Disaster Proclamation Issued For Williamson County Amid Freeze

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A state of disaster declaration was made for Williamson County on Sunday due to severe winter weather conditions.

The proclamation by county Judge Bill Gravell is in effect for no more than seven days unless continued or renewed by the Williamson County Commissioners Court, officials said in an advisory. “We want to impress on the people of Williamson County the importance of staying home and not getting on the roads as much as possible," Gravell said in a prepared statement. "By staying home, you can do your part to keep other people safe, including our first responders.

Sub-freezing temperatures have created icy roads that have made driving treacherous. A low temperature Sunday night of around 10 degrees has heightened concern over hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters said a wind chill will make it feel like it's 15 degrees below zero in the region.

Related stories:

• Texas Prepares For Cold Weather Blanketing State
• Gov. Greg Abbott Issues Statewide Disaster Declaration Due To 'Severe Winter Weather'
• HEB Store Hours Shortened In Austin Area Amid Frigid Cold Weather
• Williamson County Issues Travel Warning
• Interstate 35 Lane Closures For Feb. 13-19, 2021

The National Weather Service has placed the Austin region under a winter storm warning. Snow is expected to fall on the region by nightfall, with the chances placed at 100 percent. Some three to five inches of snow are being forecast in some parts of the Austin area between Sunday night and Monday, with a low of eight degrees by nightfall.

"A major winter storm will move across the region today through Monday morning," the National Weather Service wrote. "A wintry mix continues this afternoon, with a change over to all snow into tonight. Travel will be very difficult to near impossible across many areas. Blowing snow in some areas could reduce visibility and snow will obscure ice underneath. Travel is highly discouraged. Scattered power outages could occur, especially across the Hill Country and Central Texas where ice still exists from earlier rounds of winter precipitation."

Williamson County has activated its Emergency Operations Center and will remain active until the winter weather is no longer a threat, according to the advisory. "Williamson County asks that residents stay home and limit travel as much as possible as all roads have the potential to have dangerous ice formations."

For information on the changing road conditions, visit drivetexas.org. Visit wilco.org for the latest information from Williamson County.

In warning against road travel, the Cedar Park Police Department was more blunt:

"At this point the roads have become impassable in Cedar Park," police wrote on Twitter. "Some cars are even getting stuck and stranded. YOU NEED TO STAY HOME."

The situation was just as dire in neighboring Leander: "Road conditions have worsened and our road crews are unable to continue sanding at this time," the Leander Police Department wrote on Twitter. "This means that roads are NOT safe to drive on and it may be difficult for us to get to you if there is a collision. Please stay home and stay safe."

Similar messaging emerged in Round Rock, where the mayor asked residents to stay home in avoiding icy roads that have made driving dangerous.

"If you can, please stay home," Mayor Craig Morgan wrote on Twitter. "The roads are getting worse and as a city we only have so much winter equipment to fight this type of weather. Our employees, transportation, fire, police and a number of others, are working as hard as they can to keep us all safe. Please stay home."

Also on Twitter, the Round Rock Police Department wrote that road conditions have deteriorated since the previous day — and even from Sunday morning. "Deicing crews are working hard but can’t keep up. It’s worse than yesterday. It’s worse than this morning. Stay home. Stay safe."

Round Rock police listed some key road closures:

• Southbound IH-35 flyover to SH-45.
• Entrance ramps from Louis Henna to SH-45.
• Memorial Park low water crossing.

Police in Round Rock were being kept busy in responding to multiple wrecks, officials wrote on Twitter. "Noon precipitation has made roads slick. All roads are affected, not just bridges and overpasses. Slow speeds are not enough to prevent sliding."

Particularly slick, police noted, is A.W. Grimes near US-79.

Those who do drive and get stranded can call Texas Roadside Assistance at 1-800-525-5555. This is the telephone number found in the back of drivers licenses. Motorists should know fees could be incurred for towing and other mechanical services.

Air travel also affected by cold weather

Air travel has been affected by the frigid weather, with numerous flight cancellations reported, officials said in an advisory. As a result, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials advised passengers with flights within the next 48 hours to confirm flight status prior to traveling to the airport. "If a flight is confirmed, passengers are cautioned to travel safely to the airport, including to drive with extreme caution and to walk cautiously on surfaces leading to the terminal," airport officials wrote. Operational updates include:

• Closure of Security Checkpoint 1. All passengers will be screened through Security Checkpoint 2.
• Modified access in and out of the Blue Garage.
• While airport roadways remained open, many highways surrounding the airport are closed or have ice present. Passengers are encouraged to check DriveTexas.org to help plan their trip to the airport.

Baylor Scott & White Health goes virtual

"The safety of our team members and the community is our top priority," Baylor Scott & White began in an advisory issued Sunday evening. As a result, all Baylor Scott & White clinics in the Austin/Round Rock region will be 100 percent virtual on Monday due to the cold weather. Additionally, Austin/Round Rock drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites will be closed but hospitals will remain open.

In-person appointments in the coming days will be rescheduled or converted to virtual visits where appropriate, officials said. Virtual visits will remain unaffected. To access virtual care options, visit MyBSWHealth.com or text BETTER to 88408 to download the MyBSWHealth app.

Frigid temps continue through the week

This cold snap is no one-off, but a pattern that will linger until next weekend. It won't be until Saturday that the Austin region will see low temperatures above the freezing point, as the National Weather Service forecast for the coming days shows:

• Monday: High of 30 degrees, with a low of 12 degrees. Mostly sunny, north to northwest winds at 15 mph.
• Tuesday: High of 38 degrees, low of 27 degrees. Mostly sunny, with east/southeast winds at 7 mph.
• Wednesday: High of 39 degrees, low of 23. Ice in the morning, with north wind of 11 mph.
• Thursday: High of 36 degrees, low of 20 degrees; partly cloudy; wind north/northwest at 14 mph.
• Friday: High of 44 degrees, low of 26; sunny; west/southwest wind 5 mph.
• Saturday: High of 52 degrees, low of 44; mostly sunny; south winds 10 mph.
• Sunday: High of 63 degrees, low of 42; partly cloudy; southwest wind of 9 mph.