Christian Life Center offers a warming station during cold weather

Dangerously cold weather arrives Thursday, Dec. 22, and lasts through the weekend, said Jillian Grace, KWTX News 10 meteorologist. 

"The coldest day is going to be Friday," Grace said. "Christmas Day will be one of the warmer days compared to what's heading our way." 

The First Baptist Church in Mexia has a warming station in the Christian Life Center from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Thursday and Friday nights for people seeking shelter, said Nic Collins, FBC’s minister of Youth and Education.

"We'll ask folks to please have a plan after that time because we're not set up to be a 24-hour shelter," he said. "We won't be able to facilitate operations all day long, but we can do it at night." 

The arctic cold front was expected to reach Interstate 35 around 10 a.m. Thursday, Grace said. Temperatures will be warmer in the morning and fall into the 20s that afternoon. The temperature Christmas Day will be in the mid-40s. 

Grace said strong winds are expected, and wind chill values will be in the single digits by Thursday evening. Winds anywhere from 20 to 35 mph and gusts between 35 and 50 mph are coming in behind the cold front. 

"We will have very windy conditions and then, at times, even stronger wind gusts," Grace said. "Friday afternoon, they'll be lighter but still pretty breezy, making it feel very cold." 

Limestone County doesn't have any coordinated efforts for warming stations, said Matt Groveton, Limestone County Emergency Management director.

"People need to understand that if they have a neighbor who is elderly, who is vulnerable to the cold, they need to check on their neighbors and their relatives," Groveton said. "Do your neighborly duty and go out and try to try to help them in some way." 

Collins said there were cots, blankets, pillows and hot shower facilities available at the church. About 25 cots were available, but more people were welcome. Water was available, but meals aren't being provided. 

"We may not have cots for them, but we're not going to turn people away," he said.

A church representative will be on site to manage any medical issue, concern or security issue. 

"We're going to offer the little bit we can now," Collins said. "As we bolster our disaster and weather preparedness protocols, we will hopefully have more availability for folks. But we'll give everything we got, and we'll help the people we can." 

Grace said this time last year was actually the warmest Christmas on record. 

"We're not expecting any record-breaking cold," she said. 

In Feb. 2022, she said there were about 33 consecutive hours of temperatures below freezing.

"We could potentially see around 48 hours in a row," she said about this week. 

Compared to the freeze in February 2021, it's "not anywhere close to that," she said. There were multiple inches of snow and ice and around 205 hours of consecutive freezing temperatures.

No snow or ice is expected, she said. 

"Unless people leave their sprinklers on or things like that," she said. "This is moving through dry." 

Grace said people should dress warm and layered. 

Make sure to cover outdoor plants or bring them inside if possible, and remember to stock up on extra power sources like flashlights, candles or generators in case the power fails, Grace said.

"Don't forget about your pets. They need a warm place to stay as well," Grace said.

People can protect their livestock and pets by providing shelter to protect them from cold, windy and wet conditions, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife press release. Experts at the Texas A&M  Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory advise keeping outdoor animals' bedding replaced, as well as having energy and high-calorie food and adequate clean water supplies available.

Pastor Rick Washington of Greater Little Zion Baptist said he's manning the CLC from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23. 

Washington said that if the First Baptist Church in Mexia is going to be the only church that does the warming station, other churches need to pitch in with volunteers, blankets and things of that nature. 

"You say you love the Lord. Now let's show it," he said. 

People can contact the FBC in Mexia at 254-562-5576.

Additional and the most up-to-date weather information can be found on the KWTX Weather app or its website at https://www.kwtx.com/weather/.