DALLAS -- A record snowfall of more than 12 inches knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers, closed businesses and schools, and grounded flights out of Dallas, but by Friday the snowstorm turned out to be relatively harmless.
There were no major injuries during the two-day storm and roads were clear by Friday. Classes were canceled for more than 1 million children, giving them a four-day weekend thanks to Presidents Day on Monday. Throw in the weekend festivities surrounding the NBA's All-Star game and more snow than a lot of folks had ever seen before, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area had a winter holiday feel to it.
"I was like, yes!" said 14-year-old Ashleigh Hartsock, a high school student in suburban Frisco whose Facebook page was going crazy with messages rejoicing over the school closure.
She was among many Texans who braved the cold Friday. In a city that gets an average of 2 inches of snow a year, heavy boots, thick gloves and sleds were in short supply.
Several kids at a Frisco park attempted to sled down a slight incline that passes for a hill in the Dallas area. Wearing knit gloves covered in plastic baggies and grocery bags over their tennis shoes, they rode garbage can lids, tops to plastic containers and pieces of cardboard.
"If they have to miss a school day, at least they can get out in it and have some fun," said Lauren Harbour, whose children, ages 10, 8 and 6, were trying out the various makeshift sleds.
But the winter wonderland is about to end, according to the National Weather Service. No more snow is forecast, and after some freezing temperatures early Saturday, highs in the 50s are expected later in the day.
The lightly traveled streets already were turning to slush early Friday, but they were easy to drive on. Fort Worth police reported 86 traffic accidents from midnight to 6:30 p.m., most of them non-injury collisions. There were about 260 wrecks in Dallas since Thursday but no serious injuries, police Sgt. Warren C. Mitchell said.
"We're just thankful," he said.
Meteorologist Jessica Schultz said the area was fortunate the ground temperature was so warm when the snow fell, preventing icy conditions that could have made for bigger problems.
Oncor Electric Delivery still was working to restore electricity to about 200,000 homes and businesses Friday evening. The biggest issue was power lines that had been toppled by snow-covered tree branches.
At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, about 250 departing flights were canceled earlier in the day, but flights were mostly on schedule by Friday evening, spokesman David Magana.
About a foot of snow blanketed the area outside the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, but it didn't appear to create any problems Friday for the many workers preparing the venue for Sunday's NBA All-Star game.
But some All-Star festivities did get messed up by the storm.
Deja Bryson, an R&B singer in town for a Valentine's Day/NBA All-Star concert Saturday with her uncle Peabo Bryson, said the snow forced her to delay her scheduled Thursday night listening party. She also blamed it for low turnout Thursday at one of the many clubs around Dallas where people are expected to flock this weekend.
"We did not expect this," said Bryson, who is from California and plans to hit a celebrity party Friday night "if it's still happening."
One of her backup singers, Chelsea "Peaches" West of Dallas, said it's not just the thousands of visitors who are ready for the snow to melt.
"We're just as surprised here locally," she said. "This has never happened. I mean, 12 inches? In Texas?"
The National Weather Service said a record 12.5 inches of snow fell within 24 hours in Dallas. About 11 inches were recorded in Fort Worth, and more than 14 inches fell in areas north of Fort Worth, Schultz said.
The previous single-day record for Dallas was 12.1 inches in 1962. Texas also came close to breaking other records. The storm made this the second snowiest season at 15.7 inches. The 1977-78 season holds the record with 17.6 inches.
The storm crawled east out of Texas. There was far less snow in the rest of the Deep South.
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