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Community Corner

🌱 I-35 Closures This Week + Warmest Winter Ever? + Food Bank Event

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Austin.

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Jessica Collins, Neighbor
(Patch Media)

Good morning, and Happy Monday everybody! It's Jessica here, your host of the Austin Patch newsletter. I've prepared a rundown of the most important local news and community updates – so you don't have to lift a finger!

Get cozy while we dive into:

  • Free food distribution event this evening.
  • The City of Austin is on track to have one of the warmest winters ever.
  • Need to dance off this week stress? Head over to two-stepping lessons at Sam's Town Point this evening.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and very warm. High: 82 Low: 51.

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Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Austin is on track to have one of its warmest winters on record. KXAN reports: "Data at Austin's Camp Mabry goes back to 1897, and we look to be heading for 9th or 10th place for the warmest meteorological winters since record-keeping began." Weather officials state that a typical average mean temperature is 53.9 degrees for the city of Austin, while this winter will likely average more than 2 degrees warmer than normal. Check out the full story here at KXAN.

2) Overnight closures planned along I-35 this week. The road closures will impact North Austin, South Austin, and Georgetown travelers. Head to FOX 7 Austin for a full breakdown of the schedule and impacted locations.

3) The City of Austin and University of Texas unite to plan for the future of Austin's water supply. The Statesman reports that the city granted the UT project team $150,000 for research. The team will present their findings this summer with their recommendations implemented by the city in 2024. Get the full scoop here at The Austin American-Statesman.

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Today in Austin:

  • ATX Open (Tennis Tournament) at Westwood Country Club. (10 a.m.)
  • (Kid-Friendly) Pajama Storytime at Austin Public Library, Old Quarry Branch. (11 a.m.)
  • Texas Water Day at Texas State Capitol Extension Auditorium. (3 p.m.)
  • (Kid-Friendly) LEGO Lab at Austin Public Library, Southeast Branch. (3 p.m.)
  • Hyperreal Film Club Presents: Set It Off + Local Short Film at Hotel Vegas. (7 p.m.)
  • Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at 400 Rabbits, Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane. (8 p.m.)
  • Intermiediate Two-Step Lessons at Sam's Town Point. (8:30 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • ⚽️ Verde season is upon us : "Austin FC kicked off their 2023 season with a brand new tifo, brand new lights, brand new players, and a loss against a brand new team." (KVUE via Facebook)
  • 😋 Mmm, mudbugs! "It isn't quite prime crawfish season in Texas quite yet, but many restaurants are already offering crawfish boils and crawfish dishes right now." Eater Austin has curated a guide of where to find the best crawfish in town. (Eater Austin)
  • 🥬 Food distribution today: "In response to the ice storm and widespread power outages that occurred in early February—the Central Texas Food Bank has mobilized additional mass food distributions in the Travis county area. Today head to: Delco Activity Center (4601 Pecan Brook Dr., Austin TX 78724) from 6-8 p.m. (Austin Parks & Rec via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday! I'll see you around.

— Jessica Collins

About me: Jessica is happy to call Austin her home for the past 10+ years. She loves the outdoors, arts & cinema, dining, and all of the natural beauty that Central Texas has to offer.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Austin Patch newsletter? Contact me at DowntownAustin@patch.com

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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