Austin Under Winter Storm Warning, State Of Disaster Declared

AUSTIN, TX — The National Weather Service Sunday placed Austin under a winter storm warning culminating in dual disaster declarations by city and county officials by the evening hours.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Austin Mayor Steve Adler have issued a local state of disaster for both Travis County and the City of Austin in response to severe winter weather conditions. The declarations are expected to be in place for no more than seven days.

The move came after the National Weather Service predicted snow to fall across the region through Monday ahead of a low temperature of just 10 degrees. Austin Emergency Management officials earlier alerted via Twitter to a mix of freezing rain and sleet in Austin, with three inches of snow starting Sunday night. A wind chill of 15 degrees below zero is expected to be felt by morning, Austin Emergency Management officials added

Travis County Declaration of Disaster

City of Austin Declaration of Disaster

“The winter weather conditions we are experiencing are serious and can be deadly if we don’t all take precautions,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said in a prepared statement. “We encourage everyone to seek shelter and stay off the roads unless it is an emergency.”

Resources from city departments

• Information on power outages from Austin Energy.
• Additional cold weather information and tips from can be found here from Austin Energy.
• Austin Waterinformation on freezing weather website for tips preventing property damage
• Highway conditions can be monitored at DriveTexas.org.
• Information on local roadway conditions can be found on Austin Transportation’s Twitter.
• Information from Austin Public Works on their operations
• Follow the City of Austin and Travis County on social media.

The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center is activated and coordinating the county and city response, officials said while urging residents to stay off the roadways unless absolutely necessary.

“Please help our emergency responders by staying home and off the roads,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said. “We are also concerned about our energy supply. Please conserve energy by turning down thermostats to 68 degrees, closing shades & blinds to reduce heat lost through windows, and turning off and unplugging non-essential lights and appliances.”

Check real-time road conditions at DriveTexas.org

"DO NOT DRIVE," officials wrote on Twitter in all capital letters for emphasis. Emergency crews have been dispatched to numerous traffic accidents due to icy road conditions, officials added.

The National Weather Service has forecast a 100 percent chance of snow for the Austin region starting Sunday night. Some areas could see up to five inches of snow, according to meteorologists.

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• Gov. Greg Abbott Issues Statewide Disaster Declaration Due To 'Severe Winter Weather'
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• Interstate 35 Lane Closures For Feb. 13-19, 2021
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Against this wintry backdrop, transportation officials pleaded with residents to stay home and stay off roads unless absolutely necessary. "PLEASE STAY HOME!," the Austin district of the Texas Department of Transportation wrote on Twitter. "Driving surfaces are freezing and driving is hazardous. Crews continue efforts to keep roads passable for emergency responders and essential workers. If you must drive, SLOW DOWN."

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.

Both Austin Energy and Pedernales Electric Cooperative reported outages for more than 1,000 customers apiece by Sunday evening.

Air travel affected as flights are canceled

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.

Bus travel also affected by cold weather

Bus travel also has been affected. Capital Metro, the city's transit system, said buses will be delayed given extensive icing and continuing freezing temperatures in the coming days. MetroRail trains will need to use their horns even in areas designated as "quiet zones" to help prevent cold-weather damage spurred by non-use, officials added.

The severe weather has also prompted suspension of the UT shuttle through Tuesday. Service for the shuttle routes are expected to resume by Wednesday at 8 am., officials wrote. Given bus delays, CapMetro said it will waive fares for travel through the end of service on Tuesday.

By early evening, CapMetro announced more service suspensions in light of the cold weather:

• No MetroRail service
• No Rail Connector service (Routes 465 and 466)
• No MetroExpress service (Routes 935, 982, 985 and 990)
• No Flyer route service (Routes 103, 105, 111, 135, 142 and 171)
• No Lago Vista service (Route 214)
• No Pickup service
• No UT Shuttle service
  • Operation will depend on campus re-opening

The CapMetro App and Trip Planner are updated with real-time information and are good resources for customers to see how their routes and trips are impacted by the weather, officials noted. Customers with urgent requests should call Capital Metro's Customer Service GO Line at 512-474-1200.

