Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued For Austin Region (Updated)

AUSTIN, TX — It wasn't exactly a winter wonderland, but Austin residents will take it: Snow flurries fell across Austin in the area Thursday evening, unleashing a torrent of social media posts highlighting the relatively rare Central Texas occurrence.

Yet while residents celebrated the white stuff, transportation officials warned of the possibility of so-called "black ice" — patches of ice layers on the roadways all but invisible to the naked eye — that could make for treacherous driving conditions Friday morning. By midnight, the National Weather Service (NWS) heightened the urgency of its earlier tone with a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" advisory amid predictions of up to two inches of snow in some regions.

Texas Department of Transportation officials on Thursday night reported heavy traffic congestion as a result of the winter weather, notably along Interstate 35 in both directions. Other heavily congested areas have been reported near Aquarena Springs, Parmer Lane and Rundberg Lane, TxDot officials said. On the city's outskirts, heavy traffic backups were reported in Buda, Jarrell and San Marcos, TxDot officials added.

Additionally, air travel also has been affected by the sudden turn in the weather in a city that had been basked in unseasonably warm weather in the 70s just days ago. Several arriving and departing flights have been delayed or cancelled outright at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as a result of flurries, with outbound aircraft being de-iced at the airport in an abundance of caution, airport officials said.

Transportation officials on Thursday have issued a winter weather advisory in effect until midnight, meaning that drivers should expect slippery roads and limited visibility well into Friday morning. The advisory covers all of Central Texas and the Hill Country, officials noted.

By early Friday, the NWS alerted to hazardous weather, keeping its earlier "Winter Weather Advisory" intact until 6 a.m. but adding more details as to what might await residents throughout Friday morning across a wide swath encompassing Central Texas and points south.

"Bands of light to moderate snow are expected to produce light accumulations up to 2 inches with some roadways becoming slick and hazardous," NWS officials wrote. "Widespread freezing temperatures are expected late tonight across South Central Texas. With the widespread rain and light snow over the last couple days, any remnant wet areas on roadways, bridges, and overpasses may freeze and create dangerous black ice conditions."

Additional light flurries will remain possible through the night, NWS officials wrote, adding to the potential for ice accumulation. Concurrent to their hazardous weather update, the NWS alerted to imminent freezing conditions. Meteorologists implemented a freeze warning in Austin, in effect from midnight to 9 a.m. Friday.

As temperatures continued to dip Thursday evening, school districts and other facilities began to announce closures and cancellations in an information flurry not unlike the light snowfall partly inspiring the action. Example: Austin ISD, the area's largest school district, opted to cancel all classes for Friday rather than implement a two-hour delay given the possibility of icy roadways on Friday.

Related story: Austin-Area Weather Prompts School Cancellations, Delays

As for tonight, it'll be cold. The temperature is expected to dip precariously close to the freezing point in Austin (by 10:30 p.m., the temperature had already dropped to 33 degrees). Other areas around the capital city, particularly in the Hill Country, are expected to get colder. Snow more substantive than the light flurries experienced in Austin (where the snow barely stuck to the ground in most areas) was seen in surrounding regions.

Austin-Travis County EMS officials urge motorists to be extra careful driving Friday morning as a result of possible black ice. Particular caution should be taken along bridges and overpasses, EMS officials warned.

But before the gravity of the danger became clear, residents celebrated the presence of snow flurries. The excitement is largely understandable: Central Texas has seen an unseasonably warm winter season, with temperatures in the 70s — at times precariously reaching 80 degrees — at at time when it's supposed to be the dead of winter.

On Thanksgiving Day in Austin, for example, area temperatures hovered near or at 70 degrees. That's not a typo: It was around 70 degrees in Austin on Thanksgiving Day. It's hard to get into the whole chestnuts-roasting-on-the-open-fire vibe at that temperature.

And so Thursday, people far and wide in Central Texas went gaga over the white stuff. On social media, people posted videos and photos of the snow with with wonder and awe palpable in the accompanying text. "It’s seriously snowing in Austin, Texas y’all!" Austin resident Jenny LaCoste Caputo alerted friends on Facebook, posting a video of the snow flurries against a lighted backdrop. " Too bad ground is too warm for it to stick!" she added.

But in some places, it did stick. In some spots, snow was clearly visible on plant life if not the heat-absorbent grass. A once-glorious row of fully grown elephant ear plants at a North Austin apartment complex was weighted down with snow Thursday night, prompting at least one resident to audibly lament the likely damage on the resplendent greenery.

An abutting concrete bench serving as vantage point to admire the surrounding flora and fauna of the place was glazed over with ice, temporarily losing its utility in becoming a makeshift barometer of icy outdoor conditions.

The lawn at the North Austin apartment complex glistened in the moonlight with the sudden icy layer across its surface.

But yonder north in Austin's outskirts where it typically gets colder this time of year, the snow did stick. Heck, some parts just outside the city resembled the wintry landscape that eluded Austinites. In nearby Hays County, some 30 miles south of Austin, accumulated snow abounded.

The outdoor tabletop of a Hays County home was transformed into a miniature winter wonderland, a couple's six-year-old son, Benjamin, assembling a "Frosty the Snowman" scene by carefully affixing his figurines in the snowy accumulation.

The backyard grill took on an eerie dystopian look, rendering it momentarily useless as meat-cooking device. But who'd want to grill in this weather anyway?

The backyard of the Hays County home took on the look of a frozen tundra, with long-lingering snow of the type that proved largely evasive in Austin.

So enjoy the snow, by all means, and send us your pictures if the mood should strike. But come Friday morning, heed the advice of transportation officials and drive carefully. For the latest traffic updates, visit the continually updated Texas Department of Transportation Twitter page. There, you'll find information related to clogged arteries, street closures and accident sites to avoid. Check on weather updates from the National Weather Service before heading out, where you'll find essential advisories informing your travel plans.

Let it snow, to be sure. But at the same time, be safe.

>>> Photos by Tony Cantú