Sugar Land emergency planners are participating in daily state weather calls and preparing for an arctic cold front expected on Thursday. City teams have taken a number of actions to prepare for a hard freeze. Icy conditions are not expected and Centerpoint and ERCOT say power outages are not expected, but precautions are being taken in case the forecast changes.

-Water plants have been winterized, generators checked, pipes wrapped and an extra generator has been secured just in case.

-63 tons of extra ice chat has been obtained and staged in case it's needed.

-Barrels and barricades are being staged at entrances to U.S. Highway 59 in case a freeway closure is needed.

-Traffic signal cabinets have been checked and portable generators are on standby.

-City personnel are prepared to chat entry ways to public facilities.

-Fuel tanks have been topped off.

-Republic Waste has been contacted and confirmed extra trucks are on standby for green waste collection.

-All right-of-way backflows have been drained.

-Water will be shut off later this week to all public restrooms at city parks, and irrigation systems have been winterized.

Residents are strongly encouraged to protect pets, plants and pipes. The city does not turn off water at the meter to prevent frozen pipes. Shut off exterior faucets, drain water from outdoor pipes and insulate them. Don't forget to turn off the water supply to your backflow device and drain the water. If you will be leaving for the holidays, consider turning off the main water supply to your home in case your pipes burst. Be sure you know where the main water supply to your home is located and how to turn it off should you need to do so quickly.

Pay close attention to the National Weather Service -- the authoritative source of weather information -- and visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/ExtremeCold for cold weather safety tips. The following resources will help you stay informed.

-Sugar Land Emergency Alerts

-Real-time Traffic Website

-Centerpoint Outage Tracker

-ERCOT's Grid Conditions Dashboards

-NWS Houston/Galveston

-Hourly Forecasts (Click Your Location)