The winter season in Texas is signaling a turn towards extreme cold, according to the chief meteorologist for the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), potentially mirroring conditions seen in 2021. In a statement obtained by FOX 7 Austin, Chris Coleman spoke to the ERCOT board, stating, "The more I look at this winter," said Coleman. "The more cold potential I see." Drawing on historical data, Coleman notes that the forecasts indicate an increased chance of temperatures reaching severe lows that have been seen only sporadically over the past three decades.

Looking at the metrics used by Coleman to gauge "extreme cold," which entails temperatures dropping to 14 degrees in Dallas, 19 degrees in Austin, and 21 degrees in Houston, the pattern is becoming familiar. Speaking to this tendency, temperatures in these three cities have been dipping to these levels more frequently during the winters of the past decade. Conversing with the ERCOT board, Coleman highlighted that, in contrast to only three occurrences in the previous 25 years, these low temperatures have been observed five times in the recent eight winters, as reported by FOX 7 Austin.

January's new winter peak record for state temperatures was a moment of reality check, marking 12 degrees in Dallas, 18 degrees in Houston, 17 degrees in Austin, and 19 degrees in San Antonio. "it was a reminder that even during an above average winter, periods of extreme cold could happen," Coleman told Yahoo News. This is reflected in the 2020-2021 winter, which was cited as one of the upper-third coldest in state records due to the inclement temperatures experienced.