Austin Region Braces For Arctic Cold Front

AUSTIN, TX — The National Weather Service has issued a "wintry precipitation" advisory for Monday night that could create freezing rain or sleet making travel potentially hazardous as an Arctic cold front arrives by nightfall.

On Twitter, Austin-Travis County EMS medics urged motorists to exercise caution when traveling tonight. The good news: Only minor accumulations are expected, medics reported.

National Weather Service meteorologists expounded on the forecast: "A very strong cold front will move across the region today, arriving before noon over the parts of the Hill Country and in the early afternoon over most of South Central Texas," officials wrote. "Much colder air will settle over the region tonight through Wednesday morning."

Ahead of any potential sleet or freezing rain, officials at outlying school districts already have made the decision to delay the start of classes until 10 a.m. Officials at the University of Texas at Austin also are monitoring the weather as they consider whether to delay start time of classes on campus.

The cold front will usher in strong winds of up to 35 miles per hour by Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning, weather officials said, with wind chill index values expected to drop into the teens and 20s.

"There is also a good chance for rain behind the front, and a change over to freezing rain and sleet may occur late tonight into early Tuesday morning before precipitation ends," officials added. "Impacts from the potential freezing rain and sleet are expected to be confined to exposed surfaces, mainly over the Hill Country and Edwards Plateau."

The National Weather Service released a map of the affected region:

Map via National Weather Service.

Some Central Texas school districts have announced delays in start time for classes given the potential for hazardous road conditions by early Tuesday, including Round Rock ISD.

Related stories:

• Round Rock ISD Delays Opening Amid Inclement Weather
• Leander ISD Mulls Delaying Classes For Bad Weather
  
• Austin Region Braces For Arctic Cold Front

UT-Austin officials are monitoring weather development closely as they mull whether to delay classes: "The UT Austin Campus Safety and Security Office is monitoring the weather this evening to determine if a delayed opening or closure is needed for campus," officials wrote in an advisory.

University officials urged students and faculty to check the UT Austin Twitter account or the following websites for updates throughout the night and early morning for updates:

• weather.utexas.edu
• emergency.utexas.edu

The University’s decision-making process for closure due to weather events can be found here.

In preparation for the Arctic blast, Austin city officials activated cold weather shelters to Monday night. To that end, officials urged single adult men or women in need of shelter to report to the ARCH, the downtown homeless shelter at 509 E. 7th St. Families in need should report to the Salvation Army. Those needing more information should call the 24/7 shelter hotline at 512-305-4233. #winterweather.