Almost as surprising as the snow in Houston Tuesday morning was the calm that accompanied it.
A city accustomed to the constant hum and roar of traffic became silent under the constantly accumulating blanket of snow. As a few drivers moved slowly on unplowed roads of almost unbroken white, authorities warned residents not to risk the dangerous conditions.
The arrival of snow brought cries of joy from children eager to throw snowballs in a town that hadn’t seen significant snow in years. But the specter of 2021’s devastating winter storm, which destroyed Texas’ power grid and killed more than 200 people, loomed large. Many Texans are now welcoming winter weather by checking the network status in real time.
Tuesday morning’s storm has already brought more snow to the area than the 2021 storm, which also began with some excitement as the snow began to fall.
“This is the most snow I’ve ever seen and I’ve been here since 1970,” George Card said as he swept the snow from his porch in Houston’s Heights neighborhood near downtown. “This is getting serious,” Mr. Card added, looking at the conditions that appear to be blizzard-like.
Mr. Card, 76, a native of Lynn, Mass., said he, like others, would likely hunker down for the day and wait for warmer weather, expected later in the week, to melt the accumulation. “My mentality, having lived here so long, is that it’s the sun that shovels,” he said.
