Midland is not a place where owners expect to think about frozen concrete, and that is the problem. Winter here arrives in sharp stretches. The city averages a January low of about 32.7 degrees F, the record low is minus 11 degrees F, and the 1991 to 2020 normals at the airport show 58 mornings at or below freezing. A pour scheduled on a mild afternoon can face a hard freeze before the concrete has gained enough strength to resist it.
We place concrete in cold conditions for slabs on grade, footings, walls, pads and site work, using heated materials, insulated forms, blankets, windbreaks and temporary enclosures. The goal is simple to state: keep the concrete warm enough, for long enough, that it gains the strength the project needs without freezing in the early hours. Done well, a winter pour cures as well as a spring one. Done poorly, the surface scales, the strength falls short, and nobody finds out until it is too late.
The sections below set out what the work includes, how we run it, who we do it for, the safety measures and the specification items that matter.
What a cold weather pour includes
The scope starts before the truck arrives. We check the subgrade for frost and remove snow, ice or standing water from forms and steel. Ground that is frozen must be thawed, and we use blankets, ground heaters or both. The mix is ordered with the right temperature at delivery, and the supplier may heat water or aggregate and adjust the mix to match.
After placement, protection is the main task. Blankets, insulated forms and heated enclosures hold temperature, and we record readings at set intervals. Heaters must be vented so exhaust does not harm the surface, and the temperature of the slab, not only the air, drives our decisions. Strip and loading dates reflect the strength gained in cold conditions, which is slower than in warm ones.
We also plan for the tail end of the protection period. Removing blankets or heat too early can shock the surface, so temperatures are stepped down gradually and the final readings are logged. Cutting joints, curing compound and sealers are timed to the same schedule so that finishing steps do not undo the protection that came before them.
Forecast, protect, measure
We begin with the forecast for the pour day and the days after. If a freeze is coming, we choose among options: move the pour, accelerate the mix, add protection or enclose the area. The decision is made with the general contractor and the owner's representative, and it is documented before the crew arrives. Because ready-mix haul time also cools the load, we ask the plant to account for the drive to the site when it sets the batch temperature.
On pour day, we monitor concrete temperature at the truck and at placement. Surfaces are shielded from wind and sun alike, since fast drying in winter wind can damage fresh concrete as much as cold can, a risk we also manage in summer under hot and windy weather concrete plans. Afterward, we place maximum-minimum thermometers or sensors in the slab and read them on schedule. A protection log stays with the pour record, so the engineer can confirm that the specification was met.
Projects that cannot wait for spring
Downtown work has a clock of its own. On January 23, 2024 the Midland City Council approved city and Midland Development Corporation participation in the Hotel Santa Rita downtown project, which includes $125 million in private funds, a minimum 135-room hotel and an 800-space parking garage. The City also lists Centennial Park, the Bush Convention Center, the Omni Midland Hotel and the Locklin Trapestry Hotel among its public-private downtown projects. Owners of commercial developments like these rarely choose to stop concrete work for the winter.
Energy owners are in the same position. At the end of July 2021 the Midland Basin had 107 drilling rigs and 28 fracking crews, and the Spraberry and Wolfcamp shale intervals are its main horizontal drilling targets. Oil and gas operators treat pads and facilities as schedule-critical, and a December pour is often part of a longer plan. We prepare winter pours so those owners keep their dates.
Heaters, ice and long hours
Cold weather work carries its own hazards. Combustion heaters can produce carbon monoxide, so we ventilate enclosures and monitor air where people work. Ice on forms, ramps and walkways is a slip hazard, and we treat and clear paths before crews step onto them. Workers wear insulated clothing and take warming breaks.
Temporary enclosures raise fire risk, and we keep fuel stored and used according to the owner's rules. Night pours are common when we want the concrete to gain strength during the warmest hours of the next day, and lighting and supervision are planned accordingly. A crew that is cold and tired makes mistakes, so we rotate people and keep the work safe.
What the specification requires
Most specifications require protection when the air temperature is expected to drop below a defined limit, and they set minimum concrete temperatures at placement and during the protection period. We follow the project specification and the adopted building code, and we submit a cold weather plan when one is required. The plan covers mix adjustments, heating methods, monitoring and the duration of protection.
Special inspectors may verify temperatures and cylinder curing, and our testing and quality control records feed their reports. Field-cured cylinders stay with the slab so they experience the same conditions. Where a state project is involved, such as the TxDOT signal project at I-20 and Cotton Flat Road that a September 4, 2025 City of Midland release lists as awarded, the contract documents carry their own temperature rules. We read them first and build the plan to match.
Plan the winter pour
Send the pour schedule and the specification section on cold weather work. We will propose protection methods, mix adjustments and a monitoring plan, and price them as a clear package.
Common Questions
At what temperature should I worry about pouring?
The specification gives the threshold, and it usually refers to air temperature expected during placement and protection. We look at the forecast for the full protection period, because a mild day followed by a hard freeze can still hurt a fresh slab.
Does cold weather concrete cost more?
Yes, because of heated mix, blankets, heaters, monitoring and sometimes night labor. The extra cost is smaller than the cost of replacing damaged concrete. We show winter protection as a separate line in the proposal, which lets an owner decide what level of protection to buy.
Can calcium chloride be used to speed the set?
Accelerators are an option when the specification allows them, but some are not suitable for reinforced concrete. The engineer and supplier choose the product, and we follow their direction.
Who decides whether to postpone a winter pour?
The decision belongs to the owner's representative and the general contractor, with our recommendation attached. We bring the forecast, the cost of protection and the schedule impact to one conversation, so the choice is made before trucks are ordered and not when they arrive at the gate.
How long must concrete be protected?
Long enough to reach the strength required to resist freezing and to carry its loads. The specification states the period, and we confirm with temperature records and cylinder breaks.