Can Texas clean up fracking water enough to use for farming? One company thinks so.
This article is part of Running Out, an occasional series about Texas' water crisis. Read more stories about the threats facing Texas' water supply here.
MIDLAND — On any given day, energy companies across the vast Permian Basin in West Texas inject millions of gallons of water into the dry brown earth, breaking up layers of rock on the hunt for crude oil.
As oil and gas are extracted, water flows back up. It is all but unusable — unless treated.
Often referred to as produced water, the grimy backwash is full of dirt, minerals and hundreds of chemicals, some of which can be radioactive. Companies must dispose of it somehow. Most, with state permission, inject it underground. Increasingly, oil producers are cleaning it up just enough to reuse it for more fracking.
Now, amid a growing water crisis, there is interest in oil country — and Austin — to clean the water further for agriculture and other industries.
Texas Pacific Water Resources is one company leading the effort. The West Texas company says it has developed methods to clean the water sufficiently to be released into bodies of water that can be used by farmers. And it's seeking state permission to expand its operation, with the hope of sending millions of gallons up the Pecos River to parched farm land.
[Texas is running out of water. Here's why and what state leaders plan to do about it.]
'We've seen in testing the soil and the crops that no contamination was detected,' Adrienne Lopez, a research manager at Texas Pacific, said. 'The soil's been perfectly healthy, as well as the plants.'
The state's water supply is under duress from a growing population, climate change and deteriorating infrastructure. In West Texas, as in much of the state, there is not enough water to meet demand if the state is struck by a 100-year drought, according to state data. The state's water plan suggests municipal needs, in particular, will grow in this region of the state for decades to come.
And data gathered by the Texas Water Development Board, which monitors the state's water distribution, estimates the region will need tens of thousands of acre-feet to sustain the multiple industries — especially the power generators.
Because of this, there is much urgency to find new water supply. Lawmakers are debating a package of bills that would inject billions to secure the state's water future. Meanwhile, supporters of cleaning fracking water, however, caution this effort is years away from saving the state from its water crisis.
Laura Capper, founder and CEO of EnergyMakers, an oil and gas consulting firm, who has advised on produced water projects for more than a decade, said that the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil and gas wastewater can be reused. But it is years away from pulling Texas out of its water crisis.
'We're absolutely not moving fast enough,' Capper said. 'We could be looking at four or five years from now, even if we were full steam ahead before we got big facilities up and running, that could make a difference in these water shortages.'
Meanwhile, skeptics warn the effort is not a solution at all.
Decisions regarding produced water discharge should not be driven by urgency, said Jennifer Walker, senior director of the Texas Coast and Water Program at the National Wildlife Federation. She said questions remain about how reliable the treatment methods are, whether there is enough energy to sustain them and the costs.
'We need to take our time and be really, really careful about this and build a lot of trust around it if this is the path that we're going to go down,' she said.
The amount of water that oil and gas companies need to fracture a well can vary.
A federal estimate put it as high as 16 million gallons per well. But Capper said a modern well needs double — up to 34 million gallons. Oil companies rarely use fresh water, instead using brackish or recycled produced water.
The state prohibits oil companies from discharging untreated produced water into lakes and rivers. Instead they must put the resurfaced produced water in a disposal well or reuse it for more fracking.
Those disposal practices harm the environment in other ways. The Texas Railroad Commission established a connection between disposal in deep disposal wells and seismic activity, resulting in regulators limiting how much water that operators can inject underground. Produced water has also burst through abandoned wells at least eight times.
Scientists have studied produced water for at least a decade. And during the last five years, research has accelerated. The Texas Legislature even put up $10 million to help study the practice.
Inside Texas Pacific Water, rows of pipes line the edges of the floors, walls and ceiling. They're connected to water tanks inside a chilly, compact room where Lopez and her four-person crew study produced water treatment methods.
The water is hauled from the 7,000 oil fields that make up this region of the state. And it is just a fraction of the millions of gallons of wastewater produced daily by oil and gas.
The Texas Pacific Land Corporation, which owns Texas Pacific Water, was founded in the 19th Century. It is one of the largest landowners in the state. The company inherited the land originally owned by a defunct railroad company. For decades, it has managed leases, royalties and land sales.
