City of Amarillo officials are taking early steps to prepare for Winter Storm Fern, a potentially dangerous weather system expected to bring prolonged freezing temperatures and significant snowfall beginning Friday, Jan. 23, and lasting through the weekend. Forecasts indicate the storm could deliver between 4 and 8 inches of snow or more, along with hazardous wind chills.
In response, the city has activated emergency sheltering operations, mobilized public works crews, and issued a local disaster declaration to ensure faster access to resources if conditions worsen.
Why the City Issued a Disaster Declaration Early
Mayor Cole Stanley issued the local disaster declaration ahead of the storm, a move city officials explained during a Wednesday, Jan. 21 press briefing at Amarillo City Hall. The declaration is intended to allow the city to act quickly if local capabilities become strained.
“This is about buying time before we need it,” said Max Dunlap, director of the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management. “The disaster declaration is essentially a gateway for us to request and receive state resources immediately if our local capabilities become strained.”
Officials emphasized that the declaration does not automatically trigger outside assistance. Instead, it positions Amarillo to request help without delays if the storm intensifies.
“Before you request resources from the level above you — regional or state — you’re expected to show you’ve used your own resources first,” Dunlap said. “This declaration ensures that if we begin to exhaust our capacity, we’re not wasting time on paperwork while people need help.”
If needed, state assistance could include equipment, personnel, logistical support, or, in extreme cases, deployment of the Texas National Guard or Texas State Guard.
“That can mean large vehicles, high-clearance trucks or assets similar to what people have seen during flood rescues,” Dunlap said. “Those resources exist, but you have to prepare early if you want access to them.”
While the storm is expected to impact much of Texas — potentially stretching state resources — the declaration still opens access to available support if Amarillo requires it.
Shelter and Outreach for Vulnerable Residents
The city has activated its cold-weather sheltering plan to protect unsheltered residents during the expected extreme cold.
The Guyon Saunders Resource Center will open Friday and remain operational through Sunday afternoon. The facility will be staffed by the city’s Coming Home team, which will also patrol the community to locate people sleeping outdoors and offer transportation to shelter.
City libraries will also serve as daytime warming centers during normal business hours:
Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Libraries provide warmth, indoor shelter, and phone charging for anyone who follows facility rules.
In addition to sheltering, the city is using targeted outreach methods for medically fragile and high-risk residents.
“You may receive a text message directly from us,” Dunlap said. “We don’t use that lightly. If we’re contacting you, it’s because we’re trying to protect lives.”
Residents can opt in to notifications through AMA Alerts, though the city has limited authority to send emergency messages when conditions warrant. Officials also encouraged residents who depend on electricity for medical devices to register with the state emergency registry or contact 2-1-1 for assistance.
Street Crews and Infrastructure Readiness
Public works crews are preparing for multiple response levels depending on snowfall and road conditions, according to Alan Harder, the city’s director of public works.
The city has the following equipment ready:
11 sand spreader trucks
5 motor graders
5 front-end loaders
Initial operations will focus on overpasses and major intersections, using salt and sand to improve traction. If snowfall increases, crews will monitor and clear areas prone to drifting, particularly near open fields and fire stations.
“If snowfall exceeds five inches and continues, we have the ability to shift into plow operations,” Harder said. “That’s a very intensive operation, but we are prepared if conditions demand it.”
Priority routes would include roads serving hospitals, fire stations, and major arterials. Officials reiterated that residential streets are not plowed. If conditions deteriorate further, crews may move to 24-hour operations using rotating 12-hour shifts.
Emergency management officials are also coordinating closely with Xcel Energy, healthcare systems, public health officials, and neighboring jurisdictions.
“We have very close relationships with Xcel and our infrastructure partners,” Dunlap said. “We’re also in constant communication regionally. This is neighbors helping neighbors.”
Officials Warn Against Complacency
Despite calm weather conditions ahead of the storm, officials cautioned residents not to underestimate the risk.
“It’s blue skies right now,” Dunlap said. “But in 48 hours, that can change quickly. Temperatures will drop, snow will fall, and conditions could become dangerous.”
Residents are encouraged to prepare by:
Stocking food, water, and medications
Preparing for potential power outages
Ensuring heaters are operating safely
Limiting travel during hazardous conditions
Following official city and emergency management updates
Officials also urged residents to use emergency services appropriately.
“Fires, electrical hazards, life-threatening emergencies — absolutely call 911,” Dunlap said. “But a heater going out, while serious, is not necessarily a 911 issue.”
PIT Count Postponed Due to Weather
The city has postponed the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count to Friday, Jan. 30. Originally scheduled for Jan. 23, the count was moved to ensure the safety of volunteers and participants and to allow organizations to focus on sheltering and emergency needs during the storm. All other details of the PIT Count remain unchanged.
Local Shelters Strain to Meet Rising Need
With temperatures expected to fall into the single digits, local shelters are working to protect people experiencing homelessness, often under limited conditions.
At Transformation Park, staff are distributing blankets and socks and using tarps to block wind exposure.
“We’re trying to do the best we can to keep people alive,” said James Bellar with Transformation Park. “They might not be toasty in here, but if we can keep them alive and keep the wind off of them, that’s what we’re going to do.”
The shelter has set up event tents to protect some of the 75 people staying in its outdoor safe space. Bellar said the shelter is at capacity and has expanded wherever possible.
“We are at capacity right now, and I would love to do more,” he said. “We’ve tried to squeeze wherever we can and expand wherever we can, but right now, this is what we can do.”
Virginia Williams-Trice with Amarillo’s Code Blue warming station said shelters across the area are actively reaching out to people experiencing homelessness and offering transportation to warming centers, including the Salvation Army, Faith City Mission, and Transformation Park.
“If there’s not any other place for people to go, we’re kind of the last resort,” Trice said.
Preparing Now to Reduce Risk Later
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