Snow, again? What to expect in Montgomery County as cold front pushes through

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Montgomery County and surrounding areas.

"We could start to see rain as early as tonight," said Cynthia Jamieson with the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "As the front passes through tomorrow, we will start to see a wintery mix of rain, sleet and possibly snow. The temperatures will drop into the 20s Tuesday into Wednesday. This is unusual for our area, as we don't usually see snow once a year, much less several times a year. But historically we have witnessed harsher winters following a hurricane."

Jamieson said county commissioners and the Texas Department of Transportation will continuously monitor road conditions.

"When traveling, use precaution," she said. "If there is any standing water on the roads it could potentially freeze when the temperatures drop."

Meanwhile, Jamieson wants to remind everyone to protect the "four P's:" people, pets, pipes and plants. Check on your neighbors, she said, and don't forget the importance of space heater safety:

• Place heater on a hard, level, non-flammable surface.
• Turn it off when you leave home and before going to bed. Never leave a space heater unattended.
• Keep a 3 ft. clearance from all objects.
• Avoid using extension cords.
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• When purchasing a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over.

The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office has again extended the same precautionary notice, as several fires in the county have recently been blamed on space heaters – most recently Jan. 14 at the Shadow Bay subdivision on Lake Conroe, in which a 55-year-old man was seriously injured.

"MCFMO investigators have been working the fire scene and have recovered a space heater in the area that the fire started that was on at the time of the fire," said Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams. "Investigator J. Manz is the case agent and also reported that the home did not appear to be equipped with smoke alarms. Investigator Manz noted that the last three home fires he has responded to have all involved space heaters. In one of those fires, residents left a space heater on for 11 days straight during a cold spell before it caused the home’s wiring to overload and fail."