The water business launched in 2017. Texas Pacific Water's main business is to provide water for fracking. It constructs above-ground source water pits, large trenches filled with brackish water. It sells the water to oil companies drilling wells as far as 70 miles, sending it through pipelines to well sites.
And now it is cleaning up that water.
With at least 400 contaminants, produced water is a highly complicated and unpredictable liquid to treat. The amount of chemicals in each sample varies, depending on the layer of rock from which the water escapes. It is up to four times saltier than seawater.
Texas Pacific Water gets the water from Midland, Loving and Reeves counties, Lopez said, adding that the chemical properties in each varied, allowing them to study more samples.
Most of the produced water it cleans is returned to its customers. Industry leaders estimate that produced water makes up about half of the water that operators use for fracking, with the rest being mostly brackish water. Few use freshwater, experts said, a practice that is frowned upon in the industry.
The scientists start by oxidizing the water, which kills hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, a colorless, flammable and incredibly toxic gas. Oxidizing the water also scrubs out the oil and converts any iron into a solid particle. H2S, oil and iron are the contaminants that need to be removed from the water to be used for fracking. This step can take a day.
In 2020, they started freezing the water. The method crystallizes the liquid, which forces more impurities out. The temperature at which they freeze the water will depend on its salinity. After freezing, the water is desalinated again.
Lopez and her team began testing treated produced water on native West Texas plants in August of 2023. Inside a makeshift greenhouse, there were yucca, mesquite and agave plants, and grass. With state permission, they began discharging produced water into a controlled tract of land where alfalfa was grown in February 2024.
The soil and plants were tested again for any toxic contaminants. None were detected.
'The native plants took the water very well,' she said. 'The mesquite trees grew almost out of control.'
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates air and water pollution, is evaluating four applications requesting to discharge, or release, produced water into the environment. Texas Pacific Water Resources is one of them.
In a statement, the environmental quality commission said the permits are designed to protect receiving waters and human health, and include monitoring requirements and federally mandated limits on the amount of pollutants that can enter the water. Regulators are also considering information gathered by the Texas Produced Water Consortium, which is conducting similar research in five separate pilot projects.
Dan Muller, an engineer and consultant on produced water projects for over a decade, said the science is not yet there.
'You really cannot rush science,' he said. 'I recognize that people are anxious, but we've got to make sure as data is generated, there's good scientific review and frank conversations around that data, what it tells us, what it doesn't tell us, and what the next step is.'
Texas Pacific Water Resources is bullish about its method.
Robert Crain, executive vice president of Texas Pacific Water Resources, said the goal was to prove the water can be cleaned and regulated enough and released into other bodies of water that farmers can use.
'I think the amount of work that we and one or two other companies have put in has been there to quell the fears in a completely scientific way and say, 'Look, this is safe water,'' Crain said.
Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Can Texas clean up fracking water enough to use for farming? One company thinks so.
This article is part of Running Out, an occasional series about Texas' water crisis. Read more stories about the threats facing Texas' water supply here. MIDLAND — On any given day, energy companies across the vast Permian Basin in West Texas inject millions of gallons of water into the dry brown earth, breaking up layers of rock on the hunt for crude oil. As oil and gas are extracted, water flows back up. It is all but unusable — unless treated. Often referred to as produced water, the grimy backwash is full of dirt, minerals and hundreds of chemicals, some of which can be radioactive. Companies must dispose of it somehow. Most, with state permission, inject it underground. Increasingly, oil producers are cleaning it up just enough to reuse it for more fracking. Now, amid a growing water crisis, there is interest in oil country — and Austin — to clean the water further for agriculture and other industries. Texas Pacific Water Resources is one company leading the effort. The West Texas company says it has developed methods to clean the water sufficiently to be released into bodies of water that can be used by farmers. And it's seeking state permission to expand its operation, with the hope of sending millions of gallons up the Pecos River to parched farm land. [Texas is running out of water. Here's why and what state leaders plan to do about it.] 'We've seen in testing the soil and the crops that no contamination was detected,' Adrienne Lopez, a research manager at Texas Pacific, said. 