage dry to insulate the plant’s roots. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has more information about protecting plants from frost and freeze here. AgriLife also has tips for winter planting.

Dallas Arboretum

Turn off your sprinkler system
You may want to turn off your irrigation system for several reasons. One is that you don’t want it to run on its normal schedule and potentially throw water onto the streets where it can freeze and be dangerous to passing cars. Second, you don’t want to risk breaking pipes or valves if the system hasn’t been winterized. To winterize your system, the City of Fort Worth recommends turning off both timers and backflow devices, even if you have frost or rain sensors installed, and draining the main line. All above-ground pipes should also be insulated.

HVAC
Many air filters should be changed or cleaned every three months or every season. But that’s not the only winterization your HVAC system needs. You should regularly check your ductwork for holes (whether from vibration or rodents) to ensure airflow is uninterrupted. If part of your air conditioner is located in the attic, rats, mice, and squirrels may also live there, finding the warmth of the unit an ideal place to build nests.

Swimming pools
Even if your pool equipment has freeze protection, you should check the pump daily to make sure it is moving water through your pipes. These pipes can also burst if they freeze.

Batteries
It’s always a good idea to have fresh flashlight batteries in case of a power outage. If you haven’t replaced the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors during the summer, now is a good time to make the change. It’s also a good idea to make sure your phone is charged so you have timely access to information in the event of a power outage. It’s also a good idea to have a backup battery or power source to charge your phone.