What we know about Austin weather: Expect freezing temperatures all day Thursday
Roberto VillalpandoEnd to wintry mix is in sight
As of 11 a.m., the wintry mix of precipitation that has coated much of Central Texas in a glaze of ice and sleet could taper off as early as 4 p.m. Thursday in Austin, the National Weather Service said in an updated bulletin.
“For areas along the I-35 corridor, including the Austin and San Antonio metros, the wintry mix precipitation impacts could end around between 4 and 6 p.m. later this afternoon,” forecasters said. “Once precipitation ends, a cold air mass will take place all over with overnight lows in the teens and 20s with wind chills in the single digits across a good portion of the area.”
AIR TRAVEL:Flights canceled at Austin airport amid winter freeze
But the weather service warned that the extended periods of subfreezing temperatures will delay any thawing of accumulated ice and sleet.
"Any ice accumulation that occurs today has the potential to remain on surfaces through tonight and tomorrow morning, despite precipitation ending," forecasters said. "Clearing skies and sun tomorrow should allow for radiative heat ... help melt some of the ice, despite air temperatures remaining freezing."
Austin's weather outlook for Friday calls for mostly sunny skies with a temperatures making it barely above freezing. Bundle up, because gusty north-northwest winds of 15 mph will certainly make it feel like it's below freezing anyway.
Friday night temperatures will drop into the 20s as the fierce winds persist, but Saturday's forecast calls for sunshine and a strong thaw with daytime highs solidly in the low 40s.
Although the next few nights will remain largely below freezing, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will see daytime temperatures climbing easily into the 50s.
Wednesday should be sunny with a high near 62, forecasters said.
Winter storm warning until 9 p.m.
The Austin metro area is under a winter storm warning until 9 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said, citing "significant icing ongoing across the Hill Country."
Icing developed in urban hubs along the Interstate 35 corridor and areas east of I-35 Thursday morning. A wintry mix of precipitation should end by this afternoon, forecasters said.
"Travel will be very difficult on untreated roads, especially elevated bridges, overpasses, and roadways," the weather service warned in a bulletin Thursday. "Sidewalks and pavement could be slippery to walk on."
More:You shouldn't be driving right now, but if you must: Here's how to drive on Austin's icy roads
Forecasters also warned of a risk for hypothermia for those spending extended periods outdoors who are not dressed in layers and gloves.
Austin-area EMS medics had responded to 15 health-related calls from cold weather exposure as of 9:45 a.m., but no one had been in serious or critical condition, said Capt. Darren Noak with Austin-Travis County EMS.
But at 10:43 a.m., medics responded to East Slaughter Lane in Southeast Austin to reports of a person with hypothermia on a greenbelt trail. Medics took the person to Baylor Scott & White in Buda for cold exposure.
At Ascension Seton emergency rooms on Thursday, it was business as usual without an uptick on cold-specific emergencies. At St. David's Healthcare hospitals, wait times hovered between 0 minutes and 10 minutes.
Austin Fire Department officials said that from 9 a.m. Wednesday through 9 a.m. Thursday, crews responded to 298 incidents, including:
• 17 fires.
• 45 traffic wrecks and injuries.
• Five calls about wires arcing.
No major wrecks have so far been reported.
But in Manor, a driver went into the water on Gregg Lane around 4:45 a.m. and had to be pulled out by a Manor firefighter, Noak said. After the commotion ended, both declined to go to the hospital.
So far, "very few people are on the road, so that's good," Noak said. "It seems like people are heeding the warnings."
Low water crossings on Texas 29 were closed between CR 337 and Texas 95 in Williamson County because of flooding. At least 59 roads have closures because of flooding in Travis, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties, including five crossings out by Marble Falls.
— Katie Hall, Nicole Villalpando and Niki Griswold
Stuck in Mother Nature's icebox all day
Austin won't emerge from freezing temperatures at all on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Freezing rain and sleet will likely continue off and on until the afternoon, mainly before 1 p.m. Austin already has received at least 1.26 inches of rain Wednesday and about 1.44 inches of rain early Thursday, as of 8 a.m.
Daytime temperatures in Austin won't get above 30 degrees. Never mind that the forecast high would be about 35 degrees colder than normal — it also means that the ice accumulations from the night before won't be melting anytime soon.
Forecasters said total daytime ice accumulation of up to 0.3 of an inch is possible.
The bitter cold will be compounded by biting north-northwest winds of around 15 mph with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Thankfully, any precipitation will end by Thursday night, the weather service said. Skies will clear in the evening, but dry air and no cloud cover will allow overnight temperatures to sink to as low as 18 degrees — and those gust north-northwest winds will persist.
Friday might see thawing temperatures, especially with mostly sunny skies and a high just above freezing, but blustery north-northwest winds of around 15 mph with gusts as high as 25 mph will add to the bone-rattling chill.
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Many Austin-area residents might be feeling deja vu about this week's freeze, but weather service meteorologist Monte Oaks on Wednesday highlighted differences this event has with the epic Texas freeze last February.
"This event might be comparable to winter events in 2008 and 2011," he said, but added that "it's not really fair to compare events, as each event is going to impact individual communities differently."
Extended freezes occurred in Texas in 2008 and 2011 but neither event lasted as long or saw as much infrastructure damage as the 2021 freeze.