'The soil's been perfectly healthy, as well as the plants.' The state's water supply is under duress from a growing population, climate change and deteriorating infrastructure. In West Texas, as in much of the state, there is not enough water to meet demand if the state is struck by a 100-year drought, according to state data. The state's water plan suggests municipal needs, in particular, will grow in this region of the state for decades to come. And data gathered by the Texas Water Development Board, which monitors the state's water distribution, estimates the region will need tens of thousands of acre-feet to sustain the multiple industries — especially the power generators. Because of this, there is much urgency to find new water supply. Lawmakers are debating a package of bills that would inject billions to secure the state's water future. Meanwhile, supporters of cleaning fracking water, however, caution this effort is years away from saving the state from its water crisis. Laura Capper, founder and CEO of EnergyMakers, an oil and gas consulting firm, who has advised on produced water projects for more than a decade, said that the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil and gas wastewater can be reused. But it is years away from pulling Texas out of its water crisis. 'We're absolutely not moving fast enough,' Capper said. 'We could be looking at four or five years from now, even if we were full steam ahead before we got big facilities up and running, that could make a difference in these water shortages.' Meanwhile, skeptics warn the effort is not a solution at all. Decisions regarding produced water discharge should not be driven by urgency, said Jennifer Walker, senior director of the Texas Coast and Water Program at the National Wildlife Federation. She said questions remain about how reliable the treatment methods are, whether there is enough energy to sustain them and the costs. 'We need to take our time and be really, really careful about this and build a lot of trust around it if this is the path that we're going to go down,' she said. The amount of water that oil and gas companies need to fracture a well can vary. A federal estimate put it as high as 16 million gallons per well. But Capper said a modern well needs double — up to 34 million gallons. Oil companies rarely use fresh water, instead using brackish or recycled produced water. The state prohibits oil companies from discharging untreated produced water into lakes and rivers. Instead they must put the resurfaced produced water in a disposal well or reuse it for more fracking. Those disposal practices harm the environment in other ways. The Texas Railroad Commission established a connection between disposal in deep disposal wells and seismic activity, resulting in regulators limiting how much water that operators can inject underground. Produced water has also burst through abandoned wells at least eight times. Scientists have studied produced water for at least a decade. And during the last five years, research has accelerated. The Texas Legislature even put up $10 million to help study the practice. Inside Texas Pacific Water, rows of pipes line the edges of the floors, walls and ceiling. They're connected to water tanks inside a chilly, compact room where Lopez and her four-person crew study produced water treatment methods. The water is hauled from the 7,000 oil fields that make up this region of the state. And it is just a fraction of the millions of gallons of wastewater produced daily by oil and gas. The Texas Pacific Land Corporation, which owns Texas Pacific Water, was founded in the 19th Century. It is one of the largest landowners in the state. The company inherited the land originally owned by a defunct railroad company. For decades, it has managed leases, royalties and land sales. The water business launched in 2017. Texas Pacific Water's main business is to provide water for fracking. It constructs above-ground source water pits, large trenches filled with brackish water. It sells the water to oil companies drilling wells as far as 70 miles, sending it through pipelines to well sites. And now it is cleaning up that water. With at least 400 contaminants, produced water is a highly complicated and unpredictable liquid to treat. The amount of chemicals in each sample varies, depending on the layer of rock from which the water escapes. It is up to four times saltier than seawater. Texas Pacific Water gets the water from Midland, Loving and Reeves counties, Lopez said, adding that the chemical properties in each varied, allowing them to study more samples. Most of the produced water it cleans is returned to its customers. Industry leaders estimate that produced water makes up about half of the water that operators use for fracking, with the rest being mostly brackish water. Few use freshwater, experts said, a practice that is frowned upon in the industry. The scientists start by oxidizing the water, which kills hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, a colorless, flammable and incredibly toxic gas. Oxidizing the water also scrubs out the oil and converts any iron into a solid particle. H2S, oil and iron are the contaminants that need to be removed from the water to be used for fracking. This step can take a day. In 2020, they started freezing the water. The method crystallizes the liquid, which forces more impurities out. The temperature at which they freeze the water will depend on its salinity. After freezing, the water is desalinated again. Lopez and her team began testing treated produced water on native West Texas plants in August of 2023. Inside a makeshift greenhouse, there were yucca, mesquite and agave plants, and grass. With state permission, they began discharging produced water into a controlled tract of land where alfalfa was grown in February 2024. The soil and plants were tested again for any toxic contaminants. None were detected. 