Sarita Soldz had to laugh.
Just this past weekend she and her partner, William Mcleroy, hosted friends at their pool as temperatures lingered in the 60s. Then, the cold moved in.
“Now it’s ice everywhere,” she said.
Soldz nodded to the light snow covering the sidewalks of Hyde Park in Central Austin. She and Mcleroy had gone on a walk around the neighborhood Tuesday morning, delighting in the rarity of this kind of precipitation.
“It made me happy because it’s not something you see all the time,” Mcleroy said.
Soldz, Mcelroy and the rest of the Austin area woke up to white sidewalks and ice on the roads Tuesday morning.
Austin got around half an inch of snow overnight.
The National Weather Service forecasts sunny conditions later in the day. The daytime high is expected to hit 38 degrees, but the "feels like" temperature could be roughly 10 degrees lower due to wind chill.
The evening temperatures on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are all expected to dip below freezing.
Roads
If you can, avoid getting on the roads. City of Austin officials say drivers should be ready for hazardous conditions through Wednesday morning.
The Texas Department of Transportation treated roads ahead of the storm, and the sun may have thawed things out, but the roads may still be icy if they freeze again overnight.
Bridges and overpasses may be especially hazardous to drive on, and some roads may close because of ice. People should check the road conditions before leaving at drivetexas.org.
Capital Metro said it will have limited service from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday for bus, pickup, Access and Bikeshare services. It said to expect delays in bus service throughout the day, and to favor bus stops on main roads for the best chances of getting picked up. CapMetro rail, UT shuttle and express bus routes are suspended for the day. The transit agency will resume regular services on Wednesday, and will notify riders of any changes on its alerts page.

Grid conditions
Texas' power grid is on a "weather watch" until Thursday.
What does that mean?
Mainly, it's the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' way of acknowledging the forecast and preparing for higher usage during the freeze.
ERCOT said it is anticipating normal grid conditions over the next few days. You can check out the live dashboard if you want to monitor the grid.
But the power grid is only one piece of the equation. Strong winds and icy precipitation could down power lines in some areas.
Matt Mitchell, a public information officer for Austin Energy, said the utility is treating the storm as an "all hands on deck" situation.
If you do lose power, call 311 or check the Austin Energy outage map to see an estimated time for repairs.
Pipes
DRIP YOUR FAUCETS.
So far, this winter freeze is milder than storms in 2021 and 2023. In those years, many homes went without power, which made pipes more susceptible to freezing and bursting.
But even if your power is on, plumbers recommend dripping your faucets overnight until temperatures tick back up.
If you don't want to deal with a higher water bill, consider what Fabian Pecina, manager at L&P Plumbing, told KUT: “We tell customers it’s better to have a high water bill for a month than an expensive plumbing bill for a day."
Plumbers also recommend opening the cabinets under your sink to let in warmth.
Warming shelters
Anyone in need of a warm place to stay overnight can access the city's cold weather shelters. They are scheduled to operate around the clock through at least Wednesday morning. The city's policy is to open warming shelters any time the forecast is 35 degrees or lower.
An estimated 550 people took advantage of overnight shelters with more expected Tuesday tonight. The city is opening up an additional shelter to meet the demand, officials said.
Registration for the overnight shelters is from 6 to 8 p.m. each night at One Texas Center on Barton Springs Road.
During the day, you can warm up in any of the city's public libraries. They are closed Tuesday because of weather conditions but the Central Library, Terrazas Branch, Ruiz Branch and Little Walnut Branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. as warming centers.
CapMetro is offering free rides to warming shelters.
The City of Austin and Travis County have also activated their 24-hour emergency operations center until further notice, allowing crews to monitor the weather, coordinate public safety response and assist with shelter operations.

School closures
Most Austin-area school districts — including Austin, Bastrop, Del Valle, Eanes, Georgetown, Manor and Round Rock — are closed Tuesday and set to resume Wednesday. Check your school district's website for the latest updates.
UT Austin, Austin Community College, St. Edward's University and Texas State University are closed Tuesday and set to reopen Wednesday. Huston-Tillotson University is operating remotely Tuesday.
Other services
Most hospitals and health care clinics have canceled or delayed appointments and nonessential procedures. Check with your healthcare provider.
Austin Resource Recovery has suspended trash, recycling and compost collection on Tuesday. Leave your uncollected carts by the curb — crews will get to them when services resume.
All Central Texas H-E-B and Central Market locations will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Meals on Wheels Central Texas will suspend deliveries and kitchen operations on Tuesday. Congregate Lunch centers will be closed.
KUT will update this post as the weather changes. Follow the latest from the National Weather Service below: