ARLINGTON, Texas — It is not a game. Philip Butticarlo was on a mission at Rally House, the sportswear store, in Arlington. He is a Cowboys’ season ticket holder and will be going to Sunday’s game.
“I kind of messed up my jersey in the laundry, which is why my wife told me I shouldn’t be doing laundry, but there you go,” said Butticarlo. “It’s a whiteout. We’re all supposed to wear white.”
Luckily, the whiteout will be inside and not outside. North Texas is expected to get its first real taste of Old Man Winter on Sunday.
“Well, ya’ll do know there’s a roof, but getting from the stadium to the parking lot to the stadium, we’ll be not very happy about it,” said Butticarlo.
Shea Sumner, Arlington Public Work’s Field Operations Manager, said the City of Arlington is getting ahead of it.
“We treated all the bridge decks with the salt brine mixture as a precaution,” said Sumner. “It will turn the snow and ice to a sludge which makes it easier for us to plow off the bridges to keep it safe.”
The city is also expecting heavy foot traffic, particularly at AT&T Stadium. “We will sand the walkways,” said Sumner.
Dallas Cowboys Football Club told WFAA they have equipment and materials on standby. They plan to adjust staffing to keep employees out of the cold as much as possible.
“The stadium events are no different, but due to the snow and ice forecast, we’re taking the precaution to treat the roadways to get people in and out of Arlington for the game in the safest manner,” said Sumner.
For Butticarlo, that is much appreciated, but it wouldn’t stop him either way from seeing his Cowboys play.
“The weather has no factor whatsoever. This game could be outside and I would be there,” said Butticarlo. “Gotta fight the team on. Gotta cheer them on.”
Starting Sunday afternoon, Arlington Public Works will have crews working 12-hour shifts with snow plows, sanding equipment, and salt brine handy until the weather system passes.