KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station
Road conditions are treacherous after more sleet fell in Austin area than originally anticipated
By Andrew Weber, KUT Staff
January 23, 2026 at 9:54 AM CST
Find the latest winter storm updates in our Sunday weather post.
A faster than expected drop in temperatures Saturday meant the Austin area woke up to a thicker than anticipated layer of frozen precipitation Sunday morning.
Much of the region received up to one-quarter of an inch of ice, according to the City of Austin, with some areas in the Hill Country and western portions of the I-35 corridor seeing even more.
Precipitation has moved out of the Austin area but frigid conditions have not. Central Texas remains under an Extreme Cold Warning through noon Monday.
The city said icing on roads, bridges and overpasses have made travel "extremely dangerous and near impossible in many areas." Officials continue to encourage people to stay off the roads if possible.
A rare ice storm warning and winter storm warning continue for much of Central Texas through noon Sunday.
"The precipitation has stopped. We're not expecting any additional precipitation this afternoon. But it's going to remain cold," said Eric Platt, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service. "It looks like all of Austin will see a high temperature below freezing today .. so when we have that, you know, obviously anything that's on the road is going to stay frozen."
Platt said the Austin region saw "pretty significant" accumulations of freezing rain and sleet overnight.
Eight-tenths of an inch of sleet and around one-tenth of an inch of freezing rain was reported at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Sunday morning, according to storm reports from the NWS.
Platt said road conditions may improve slightly with sunshine, but that anything that doesn't "melt off" will likely refreeze Sunday night.
(1200x1000, AR: 1.2)
Austin Water recommends leaving cabinets below sinks open to help keep pipes warm. If temperatures stay below freezing and you can't keep pipes warm, or if you lose power, you should start dripping the faucet the furthest from your main shutoff valve, Austin Water said.
Due to a heavy call volume, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said it will only transport patients to the closest medical facility and might use vehicles besides ambulances.
Travis County did not open a warming center at its Community Center in Del Valle as planned on Sunday due to concerns about road conditions.
CapMetro, H-E-B and others announce changes to operating schedules
Among a growing list of closures and cancellations, H-E-B said its Central Texas stores will close at 5 p.m. Sunday. That includes Central Market locations.
UT Austin is closed until Sunday at noon. Austin Community College is closed on Sunday.
Texas State University said it would make a decision by 6 p.m. Sunday on whether to open Monday.
ERCOT, the state's electrical grid operator, said it does not anticipate large-scale power outages. But local concern about Austin Energy's grid is very real. Ice weighed down tree limbs across the city in 2023, causing outages for hundreds of thousands of Austinites.
So far, Austin Energy has reported only scattered, small power outages but said the aftermath of the storm could still lead to problems.
General Manager Stuart Reilly said the city-owned utility has spent the years since the 2023 storm retooling and improving its responses to winter weather. He said Austin Energy is fully staffed and is prepared to reach out to other utilities, if need be.
"Our crews are ready. Our staffing plans are in place," he said. "We are the most prepared that we have ever been for a winter storm."
The City of Austin said on Sunday that conditions "may worsen as winds increase and ice begins to melt, which can place additional stress on trees and power lines.
CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins said the city's transit agency halted service Saturday afternoon in light of the weather conditions. Service is suspended on Sunday.
"We understand the important role that we play in our community, but ultimately, the safety of our customers and frontline staff is important," she said.
CapMetro said its staff is continuing to monitor weather conditions for Monday. Austinites are encouraged to sign-up for CapMetro alerts to receive the most updated information on service impacts.
Watch the city's Friday news conference below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5vp3Rewcrg
A faster than expected drop in temperatures Saturday meant the Austin area woke up to a thicker than anticipated layer of frozen precipitation Sunday morning.
Much of the region received up to one-quarter of an inch of ice, according to the City of Austin, with some areas in the Hill Country and western portions of the I-35 corridor seeing even more.
Precipitation has moved out of the Austin area but frigid conditions have not. Central Texas remains under an Extreme Cold Warning through noon Monday.
The city said icing on roads, bridges and overpasses have made travel "extremely dangerous and near impossible in many areas." Officials continue to encourage people to stay off the roads if possible.
A rare ice storm warning and winter storm warning continue for much of Central Texas through noon Sunday.
"The precipitation has stopped. We're not expecting any additional precipitation this afternoon. But it's going to remain cold," said Eric Platt, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service. "It looks like all of Austin will see a high temperature below freezing today .. so when we have that, you know, obviously anything that's on the road is going to stay frozen."
Platt said the Austin region saw "pretty significant" accumulations of freezing rain and sleet overnight.
Eight-tenths of an inch of sleet and around one-tenth of an inch of freezing rain was reported at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Sunday morning, according to storm reports from the NWS.
Platt said road conditions may improve slightly with sunshine, but that anything that doesn't "melt off" will likely refreeze Sunday night.
(1200x1000, AR: 1.2)
Austin Water recommends leaving cabinets below sinks open to help keep pipes warm. If temperatures stay below freezing and you can't keep pipes warm, or if you lose power, you should start dripping the faucet the furthest from your main shutoff valve, Austin Water said.
Due to a heavy call volume, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said it will only transport patients to the closest medical facility and might use vehicles besides ambulances.
Travis County did not open a warming center at its Community Center in Del Valle as planned on Sunday due to concerns about road conditions.
CapMetro, H-E-B and others announce changes to operating schedules
Among a growing list of closures and cancellations, H-E-B said its Central Texas stores will close at 5 p.m. Sunday. That includes Central Market locations.
UT Austin is closed until Sunday at noon. Austin Community College is closed on Sunday.
Texas State University said it would make a decision by 6 p.m. Sunday on whether to open Monday.
ERCOT, the state's electrical grid operator, said it does not anticipate large-scale power outages. But local concern about Austin Energy's grid is very real. Ice weighed down tree limbs across the city in 2023, causing outages for hundreds of thousands of Austinites.
So far, Austin Energy has reported only scattered, small power outages but said the aftermath of the storm could still lead to problems.
General Manager Stuart Reilly said the city-owned utility has spent the years since the 2023 storm retooling and improving its responses to winter weather. He said Austin Energy is fully staffed and is prepared to reach out to other utilities, if need be.
"Our crews are ready. Our staffing plans are in place," he said. "We are the most prepared that we have ever been for a winter storm."
The City of Austin said on Sunday that conditions "may worsen as winds increase and ice begins to melt, which can place additional stress on trees and power lines.
CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins said the city's transit agency halted service Saturday afternoon in light of the weather conditions. Service is suspended on Sunday.
"We understand the important role that we play in our community, but ultimately, the safety of our customers and frontline staff is important," she said.
CapMetro said its staff is continuing to monitor weather conditions for Monday. Austinites are encouraged to sign-up for CapMetro alerts to receive the most updated information on service impacts.
Watch the city's Friday news conference below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5vp3Rewcrg