City of Austin and Travis County officials delivered a unified message Sunday afternoon: the winter storm may have moved on, but the danger has not. In a virtual press conference, Mayor Kirk Watson, Travis County Judge Andy Brown, and emergency management leaders outlined the region’s ongoing response efforts, emphasizing that extreme cold, hazardous roads, and infrastructure strain will continue into Monday.

A Region Still in the Grip of Extreme Cold

Officials reported that the Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect through noon Monday, January 27, with temperatures staying below freezing throughout the day and plunging into the teens overnight. Although wintry precipitation has ended, any daytime melting is expected to refreeze into ice, creating treacherous conditions for both drivers and emergency crews.

Transportation & Public Works teams continue treating critical routes, but leaders stressed that “passable does not mean safe.” Residents were urged to stay home unless absolutely necessary and to use tools like DriveTexas.org if travel cannot be avoided.

City Services Shift to Modified Operations

With icy conditions expected to persist, the City of Austin will move to modified operations on Monday, closing many public‑facing facilities while allowing remote work for employees who can do so. Emergency responders and essential personnel will remain in the field. Additional details on closures are expected later in the day.

CapMetro announced a delayed start on Monday, January 26, with limited service beginning at noon.

Shelters and Warming Centers Expand Capacity

To protect vulnerable residents from the life‑threatening cold, the City—working with the Austin Area Urban League—has expanded to six shelter facilities, all operating 24 hours through Tuesday morning. Embarkation for Cold Weather is available Sunday from 2–8 p.m., with transportation arranged through 3‑1‑1.

Three Austin Public Library branches extended hours to serve as warming centers:

• Central Library
• Terrazas Branch
• Little Walnut Creek Branch

A full warming‑center map is available on the city’s Alerts webpage.

Austin Energy: Crews Working Through Ice and Wind

Austin Energy crews spent the night responding to isolated outages caused by frozen equipment and icy roads. While impacts remain limited, officials warned that ice‑laden trees and power lines remain vulnerable. Wind‑driven “galloping lines” and the snap‑back effect of melting ice could trigger additional outages throughout the day.

Austin Water Maintains Operations, Urges Pipe Protection

Austin Water reported normal water and wastewater operations but remains activated as a precaution. Residents were encouraged to follow cold‑weather guidance to protect pipes and conserve water to reduce the risk of weather‑related disruptions.

Public Safety Responds to Hundreds of Calls

Between Saturday morning and Sunday morning, Austin‑Travis County EMS handled over 400 incidents, including 12 injury‑related traffic collisions and 15 cold‑related illness calls—one of them fatal. Community Health Paramedics transported 29 people to shelters since Friday.

Austin Police responded to:

• 67 collisions
• 32 traffic hazards
• 10 transports to shelters
• 1,068 calls for service

Austin Fire reported a chimney‑related apartment fire that displaced 12 residents, along with 64 vehicle accidents in the past 24 hours—more than half occurring after conditions worsened Saturday evening.

Emergency Operations Center Remains Fully Activated

The Emergency Operations Center will remain active until further notice, coordinating city and county response efforts and pushing updates through the city’s Alerts page and official communication channels.