Austin, TX- The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activated this morning at 7 a.m. in response to anticipated winter weather. Austin’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HSEM) is coordinating the City’s response to this event along with other city service departments and non-governmental organizations. The Winter Storm Warning issued by the National Weather Service goes into effect at 6:00 p.m. today.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown held a joint press conference to discuss the current winter weather event and update community members on the situation and operations, as well as how the City has been preparing for the storm.

As a reminder, Cold Weather Shelters (CWS) will continue 24-hour operations through Wednesday morning, January 22. Shelter guests who stay overnight Monday are invited to remain in the shelter throughout the day on Tuesday, instead of having to transfer to a Warming Center. A total of 376 guests utilized CWS overnight on Sunday.

In an abundance of caution considering the threat of snow, sleet, and freezing rain overnight Monday, HSEM has requested its partners to stand up two additional facilities to serve as Community Shelters meant for individuals or families who may lose power and need a warm place to stay. This service is in addition to the planned six facilities serving as CWS.  

CWS embarkation will continue to take place daily from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs Rd).

The Austin Public Library will open additional branches to serve as a Warming Center on Tuesday, January 21, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those branches are:  

• Central Library – 710 W. César Chávez St.

• Terrazas Branch – 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St. 

• Ruiz Branch – 1600 Grove Blvd. 

• Little Walnut Branch – 835 W. Rundberg Ln.  

City Operations Updates and Reminders:

CapMetro announced this morning that all services will conclude at 9 p.m. on Monday, January 20. The agency is expected to resume limited operations starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 21, with the first trips for customers expected closer to 11 a.m. for Bus, Pickup and Access services. CapMetro Rail will not operate. 

Austin Energy is monitoring grid conditions and is ready to respond to any outages. Customers can report power outages on their website, texting “OUT” to 287846, or by calling 512-322-9100. Current outages and status updates are available on the Austin Energy Outage Map.

Transportation and Public Works crews are pre-treating critical roadways and structures. Please stay home and off the roadways if possible. If you do have to drive, map out a route beforehand to avoid elevated areas where black ice tends to form.  

Updated area closures:

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced the City will be under modified operations on Tuesday, January 21. Due to inclement weather, some City of Austin facilities may be closed to the public on Tuesday. We encourage you to stay off the roads, but if you must travel to a City building, please call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 to confirm that the building is open to the public before traveling. Under modified operations, City staff are available to provide assistance virtually. In particular:

• Austin Public Health is contacting patients with scheduled appointments tomorrow to reschedule, walk-in services will not be available.

• All Municipal Court appearances will be rescheduled and all due dates will be extended. If you have questions or wish to speak to a court clerk, please call 512-974-4800 or visit: austintexas.gov/municipal-court

• The Development Services Department will not offer in-person services, including inspections. DSD staff will be available by phone, chat, email and for any virtual appointments. In-person inspections scheduled for Tuesday will roll over to Wednesday, weather permitting.  

• The Austin Animal Center is closed to the public.  Essential staff will be present to care and feed the animals at the facility.   

• Some Austin Resource Recovery customers may have delayed trash, recycling, composting, on-demand bulk, brush and household hazardous waste collections. Customers should put out carts and materials for on-demand collections by 5:30 a.m. on their scheduled collection day and leave any uncollected carts and materials out to allow crews to catch up throughout the week. Customers can get updates about service changes by downloading the Austin Recycles app or by signing up for reminders at austintexas.gov/myschedule .  

Safety Tips:

• Travel is discouraged, but if you must travel, remember the following:
  • Drive at slower speeds to maintain control of your vehicle.
  • Leave additional space between you and the vehicle in front of you to allow additional stopping time.
  • If your car begins to skid, do NOT slam on your brakes. Release the accelerator and steer into the direction of the skid but be careful not to over-correct.
  • If you are involved in a collision on an icy roadway, DO NOT exit your vehicle unless you are in immediate danger. Remain inside and call for help.
• Never use ovens, stoves, or grills to warm your home, as this could cause exposure to carbon monoxide.
• If you don’t have power, the best ways to keep warm are:
  • Wear multiple layers of warm, lightweight clothing.
  • Wear mittens or gloves, and a hat.
  • Wrap yourself in plenty of blankets.
  • Keep curtains closed unless the sun is out, to conserve heat.
  • Put everyone in the household in one room.
  • If you’re using a space heater, make sure it has plenty of room and an automatic off switch.

The EOC will remain operational until further notice. In addition to the Alerts page listed above, updates will be posted on @AustinHSEM social media accounts on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram and shared to the official City of Austin accounts.   
 
Everyone is encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Warn Central Texas.   
 
Please do not call 911 unless you have a medical or life-threatening emergency. If you need other types of service or assistance from the city, please call 311 or 512-974-2000 or download the 311 mobile app. Keeping 911 lines clear for only emergencies will allow the City to properly dispatch first responders and emergency personnel to those who need immediate help.  

If you have not signed up to receive emergency alerts on your phone, please visit WarnCentralTexas.org to register. Alerts can be sent via text, call, and/or email.  

During the activation, critical updates will be posted online at austintexas.gov/alerts and are available in 14 different languages.