'The native plants took the water very well,' she said. 'The mesquite trees grew almost out of control.' The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates air and water pollution, is evaluating four applications requesting to discharge, or release, produced water into the environment. Texas Pacific Water Resources is one of them. In a statement, the environmental quality commission said the permits are designed to protect receiving waters and human health, and include monitoring requirements and federally mandated limits on the amount of pollutants that can enter the water. Regulators are also considering information gathered by the Texas Produced Water Consortium, which is conducting similar research in five separate pilot projects. Dan Muller, an engineer and consultant on produced water projects for over a decade, said the science is not yet there. 'You really cannot rush science,' he said. 'I recognize that people are anxious, but we've got to make sure as data is generated, there's good scientific review and frank conversations around that data, what it tells us, what it doesn't tell us, and what the next step is.' Texas Pacific Water Resources is bullish about its method. Robert Crain, executive vice president of Texas Pacific Water Resources, said the goal was to prove the water can be cleaned and regulated enough and released into other bodies of water that farmers can use. 'I think the amount of work that we and one or two other companies have put in has been there to quell the fears in a completely scientific way and say, 'Look, this is safe water,'' Crain said. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Texas is running out of water. Here's why and what state leaders plan to do about it.
This article is part of Running Out, an occasional series about Texas' water crisis. Read more stories about the threats facing Texas' water supply here. Texas officials fear the state is gravely close to running out of water. Towns and cities could be on a path toward a severe shortage of water by 2030, data compiled in the state's 2022 water plan by the Texas Water Development Board indicates. This would happen if there is recurring, record-breaking drought conditions across the state, and if water entities and state leaders fail to put in place key strategies to secure water supplies. At risk is the water Texans use every day for cooking, cleaning — and drinking. State lawmakers are debating several solutions, including finding ways to bring new water supply to Texas, and dedicating more money to fix dilapidated infrastructure. For most other Texans, however, the extent of their knowledge of where water comes from is the kitchen faucet and backyard hose. But behind every drop is a complicated system of sources, laws and management challenges. So, where does Texas get its water? Who owns it? And why are we running out? Let's break it down. [Want to understand Texas' water crisis? Start with the guide to water terms.] Texas' water supply comes from two main sources: Groundwater makes up 54%. It is water that is stored underground in aquifers. Surface water makes up 43%. It is water from lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Texas has nine major aquifers and 22 minor ones. They are large formations underground made of sand, gravel, limestone and other porous rocks. The formations act as giant tubs that hold and filter the water. The largest is the Ogallala Aquifer underneath the Panhandle and West Texas. It is also the biggest aquifer in the U.S., and Texas shares it with seven other states. It's a lifeline for farms and ranches in the Texas High Plains. However, overuse is rapidly depleting it. Another major source is the Edwards Aquifer, which provides drinking water to San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country. The state also gets water from 15 major river basins and eight coastal basins, lakes, and more than 180 reservoirs. Reservoirs are man-made lakes created by damming rivers to store water for drinking, agriculture and industry. Like aquifers, they are not endless supplies — water levels can depend on rainfall. And climate change, which alters precipitation patterns, leads to more droughts and fluctuating water levels. Major surface water sources include the Rio Grande, Colorado River, and reservoirs like Lake Travis in Austin and Toledo Bend in East Texas. Yes, and where you get your water from depends on where you live. Groundwater is not equally available across the state. As water expert Carlos Rubinstein puts it: "People don't all live next to rivers, and the aquifer isn't a bathtub with the same amount of water everywhere. Rocks and sand get in the way." For example, people living in Lubbock get their water from several sources — two water well fields, Lake Meredith and Lake Alan Henry. Texans living in Fort Worth get their water from mostly surface water sources — lakes, reservoirs and the Trinity River. Since water supply varies by region, the Texas Tribune created an address-search tool. This tool shows where your local water supply comes from and what supply and demand projections look like for the future. The tool also explains how you can get more involved in water planning. This can be by attending meetings with regional groups who plan for water needs and use, providing public comments to the water development board as they draft new water plans, or by reaching out to lawmakers. Water in Texas is a legally complex, highly managed resource. If you own land above an aquifer in Texas, you own the groundwater beneath it — just like owning oil or gas. You don't have to pump it to claim it; it's yours by default. However, that doesn't mean you should use as much as you want. There are consequences. 'Groundwater is your long-term bank account,' says John Dupnik, a deputy executive administrator at the Texas Water Development Board. 'The more you withdraw, the faster it declines because it doesn't replenish quickly.' To manage this, some areas have groundwater conservation districts that regulate how much water can be pumped. Since groundwater is owned by the landowner, general managers at the districts say they constantly have to strike a balance between protecting water supplies and respecting private property rights. 'We have to let landowners use their water,' says Ty Edwards, general manager of the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District. 'But we also have to protect everyone else's wells. It's a juggling act.' Unlike groundwater, surface water belongs to the state. To use it — whether it's for cities, farms, or businesses — you need a permit from the state's environmental agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Texas follows a 'first in time, first in right' system, meaning older water rights take priority. In a drought, those with senior rights get water first, and newer users might be cut off entirely. 'Think of it like a sold-out concert,' said Rubinstein, a former chair of the Texas Water Development Board. 'There are no more tickets. The only way to get more water is to build new storage, but that's easier said than done.' Texas' two separate legal systems for water — one for groundwater and one for surface water — makes management tricky. Dupnik, the water board administrator, said Texas is unique in having the system divided this way. Just nine states, including Texas, have this two-tiered system. 'Most states are usually one or the other,' Dupnik said. The two water resources are also deeply connected. About 30% of the water in Texas rivers comes from groundwater, according to a water board study. When wells pump too much, rivers and springs can dry up. Sharlene Leurig, a managing member with environmental consulting firm Fluid Advisors, said it's important for people to understand the relationship between the two. 'Depletions of one drives depletions of the other,' Leurig said. Texas is growing, and its water supply isn't keeping up. With droughts, overuse and changing rainfall patterns, water is becoming a scarce resource. The 2022 Texas Water Plan estimates the state's population will increase to 51.5 million people by 2070 — an increase of 73%. At the same time, water supply is projected to decrease approximately 18%. The biggest reduction is in groundwater, which is projected to decline 32% by 2070. This shortfall will be felt most in two major aquifers: The Ogallala Aquifer, as a result of its managed depletion over time, and the Gulf Coast Aquifer, which faces mandatory pumping reductions to prevent land sinking from over-extraction. Texas is not only losing water to overuse. The state's aging water pipes are deteriorating, contributing to massive losses from leaks and breaks. A 2022 report by Texas Living Waters Project, a coalition of environmental groups, estimated that Texas water systems lose at least 572,000 acre-feet per year — about 51 gallons of water per home or business connection every day — enough water to meet the total annual municipal needs of Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, Laredo and Lubbock combined. These old pipes also raise concerns about water quality and supply. Breaks trigger boil-water notices, while repairs and replacements strain budgets. This issue is amplified by the lack of funding for maintenance in some areas and the increasing demand for water due to population growth. Irrigation holds the top spot for water use in Texas, according to the water board. In fact, agriculture has been the dominant water consumer for decades. In 2020, over a third of irrigation and livestock water in Texas came from the Ogallala and Edwards-Trinity aquifers. At the same time, more than one-fifth of non-agricultural water came from the Trinity River Basin. But the way water is used is shifting. By 2060, municipal water demand is projected to overtake irrigation as the biggest user, according to the water board. Agriculture producers will struggle to meet water prices, said Alan Day, general manager of the Brazos Groundwater Conservation District. As climate change intensifies, he said, water supply may decrease in certain parts of the state and compound challenges for farmers and ranchers. 'With water getting more expensive, we're seeing a shift from agricultural use to municipal demand,' he said. Day added that water use isn't just about who's taking the most — it's about where it's coming from, who's willing to pay for it, and how we decide to share it in the future. 