School districts and colleges across the Greater Houston area have begun announcing closures for Jan. 26, ahead of potentially severe winter weather expected to move through the region this weekend.

What residents need to know: As of Jan. 23, the following school districts and colleges have announced that they will be closed, including:

• Aldine ISD
  
• Alvin College
  
• Alvin ISD
  
• Clear Creek ISD
  
• College of the Mainland
  
• Conroe ISD
  
• Cy-Fair ISD
  
• Friendswood ISD
  
• Fort Bend ISD
  
• Harmony Public Schools
  
• Houston City College
  
• Houston ISD
  
• Humble ISD
  
• Katy ISD
  
• Klein ISD
  
• Lamar CISD
  
• Magnolia ISD
  
• Montgomery ISD
  

According to the National Weather Service, Winter Storm Fern is expected to move through the region starting Jan. 24 and bring freezing temperatures through Jan. 27. Officials with the NWS also noted wind chills will likely range from 5-15 degrees, which poses hypothermia and frostbite risks with prolonged exposure.

The update: Harris County and city of Houston officials announced 13 warming centers that will open Jan. 24, including:

• Acres Homes Multi-Service Center: 6719 W. Montgomery Road, Houston
• Bayland Community Center: 6400 Bissonnet St., Houston
• Denver Harbor MSC: 6402 Market St., Houston
• Fifth Ward MSC: 4014 Market St., Houston
• Fonde Community Center: 110 Sabine St., Houston
• Kashmere MSC: 4802 Lockwood Drive, Houston
• Magnolia MSC: 7037 Capitol St., Houston
• Metropolitan MSC: 1475 W. Gray St., Houston
• Moody Community Center: 3725 Fulton St., Houston
• Northeast MSC: 9720 Spaulding St., Houston
• Southwest MSC: 6400 High Star Drive, Houston

A far-reaching winter storm is expected to bring below-freezing temperatures, wintry precipitation and “dangerous ice” to Texas beginning Jan. 23, according to the National Weather Service. As residents brace for days of potentially hazardous conditions, state leaders said Jan. 22 that the Texas power grid “has never been stronger” and will withstand the storm.

What's happening: Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 134 of Texas’ 254 counties, telling reporters that the northern two-thirds of the state—from San Antonio to the Panhandle—will be impacted by the storm.

Officials said they do not expect a repeat of the widespread power outages that occurred during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, emphasizing that changes have been made in recent years to harden the grid against extreme weather. The governor said some Texans could see “local, isolated” outages due to fallen tree branches or ice on power lines.

"The severity of it is not quite as great... as Winter Storm Uri," Abbott said. "That said, people would be making a mistake if they don't take it serious."