Austin is bracing for its second day of the winter storm, with more ice expected than before. Causing worsening road conditions and thousands without power early Wednesday morning.
Winter storm damage in Austin knocked out power at the reporter’s home
“In fact, I could hear limbs all over the neighborhood bumping, and then of course this one sounded very close. It’s right in our backyard.”
Tony Plohetsky, Wochit
Editor’s note: We made this story free as a public safety resource for our community. But we need the support of subscribers to keep doing this work. Here’s how you can subscribe.
Forecasters expect more significant ice accumulation today in the Austin metro area and the Hill Country, making already dangerous roads even more treacherous.
Thousands of Austin residents were without power early Wednesday morning as the ice caused a variety of problems, such as tree limbs falling on power lines. The number of customers without power continues to rise, with Austin Energy reporting more than 100,000 as of 7:40 a.m.
Austin Fire said they responded to more than 75 calls related to arcing wires and that multiple stations also lost power.
Here’s what we know about road conditions, today’s forecast and power outages:
Winter Storm Warning for Austin: Here’s what to worry about
9:45am: The heavier round of ice is over
The most significant ring of freezing rain from this storm that hit the Austin metro area Wednesday morning has moved out of the region, according to the National Weather Service.
There’s still a chance for freezing rain and rain, which could turn to just a cold rain or sleet mix, as temperatures are expected to drop to just above freezing Wednesday afternoon. However, the wintry weather mix could return Wednesday night with more chances of freezing rain starting early Thursday morning.
Temperatures are expected to hover above freezing Thursday morning and reach 40 degrees by the afternoon. Light rain is also likely throughout the day.
The winter storm warning is still scheduled to end at 6 a.m. Thursday.
Austin Energy says power will be restored ‘quickly’
Austin Energy spokesman Matt Mitchell said crews have been dispatched and are working to restore power as quickly as possible. He added that each outage is unique and some repairs will take longer than others, especially as treacherous road conditions make it difficult to get around the city. Temperatures could reach above freezing for a few hours Wednesday afternoon, which he said would help crews fix outages more quickly.
The utility company tweeted that outages were widespread and some customers could see outages for 12 to 24 hours.
Ice can cause tree limbs and other vegetation to freeze, break and fall onto power lines, causing widespread outages.
If you lose power, follow this advice from Mitchell: don’t panic, stay inside, keep all windows and doors closed, turn off major appliances and heaters, cover yourself, grab blankets, and wait for power to be restored.
Also, do not use stoves, ovens, or portable grills to heat your home, as this can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which can lead to hospitalization or death. If you have a generator, make sure it is in a well-ventilated area before using it.
More: What you can do to stay safe and warm during an outage
While many in the region may have flashbacks to Winter Storm Uri, which caused massive power outages for days, this storm is not forecast to be as bad, and Mitchell said power will be restored when the weather warms in the next 24 hours.
“We as a utility understand that those memories are still very fresh,” Mitchell said. “This is not it. Our crews are on the ground, we are executing a plan and will safely and quickly restore power.”
Power outages in central Texas
Austin Energy reported a large number of power outages affecting up to 80,000 customers at one point early Wednesday morning. The company tweeted that extreme weather, mainly ice, was causing power outages and that crews had been dispatched and were working to restore power.
Thousands of Pedernales Electric Cooperative customers in central Texas and the Hill Country are also without power.
8:45 a.m.: Oncor reports 16,127 customers in Williamson County, 6,446 in Travis County and 1,054 in Bastrop County are without power.
8:10 a.m.: 125,000 customers are without power as 422 active outages cause nearly 24 percent of Austin Energy customers to lose power. Meanwhile, nearly 3,100 Pedernales customers in Williamson and western Travis County are without power.
7:40 a.m.: 21 percent of Austin Energy customers are without power as a result of 367 outages affecting more than 113,000. Nearly 11,000 Pedernales customers and more than 240,000 statewide are also without power.
6:36 a.m.: 294 active outages, leaving nearly 85,000 Austin Energy customers without power. Across the region, more than 6,000 Pedernales customers are without power, while 197,000 statewide are without power.
6:00 a.m.: The number of Austin Energy customers without power continues to rise as 204 outages leave nearly 67,000 customers without power.
5:50 a.m.: In Texas, about 161,500 customers are without power.
5:43 a.m.: More than 56,000 Austin Energy customers are without power due to nearly 190 outages across the region, affecting 89 percent of customers.
5:43 a.m.: Nearly 2,900 Pedernales customers from Round Rock to Kyle to San Marcos to Dripping Springs are without power.
Weather tips: Here’s how to stay out of the emergency room during this winter storm
Austin’s forecast for Wednesday
The Austin metro area and neighboring Hill Country will see a stronger round of freezing rain and ice starting Wednesday morning and continuing through the day into early Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
While Austin could see temperatures climb to 33 degrees for a few hours in the afternoon, the wind chill will make it feel like it’s in the mid-20s.
The Austin region could see anywhere from an additional 0.1 to 0.25 inches of ice Wednesday. There’s a chance the ice will turn to rain in the afternoon moving into the evening, but forecasters expect the freezing rain to continue again through the evening and early morning Thursday.
The freezing rain is expected to stop by around 3 a.m. Thursday, changing to cold rain that will last until almost noon Thursday. Temperatures are expected to linger in the 30s Thursday morning and likely climb into the 40s by the afternoon.
Austin road conditions
Authorities continue to discourage motorists from hitting the roads unless absolutely necessary, as road conditions will remain treacherous on Wednesday.
The Texas Department of Transportation highway condition map shows ice being reported on all major highways. TxDot officials said crews are working to clear roads, but that conditions are still dangerous and people should stay off the roads.
City officials are urging residents to stay off the roads. Austin first responders were called to nearly 300 traffic collisions as a result of Tuesday’s ice and dozens of crashes.
6:27 a.m.: All lanes blocked at Toll 183A and Toll SH-45.
Weather Updates: Winter weather cancellations, closures, delays in the Austin area
Austin Airport Cancellations, Delays
7:55 am: Airlines have canceled 202 flights and 18 are delayed.
5:32 a.m.: There are over 180 canceled flights from Austin-Bergstrom and 11 delays, according to Flight Aware.
Canceling Austin school districts
Almost all school districts, including Austin ISD, have canceled classes and extracurricular activities today
Winter weather: Austin-area high school sporting events are postponed
Add Comment