News

Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center to Activate for Anticipated Winter Weather

January 23, 2026

The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center (ATCEOC) will activate at noon, Saturday, Jan. 24, in response to winter weather impacting the Central Texas region this weekend. Austin Emergency Management (AEM) will coordinate the City’s response to this event with other City service departments and non-governmental organizations. Critical updates will be posted online at austintexas.gov/alerts in 14 languages.

In anticipation of extreme winter weather, Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown each signed their own respective local disaster declarations (City of Austin, Travis County). These declarations can expedite the process of expense tracking for staff and resources used during an emergency, which can help the City and County get reimbursed should expense thresholds be met and a federal disaster be declared.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Austin and Travis County in effect through 12 p.m. Sunday, January 25, 2026. Arctic air is expected to arrive Friday night with a long duration of freezes in the Hill Country and Austin Metro area. Precipitation is forecasted to develop Friday afternoon and evening and continue through Saturday night. Temperatures will likely remain below freezing through the weekend over most of the Winter Storm Warning area, which may lead to ice impacts on road surfaces. Ice accumulation between one-tenth and one-quarter of an inch is possible in Austin, with up to a half inch possible in some areas of the hill country.

As a reminder, ice accumulation of one-tenth of an inch is when travel becomes dangerous, especially on bridges and overpasses. Accumulation of one-quarter of an inch increases the risk of power outages due to tree limbs breaking from the weight of the ice and damaging power lines. The NWS as also issued an Extreme Cold Warning beginning Saturday evening through noon Monday, with single digit windchills possible.

Transportation

Due to expected ice accumulation beginning Saturday afternoon, CapMetro will end all bus, rail, CapMetro Pickup, CapMetro Access, and Bikeshare service early. Customers are asked to plan their final trips before 4 p.m. on Saturday, as no services will operate after that time. This decision is based solely on safety.

CapMetro will provide complimentary service to warming centers during the day on Saturday until service ends at 4 p.m. Customers are strongly encouraged to limit travel to essential trips only and to consider postponing non-essential travel as conditions worsen.

Cold Weather Shelters

Austin Homeless Strategies & Operations, AEM, and Austin Parks & Recreation are preparing for activation of 24-hour shelter operations from Friday night through Sunday night (01/23/2026 – 01/25/2026). Guests may remain in the shelters during the day and are not required to leave in the morning. 24-Hour Cold Weather Shelters are activated if the forecasted high temperature the following day does not exceed 35 degrees. The City uses the National Weather Service weather report at Camp Mabry as the official location for assessing temperatures due to its central location and proximity to downtown.

  • Individuals can get information about access and activation by calling the Cold Weather Shelter Hotline at 512-972-5055.
  • Shelter registration will take place between 6-8 p.m. on Friday, and between 2-8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at One Texas Center (OTC), 505 Barton Springs Rd.
  • Due to the suspension of service, shelter guests using CapMetro for transportation to embarkation on Saturday should be on the bus by 4 p.m. Those needing transportation after service ends should call 3-1-1.
  • CapMetro will transport registered individuals from the OTC to a Cold Weather Shelter.

While Cold Weather Shelters are primarily accessed by people experiencing homelessness, they are available to anyone in need of a warm place to spend the night. One Texas Center will also be available as a Warming Center on Saturday and Sunday starting at 2 p.m. for those looking to warm up for a few hours before registration and embarkation for shelter services.

Warming Centers

Also, because many Austinites may still need a warm place to seek reprieve from the cold during the day, Austin Public Library is extending hours for three branches on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to serve as Warming Centers. Those branches are:

  • Central Library – 710 W. Cesar Chavez St.
  • Terrazas Branch – 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St.
  • Little Walnut Creek Branch – 835 W. Rundberg Ln.

A Warming Centers Map is available on the Alerts webpage austintexas.gov/alerts.

Closures and Changes to City Services

Austin Parks & Recreation is adjusting operations beginning Friday to prepare facilities for the winter weather. Restrooms and water fountains will have water turned off. All golf courses will close at 10 a.m. Friday and will open when weather improves. Details for this and other Parks & Rec closures were announced in a press release from PARD.

Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment, Austin Parks & Recreation, and Austin Public Library will close all locations on Saturday at 3 p.m. and will remain closed on Sunday. This closure will not impact the warming center hours on Saturday or Sunday. The centers will remain open for warming center operations only.

Austin Resource Recovery's Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center will be closed on Saturday, January 24th. Customers with appointments are being contacted for rescheduling. Austin Resource Recovery is offering drop-off today (Friday, January 24th) before 4 pm for those who have already made appointments for Saturday. Otherwise, residents are advised to reschedule via austintexas.gov/MySchedule or the Austin Recycles app. Brush drop-off will also be unavailable on Saturday at Austin Water's Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant.

Austin Public Health’s vaccine clinics scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24 have been canceled due to the winter weather. Future clinic dates can be found on their website.

Emergency Management

The EOC will remain operational until further notice. In addition to the Alerts page listed above, updates will be posted on @austintexasgov social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and shared to Austin Emergency Management’s social media accounts and by other City accounts. Community members are encouraged to follow their preferred local news media for up-to-date information. AEM will contact reporters to ensure they have up-to-date information for the public.

AEM asks all members of the community to take necessary actions to protect themselves and other household members including pets for this event. Information on preparing for, withstanding, and recovering from a variety of emergencies is available online at ReadyCentralTexas.org. Multiple departments contributed to the winter weather seasonal awareness and preparedness press release last month that includes more information on the four steps of preparedness: Make a Plan, Build a Kit, Know Your Neighbors, and Stay Informed. It also has tips on road safety, utilities, and more.

Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you have a medical or life-threatening emergency. If you need other types of service or assistance from the city, please call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 or download the 3-1-1 mobile app. Keeping 9-1-1 lines clear for only emergencies will aid the City to properly dispatch first responders and emergency personnel to those who need 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.

The City encourages everyone to stay safe and be resilient. Take measures to protect the four Ps: People, Pets, Pipes, and Plants. AEM will provide updates throughout the EOC activation and notify members of the media accordingly as well.

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