The Lone Star State brought in the new year with all types of weather from severe weather, colder than normal days, to fire weather. The biggest impact in January was from severe storms, due to several strong cold fronts passing through the state. There were flight problems in the DFW area throughout the month, including 16 delayed flights and 4 canceled flights on January 2. High winds associated storms at the beginning of the month, some measured over 70 mph, overturned a semi truck on I35/MM15 as well as downed trees and power lines, leaving 6,000 people in Ellis County without power. Lightning from the storms sparked a fire in a home in Parker. The early-month storm event results in 5 deaths.

Several tornadoes were reported in Frisco on January 17, causing damage to over 30 homes including blown over fences and trees. An EF-2 tornado was confirmed in Scottsville on January 23rd, which brought winds up to 120 mph and destroyed 3 homes in the area. In another storm on the 15th a tornado passed through Clifton and caused flight delays in Tulsa even during the following day. This storm also left 33,000 customers without power. Later on in the month, 52,000 people were without power in Houston from the 50 mph high winds from a cold front going through the area. A few days later, on January 25, a tornado blew the roof off of an elderly woman’s home, and the woman and her son were thrown out of their house inside of a bathtub. Cold weather damaged pipes and 40 sprinkler systems broke at businesses across North Texas; the Texas Department of Transportation put brine over bridges in preparation for this forecasted winter storm., yet there were still 60 crashes after 3-4 inches of snow fell. Some storms reached the Arlington area where tornadoes destroyed 30 homes. The aftermath of these fronts including rapidly drying conditions. Strong winds and dry weather throughout the end of the month caused elevated fire danger, including several red flag warnings to South and Central Texas. In Brooks County, an out of control grass fire burned for 2 days due to the high winds and low humidity in the area. Although there were no injuries associated with this fire, up to 8,000 acres were burned.

Many recreational activities were hampered or delayed due to weather during January. Due to previous weather related delays, the Texas Motor Speedway was repaved. Severe weather caused Cowboys and Green Bay Packers fans to stay in the shelter of the AT&T Stadium longer than expected on January 16 to stay out of the severe weather in the area. Just off the coast of Texas, the cruise ship named Carnival Valor was delayed to porting, due to harsh weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. This meant the company had to send in refunds for the people on the next cruise, which was no longer going to all the planned ports and would be shortened by a day. Texas is beginning to switch to more wind generated energy especially because oil and wind energy is now more efficient than it was before.