Bracing for Winter...The Stupid Storm This Weekend

This weekend’s weather forecast has been sitting heavy with me.

A large winter storm is expected to impact much of the country, and here in Texas, the words that keep popping up are the ones that make my stomach tighten: freezing rain, ice, prolonged cold. The timeline — Saturday evening into Sunday — feels uncomfortably familiar.

I’ve done what I can to prepare. I made sure we have food, water, batteries, blankets. Phones and backup chargers are ready. Faucets are wrapped and cabinets are open. On paper, we’re as prepared as we reasonably can be.

And yet… I’m still nervous.

If you live in Texas, you probably understand why. Winter storms hit differently here. They don’t just bring cold weather — they bring memories. For many of us, 2021 is still very close to the surface. The uncertainty, the long nights without power, the feeling of being unprepared by systems that were supposed to protect us. That experience permanently changed how I watch winter forecasts.

So when I see people panic-buying at grocery stores again, it doesn’t surprise me — but it does make me sad. Fear spreads fast, and once it takes hold, logic tends to fall behind. Empty shelves don’t make storms safer; they just make communities more anxious.

What worries me most, though, is the power grid.

I want to believe that ERCOT is ready. I want to trust the reassurances that things are different now, that lessons were learned. But trust is hard to rebuild once it’s been broken. And when freezing rain enters the picture — coating power lines, stressing infrastructure — it’s hard not to imagine extended outages, even if they’re isolated.

I don’t think this storm will necessarily be a repeat of 2021. I hope it won’t be. But hope doesn’t erase concern, and being honest about that feels important. Preparation doesn’t mean fear — it means respect for the reality that winter weather in Texas can be unpredictable and unforgiving.

Right now, my plan is simple:

Stay home if possible. Stay informed. Stay calm.

And most importantly, stay connected — to neighbors, to loved ones, to the idea that we get through these things better when we don’t let panic take over.

If you’re feeling uneasy too, you’re not overreacting. You’re responding to lived experience. Do what you can, take a breath, and remember that preparation is power — not fear.

Here’s hoping this weekend passes quietly, the lights stay on, and the ice melts quickly. But if it doesn’t, at least we’re facing it with eyes open.

Stay warm. Stay safe. 💙