Suspension of the UT Shuttle became a moot point after University of Texas at Austin officials announced closure of the campus through Wednesday given inclement weather.

UT-Austin, Austin Community College close campuses

Due to the high degree of certainty of severe winter weather in and around Austin, the campus will close at 4 p.m. Sunday, and remain closed through at least Wednesday at 8 a.m., officials wrote in an advisory. "We will monitor the situation and announce a reopening when conditions are determined to be safe," officials added. "We expect many will suffer through power outages and other challenges, so all classes and events are canceled including virtual/online classes and events."

Only core essential staff members will report to work during this closure, school officials said. Directions were issued to UT-Austin staff members:

• If your position is identified as essential and you are required to perform your work on campus, you will need to report for your shift. Essential positions are determined at the college or business unit level and are vital to the business continuity of university operations (e.g., life/safety positions; positions responsible for the security of buildings, data or property, etc.).
• If you are identified as essential and unable to report to campus due to extenuating circumstances, such as unsafe roadways or child care issues, please contact your supervisor as soon as possible.
• If you are a remote employee, you are not expected to work unless indicated by your supervisor.

COVID-19 vaccine operations and proactive community testing will not continue on Monday or Tuesday as scheduled, UT-Austin officials added. "Individuals with appointments are being contacted directly to reschedule for a later date, and we expect to be able to use all vaccine doses we have available by increasing our throughput once conditions allow."

University supervisors will receive timekeeping information after campus reopens, university officials said. "Weather is often unpredictable and conditions can change rapidly," officials wrote. "The university will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated. As the situation progresses, updates specific to closure and reopening will be available through your email, local media, the university's Facebook page and Twitter feed, and the emergency webpage."

UT-Austin community members also can stay up to date by reading Troy Kimmel's campus weather updates.

Austin Community College District also announced a closure on Monday and Tuesday due to ongoing severe winter weather conditions in Central Texas. "Regional forecasts predict freezing temperatures, precipitation, widespread power outages, and icy roads that will impact the college’s ability to teach, learn, and work remotely," school officials wrote. "Out of an abundance of caution, and with students' and employees' best interests in mind, the college will remain closed Monday, 2/15, and Tuesday, 2/16. Virtual support services including ACC Library Services remain available Sunday, 2/14, on its regular schedule."

Updates will be shared through ACC's Emergency Alert system and posted to the college’s homepage and on Facebook and Twitter, officials wrote. Austin Community College encourages all employees and students to check their Emergency Alert contact information and make sure it is up-to-date, officials added.

Services canceled, shelters expanded

City officials noted that cold weather shelters have been activated as long as conditions dictate. Single adults in need of shelter should report to the Central Library (710 W Cesar Chavez) between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Families in need of shelter report to the Downtown Salvation Army Shelter (501 E. 8th Street ) by 6 p.m.

Austin-Travis County EMS noted that it's not just driving that's become treacherous but walking as well. By 3:45 p.m. on Sunday, 17 of 38 calls to EMTs were related to falls on icy surfaces officials said. "Falls on hard ice covered surfaces can be serious and even deadly!" officials wrote. "Our responders are having extreme difficulties responding safely or even at all due to the current road conditions. PLEASE stay off icy areas!"

Austin Resource Recovery services continue to be suspended and will resume as weather permits, possibly into the middle of this week, officials noted. Affected curbside services include recycling, composting, trash, yard trimmings, bulk item, large brush, street sweeping and animal carcass collections, officials added.

Customers are asked to leave any uncollected carts, yard trimmings, bulk items and large brush at the curb to allow our crews to catch up. If possible, customers should set their carts or other material out as usual, but be aware that service has been delayed. Weather permitting, Austin Resouirce Recovery will catch up over the week and into next weekend, officials said.

"Please note that ARR has not yet completed the delivery of new composting carts to all 2021 program expansion homes," officials added. "Additionally, customers new to curbside composting, and with a weekly collection day of Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, their first collection day has also been postponed. Their new service will begin on Feb. 24, 25 and 26 instead of this week."

Customers are encouraged to download the Austin Recycles app or sign up for reminders to get essential service alerts: austintexas.gov/myschedule.

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.