Austin, TX
Arctic blast breaks energy, temperature records in Austin
Video: Downtown Austin silent as arctic blast freezes city
A winter weather advisory is in effect in the Austin-San Antonio region until noon Monday, according to the National Weather Service, with temperatures expected to remain below freezing.
City of Austin officials plan to keep warming shelters open through Wednesday morning as dangerous, subfreezing temperatures will linger into midweek.
As residents hunkered down indoors Monday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas — which manages the state power grid — pleaded with Texans to conserve energy Tuesday morning. Although Austin Energy broke usage records Monday morning, officials said they didn’t expect widespread outages related to the record-breaking cold weather.
Temperatures will drop to the mid-teens in Austin both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, according to the National Weather Service, though it said chances of precipitation had disappeared Monday afternoon. A wind chill warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Tuesday and a wind chill advisory will be in effect Tuesday night until 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The thermometer at Camp Mabry registered a temperature of 16 degrees, which is colder than the previous daily record of 19 degrees, set in 1944, Mayor Kirk Watson said during a Monday news conference.
More: Austin live weather updates: ERCOT asks for energy conservation Tuesday morning
The risk for frostbite and hypothermia is high in weather like this, he said.
“Please, please continue to avoid all nonessential travel and stay indoors, if at all possible,” Watson said.
Record-breaking energy demand
Austin Energy broke a record for peak demand Monday morning, when customers used 2,760 megawatts, Austin Energy General Manager Bob Kahn said. The previous peak was 2,630 megawatts, he said.
Kahn emphasized that he doesn’t expect widespread outages, such as those that in 2021 plunged millions of Texans statewide into powerlessness during a week of dangerously freezing temperatures.
The utility has experienced only minor outages, which in some cases have been caused by overloaded circuits.
“A fuse will blow,” Kahn said. “We replace that within an hour.”
High grid load
Residents should try to reduce energy use by turning the thermostat down a few degrees or using a fireplace to heat their home, Kahn said. People shouldn’t use an oven to heat their home, he said.
In case of unexpected outages, the city has identified circuits that carry noncritical infrastructure, Watson said.
More: See live map of Texas road conditions, closures as state sees freezing temps, rain
“We will try to roll those outages in a way that any one area would not have more than 40 minutes,” Watson said. “We right now do not anticipate that’s going to happen.”
As of midday Monday, utility companies in Austin, Travis County and surrounding areas had reported few power outages. Just over 99.9% of Austin Energy customers had power around 2:30 p.m., with 22 localized outages affecting about 100 customers, per the utility’s outage map. In Travis County as a whole, about 99.9% had power.
Similar power outage percentages were reported in Williamson County to the north and Bastrop County to the east.
More: How to prepare your house, pantry, car, emergency plan before arctic blast hits Austin
As of 2 p.m., about 49 inbound and 57 outbound flights, less than 19% of flights, had been canceled at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, according to Flight Radar 24.
Icy conditions were reported on roads and highways across the region. In Georgetown, all southbound lanes of Texas 130 at the Interstate 35 entrance were closed due to a multivehicle wreck at Patriot Way.
Out in the cold
Frigid and overcast, the city was relatively sleepy on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Monday. Shoppers shivered as they climbed out of their steaming cars at the H-E-B on Riverside Drive.
Christina Castilleja loaded bags into her car.
Her family of nine in Manor lost power during a freeze last year, so this time they vowed to prepare for cold weather, she said. They brought their generator out just in case the power went out.
More: Track outages from arctic blast in Central Texas. See Texas power outage map.
“We have to be sure that we have everything we need,” Castilleja said while putting away eggs, juice and other essentials.
Castilleja spent the days before the freezing weather donating blankets to unhoused people and planned to take chili and hot cocoa to them this week, she said.
“If we can’t handle it, imagine being out there 24 hours for days on end trying to figure out how to stay warm,” Castilleja said.
Steven Slavin, who was also getting essentials Monday morning, had spent the morning driving for a ride-hailing app.
“I’m making good money, and there’s not a lot of traffic,” Slavin said. “It’s been working out for me.”
He had made the trip to H-E-B to stock up in case road conditions became too bad to drive.
Roads and shelter
Austin and Travis County had treated several elevated roads and bridges — which are more likely to accumulate ice — with a material that reduces ice.
The city has been operating six shelters — up from the normal three — to accommodate the increased demand for indoor shelters, Watson said.
City shelters and temporary warming centers housed about 400 people and seven dogs Sunday night into Monday morning, Watson said.
City officials announced Monday that they plan to keep the shelters open through Wednesday.
“I anticipate that we will have more people that will sign up,” Watson said.
People who want to seek shelter must register at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, between 5 and 8 p.m. each day. City staffers will provide transportation from the center to shelters.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
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7 Juneteenth celebrations happening in Austin this weekend
