City and county offices, schools to be closed on Monday, due to winter weather; driving conditions remain dangerous
The offices of the City of Breckenridge, Stephens County and Breckenridge Independent School District will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26, and all local school classes have been canceled for Monday, due to road conditions caused by the winter storm that entered the area on Friday, Jan. 23.
Breckenridge and the surrounding area received freezing rain, sleet and some snow in the past 48 hours. The low temperatures have kept many of the roads covered in ice and snow.
Additionally, TSTC’s Breckenridge campus will be closed on Monday, but online classes will be held as usual.
Stephens Memorial Hospital will be closed Monday, including the Breckenridge Medical Center, walk-in clinic, therapy, wellness, business office, medical records, lab and radiology. The emergency room will remain open 24 hours a day.
Breckenridge kids have been out enjoying the snowy hills around town during the recent winter storm. They’ll get at least one more day to have fun, since Breckenridge schools will be closed on Monday due to the weather. (Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Morehart)
In a message to the community, BISD Superintendent Prairie Freeman said, “Due to current conditions and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our students, staff, and community, the district, county and city offices will be closed on Monday, January 26th. … All entities will continue to closely monitor the situation and assess conditions throughout the day on Monday to determine a plan for Tuesday. We will communicate any updates as soon as a decision is made. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we prioritize the safety and well-being of our school and entire community.”
On their respective Facebook pages, the City of Breckenridge and Stephens County confirmed that their offices will be closed on Monday. The City’s crews will continue to monitor road conditions to help ensure public safety. Additionally, there will be no trash pick-up on Monday, Jan. 26, for City of Breckenridge trash customers. Trash pick-up will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 27, running one day behind (Monday’s route picked up Tuesday, Tuesday’s route picked up Wednesday, etc., through Saturday).
Stephens County Judge Michael Roach said in a news release that the courthouse will open briefly at 10 a.m. on Monday for the sole purpose of conducting the scheduled Commissioners Court meeting and will close immediately following the conclusion of that meeting. No other county offices will be open, and no additional services will be available during that time.
Stephens County also has opened a warming center at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the Stephens County Law Enforcement Center, 210 E. Dyer St. The warming center will be available to residents who may need a safe, warm location during the winter weather conditions.
After a high of about 62 degrees on Thursday, Jan. 22, a cold front moved into the area — and across much of the eastern 2/3 of the United States — on Friday, bringing freezing rain and a low temperature of 23 degrees. The wintry precipitation continued overnight and into Saturday, which saw temperatures in the mid-teens for most of the day, according to the National Weather Service.
Today’s high is predicted to near 19 with a slight chance of snow continuing. With north-northwest winds around 10 mph and gusts as high as 20 mph, the wind chill values will be between 3 and 8. Tonight, there is a 20 percent chance of snow before 9 p.m. The NWS forecast shows mostly cloudy skies, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 2 degrees. North-northwest winds at 5 to 10 mph are expected, becoming light in the evening.
On Monday, Jan. 26, it should be mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 27, dropping to a low around 7 degrees overnight.
Tuesday will bring the first higher-than-freezing temperatures since Friday evening with mostly sunny skies and a high near 43 degrees. The NWS is predicting daytime high temperatures for the rest of the week in the upper 30s or lower 40 and overnight lows in the teens and lower 20s.
Downtown Breckenridge, including the Stephens County Courthouse, is blanketed in a thin coat of snow. Local and state officials are urging everyone to stay home and off the roads, which remain dangerous with a layer of ice beneath the snow. (Courtesy Photo)
City crews prepare to treat some of the Breckenridge streets to make them safer for those who have to get out and drive during the winter storm. According to the City of Breckenridge, they are strategic in the application for several dangerous roads, including Ridge Road, around Stephens Memorial Hospital, Villa Haven Health and Rehabilitation Center, and a few other places. When school is in session, they treat the hill going up to the junior high. Additionally, the Texas Department of Transportation has been treating the highways in the area and went through Breckenridge with a plow on Walker Street overnight. (Photo courtesy of the City of Breckenridge)
Cutline, top photo: A tractor-trailer rig travels south down State Highway 67, northeast of Breckenridge, on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 25. After a winter storm moved into the area on Friday, the roadways are covered in ice and snow. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
