The arrival of what some weather advisors call Winter Storm Blair and the threat of snow and ice from the central part of the U.S. to the East prompted the Southwest Power Pool to issue a Weather Advisory on Thursday.
The advisory’s time period will cover the anticipated length of the winter storm into early next week. Spawned by a disturbance over the northern Pacific Ocean, the storm will move into the Pacific Northwest with rain and mountain snow on Friday. It will eventually move eastward through the central and eastern U.S. into Monday. Some areas will experience heavy snow and accumulating ice. As a result, the SPP issued the weather advisory for its 14 state region which includes Oklahoma north through Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. The advisory will take effect Sunday, Jan. 5 at 12 a.m. CT until an anticipated end time of Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CT.
- Weather Advisories do not require the public to conserve energy, but are issued to raise awareness of potential threats to reliability among entities responsible for operating transmission and generation facilities.
- The Weather Advisory has been declared due to forecasted below average temperatures, potential for heavy snowfall and freezing rain in some areas, and higher-than-usual demand for electricity.
- Individuals should contact their local utility for details specific to their area.
- Generation and transmission operators have been provided instructions on applicable procedures, including reporting any limitations, fuel shortages or concerns.
- To mitigate risks to reliability associated with these factors, SPP may use greater unit commitment notification timeframes, including making commitments before standard day-ahead market procedures and/or committing resources in reliability status.
- SPP will send additional information if necessary.