PHMSA Safety Advisory on Winter Weather Risks to Pipeline Facilities
Summary
PHMSA issued a safety advisory bulletin on February 6, 2026, to operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities alerting them to winter weather risks. The advisory identifies four specific threats: heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, rapid winter thaw and flooding, frost heave and ground movement, and ice expansion. PHMSA recommends that operators consider accelerating field patrols, reviewing geohazard plans, and winterizing above-ground facilities. The bulletin was transmitted to the Federal Register for publication on February 11, 2026. Operators should note that advisory bulletins are guidance documents and do not impose new regulatory obligations.
“Advisory bulletins are guidance documents and do not impose new regulatory obligations.”
Pipeline operators should treat this advisory as a reminder that PHMSA expects operators to have winter weather risk mitigation measures in place, even though the bulletin does not create new legal obligations. Operators whose geohazard plans have not been reviewed in light of current extreme winter weather conditions should consider conducting a review now, as conditions in many regions are actively changing. The advisory's explicit statement that it does not impose new regulatory obligations does not mean PHMSA cannot cite inadequate winter weather preparedness in an enforcement context.
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PHMSA published a safety advisory bulletin to operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities identifying specific winter weather threats to pipeline integrity. The four named hazards are heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, rapid winter thaw and flooding, frost heave and ground movement, and ice expansion. The advisory recommends but does not mandate three mitigation measures: accelerating field patrols, reviewing geohazard plans, and winterizing above-ground facilities. Pipeline operators should treat this advisory as non-binding guidance from PHMSA on prudent risk management practices during extreme winter weather conditions. Compliance teams at pipeline operators may wish to review whether existing winter weather protocols address all four hazards named in the advisory and whether field patrol schedules and geohazard reviews are current.
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Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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Office of Governmental, International, and Public Affairs U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
United States
Email:
phmsa.publicaffairs@dot.gov
Phone: 202-366-4831
Fax: 202-366-7431
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
PHMSA Safety Advisory Highlights Risks Associated with Extreme Winter Weather
Friday, February 6, 2026 Contact: PHMSAPublicAffairs@dot.gov
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced a safety advisory to operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities highlighting the safety risks associated with extreme winter weather conditions. The advisory bulletin reminds operators of the known safety threats heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, rapid winter thaw and flooding, frost heave and ground movement, and ice expansion can pose to pipeline facilities.
Given current weather conditions in much of the country, PHMSA is advising operators to consider implementing certain measures, including accelerating field patrols, reviewing geohazard plans, and winterizing above-ground facilities, to mitigate risk to pipeline facilities.
PHMSA’s advisory bulletin was sent to the Federal Register today, and a pre-publication copy is available here. This page will be updated when it publishes in the Federal Register.
Advisory bulletins are guidance documents and do not impose new regulatory obligations.
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The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. Please visit https://www.phmsa.dot.gov for more information.
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