'What do we want our shared water resources to look like 50 years from now?' Day said. 'That's a moving target. And it's a political hot potato.' The state's water plan says Texas does not have enough water supply to meet the growing need of 6.9 million acre-feet of additional water supplies by 2070 — enough to support 41.4 million Texans for one year. If water strategies are not implemented, the plan says approximately 25% of Texas' population in 2070 would have less than half the municipal water supplies they will require during a significant drought. 'There's going to be a fight over at what level does harm occur to any of these particular aquifers,' Day said. The water board is responsible for planning for water shortages. The agency uses the 1950s drought or 'drought of record' as a benchmark for statewide water planning. Temple McKinnon, the director of water supply planning at the state agency, said using the 'worst-case scenario' allows water planners to come up with strategies for how to meet future water needs. That planning has manifested in state legislation and infrastructure investment. In 2023, voters approved a one-time use of $1 billion to fund infrastructure projects. This year, two Republican lawmakers, state Sen. Charles Perry from Lubbock and state Rep. Cody Harris of Palestine, filed constitutional amendments to dedicate $1 billion annually for up to 10 years for water projects. Harris also filed House Bill 16 — a sweeping priority bill that touches on water funds, flood plans, and the development of infrastructure to transport water into a water supply system. Senate Bill 7, which Perry is expected to author, was named a priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and would increase investments in water supply efforts. Texas budget writers have already signaled a willingness to invest at least $2.5 billion in water plans. Perry previously told the Tribune he wants as much as $5 billion. A key part of this effort is the creation of a statewide water grid — a network of pipelines and supply connections to better distribute water across Texas. Currently, water systems across the state operate independently. A new water grid would allow Texas to shift water from wetter regions to drier ones when supply shortages hit. However, a framework is still being developed to determine who will oversee and manage this interconnected system. Lawmakers, including Perry, are also eyeing new water resources to meet future water supply needs. Some Texas cities, like Corpus Christi along the coast, are turning to desalination to treat seawater and make it drinkable. El Paso has been a leader in this effort, but focusing on cleaning brackish groundwater — slightly salty water found deep underground — enough to drink. Experts say that the state has untapped water resources — potentially enough to meet the state's long-term needs. Disclosure: Texas Living Waters Project has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
10-01-2025
- Yahoo
Steve's Setlist: Sno-way!
Yep — chances of snowfall across most of Hampton Roads continue to look likely late Friday night! However, it won't be an all-snow event for all of us, so there are some tricky nuisances to the forecast. Track 1Believe by CherBelieve it — we got a chance of snow on the way! The key ingredient needed is the cold air, and we know that's been locked in for quite some time. The fast moving system will race across the southern U.S. and arrive here at Hampton Roads Friday night. So only expect increasing clouds Friday after a sunny, cold, morning. Wind chills will still be around 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit Friday morning … and as the breeze backs off highs will be pinned in the 30s yet again. So that cold air is locked in! Track 2Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili PeppersAs intricate and challenging as John Frusciante's riff of this 2006 ear worm is, is as intricate and challenging as this snowfall forecast is. That's simply because of that dreaded rain-snow line. … So, the farther north you are, the better chances of snow. The farther south you are, the better chances of rain. Across the Peninsulas and the Eastern Shore — this does look like an all-snow event! Snow moves in late Friday night and carries over to early Saturday morning. Totals could be around 1 to 3 inches, maybe up to 4 inches+ in some spots. On the Southside, snow starts up late Friday night and continues through most of the night, but by early Saturday morning there will be a brief wintry mix that could slick things up and limit snow totals. Maybe around 1 to 3 inches. Then along the state line and into northeastern North Carolina, things start up with snow first, then flip to ice overnight, the flip to rain briefly Saturday morning. So snow totals won't be much, with minor ice accumulations as well. Track 3Movin' Out by Billy JoelPrecipitation won't last long Saturday morning, in fact, by the time most of us crawl out of bed and go to grab that second cup of coffee this system will be moving out! We could see the sun come out by lunchtime Saturday, so while roads will be slick through late morning, improving conditions across town are expected by Saturday afternoon. Careful, however, driving north Saturday night and Sunday morning as the cold air sticks around — icing is possible. Stay tuned for changes and updates on the forecast all day long on-air and right here — Steve Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
