Winter Texans looking to escape the brutal cold up north are making their way back to the Valley. 

A survey by the Winter Texas Times shows before the pandemic, retirees in the Valley contributed almost $600 million to the local economy, but last year, the region missed out.  

Kristi Collier runs WelcomeRGV.com, a website for local retirees. She says fewer Winter Texans visited the Valley because of the pandemic, but things are slowly going back to normal now.

As vaccination efforts continue, residence in retiree communities can safely go back to doing group activities while enjoying the Valley weather.  

Watch the video above for the full story.