Some facilities may still have limited operations
Weather Update
Temperatures across the region climbed into the upper-40s and low-50s this afternoon. Overnight lows will drop back into the mid-20s, and high temperatures on Wednesday with a dry front moving across the area. Any moisture left from the melting during the day may refreeze overnight and into the morning causing trouble in areas that have not received much sunlight.
City Facilities & Services
Austin Resource Recovery
Curbside collections services will be delayed by one day this week. Trash, recycling and composting collections will "slide" forward and collections will take place the day after the regularly scheduled collection day. Collections for on-demand bulk, brush and household hazardous waste appointments will also be delayed by one day. Tuesday collections will take place on Wednesday, and so on. Carts, bulk and brush should be left at the curb to allow crews to catch up throughout the week. Sign up for reminders to receive updates about changes to your services at austintexas.gov/MySchedule.
Cold Weather Shelters
Cold Weather Shelters will continue operating 24 hours until Wednesday morning and are expected to resume normal CWS operations Wednesday evening.
- For sheltering Tuesday and Wednesday night, embarkation is available at One Texas Center from 6-8 p.m.
Austin Aviation
Airline schedules are starting to return to normal after country-wide disruptions. We're still seeing some delays and cancellations so please continue to keep an eye on your flight status.
Austin Development Services
Austin Development Services is ready to ensure your home or business can be repaired quickly and safely after severe weather damage. You can begin emergency repairs immediately to prevent further harm or safety risks. Repairs may still require a permit or inspection to ensure they meet City Code requirements. The Permits for Emergency Repairs webpage has tips for different types of damage, and support to help you get started.
Austin Parks and Recreation
While many Austin Park and Recreation spaces have reopened, some facilities will remain closed because of issues related to ice and freezing temperatures including select pools, golf courses, community recreation centers, botanical garden, nature center and more. Please call individual facilities to make sure they are open before you head there. Find closure information at AustinTexas.gov/ParkClosures.
Austin Water
Austin Water's plants and facilities remained operational throughout the freezing weather. Peak water usage increased by about 20 percent over typical usage – likely due to people staying home as advised and dripping faucets. Austin Water was prepared for this and increased water production to meet demand. Water storage levels in our reservoirs remained steady throughout the event.
Dedicated crews worked around the clock, sheltering in place at our plants to ensure continuous operations. Winterization of equipment also helped to keep systems running. Austin Transportation and Public Works cleared roadways to key Austin Water facilities to enable deliveries of needed chemicals and supplies and allow maintenance teams to access facilities.
With rising temperatures, Austin Water customers may start to see leaks from thawing lines. For tips about how to deal with thawing pipes after a freeze, visit Austin Water Cold Weather Tips | AustinTexas.gov
For other customer service questions or resources:
- Call the 24/7 Water Emergency Response: 512-972-1000, option 1.
- Use or sign up for access to the My ATX Water Customer Portal to set custom alerts for possible leaks or excessive water usage.
- Visit Austin Water's live, online Leak and Outage Map to track service outages in your area.
Austin Energy
With the warming temperatures, Austin Energy returns to regular operations.
Through planning, coordination and teamwork, Austin Energy was able to quickly respond to the isolated outages resulting from the winter storm. Crews were out in the frigid temperatures and teams worked around the clock to restore power where needed.
In advance of the weather, Austin Energy:
- Prepared, supplied and staged personnel so they were ready to respond.
- Activated emergency response teams and processes.
- Arranged Mutual Aid to support restoration efforts, if needed.
- Weatherized, inspected and tested critical electric equipment, especially those in the most susceptible areas.
- Communicated with customers through various channels to provide safety and preparedness information.
Austin Transportation & Public Works
Austin Transportation and Public Works (ATPW) crews have completed extensive operations during the winter weather event. More than 140 staff were deployed to keep Austin’s transportation network safe. The critical network includes 347 lane miles of priority roadways and 66 bridges, which were the focus of treatment throughout the storm.
Crews assessed 997 lane miles of roadways and treated 469 lane miles, returning to some critical network locations multiple times throughout the event and covering a treatment area equivalent to driving from Austin to El Paso. For the bridges and other critical structures, 466 assessments were completed and 103 treatments implemented, with consistent monitoring to ensure safety.
The team responded to almost 60 Emergency Operations Center requests, addressed 240+ customer service requests (CSRs), and repaired 70+ flashing or dark traffic signals during the event. Crews also coordinated closely with CapMetro to support priority transit routes and worked with Travis County to help keep roadways clear.
ATPW will remain on-call overnight to monitor conditions and respond to any critical issues. The focus will be on maintaining safety for essential services and addressing urgent requests as needed.
Austin 3-1-1
Austin 3-1-1 team worked around the clock to ensure Austinites would have city resources available. Austin 3-1-1 received over 100 service requests relating to the EOC activation over the weekend. The most common services requested pertained to cold weather shelters, animal protection, and water-related matters.
Austin-Travis County EMS
ATCEMS will end their modified transport guidelines at 7 p.m. today and return to normal operations.
Since January 24, ATCEMS has received over 2,100 calls for service, and has responded to 47 cold-related illness incidents, including one fatality, as well as 49 injury collisions and two sledding injuries. ATCEMS continues to see a noticeable increase in falls related to ice.
Austin Police
Between January 25 and January 27, Austin Police responded to a total of 2,291 calls for service, including 187 crashes and 226 traffic hazards.
Austin Fire
Austin Fire's call volume remained relatively normal through the weekend but saw a significant increase on Monday.
In total, the department responded to 430 fire alarms, 175 traffic incidents including vehicle rescues, 91 broken waterpipes, 72 public assists, 35 carbon monoxide calls, and 26 structure fire alarms over the three-day period.
On Monday, the department reached a critical point where more than 50% of our apparatus were assigned to incidents simultaneously, triggering a move to recon 3. The department utilized additional teams and personnel to clear alarm calls to keep the remaining apparatus in service.
The department resumed normal operations in the evening once call volume fell to manageable levels.
Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment
All AACME cultural facilities and museums will return to normal operating hours with the exception of the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, which remains closed due to HVAC issues.
CapMetro began limited Bus, Rail, Bikeshare Pickup and Access service at 12 p.m. today. Delays and detours are expected throughout the day. For the full list of affected routes and the latest updates, please visit: www.capmetro.org/weather. Updates will also be shared via social media and CapMetro Alerts: www.capmetro.org/capmetroalerts