San Antonio: Severe Winter Weather Expected To Worsen Overnight; City And County Urge Residents Not To Travel And Conserve Energy

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

February 14, 2021

SAN ANTONIO— The major winter storm will continue to move across the region Sunday afternoon through Monday morning. Snow and ice are expected. The public is asked to stay home unless travel is absolutely necessary.

As a result of the dangerous, icy conditions many City streets, Bexar County roads and some portions of TxDOT highways are closed. Road closure information can be found at this page: https://www.sanantonio.gov/PublicWorks/News-and-Media/Street-Closures

Due to the inclement weather forecasted for tomorrow, February 15, City Hall and most municipal offices will be closed. All employees essential to City operations during the weather emergency will report to work as scheduled. All other employees with the ability to work remotely will do so.

Residents are encouraged to report any service issues to 311. The San Antonio Fire Department also provides winter weather safety information at this link. As temperatures drop, be mindful to prevent fires and/or serious injury. Keep heaters at least three feet from anything that can catch fire. Do not use an oven to heat a home. Only use generators outside, at least 20 feet from windows and doors.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) continues to project record energy use throughout the state throughout the weekend and early into next week. Along with ERCOT’s ask to conserve, CPS Energy is asking customers to conserve energy during peak times of 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. now through Wednesday.

Ways to conserve energy:

• Set thermostats between 68 – 70 degrees
• Keep doors and windows closed to prevent heat loss
• Wear warm, comfortable clothing

Road Closures

The following roads are closed due to icy conditions. For more information on street closures, visit: https://www.sanantonio.gov/PublicWorks/News-and-Media/Street-Closures

The following roads will be closed beginning at 3 p.m.

• All major highways to include:
  - North and south bound lanes of 281 from loop 410 to 1604
  - East and West bound lanes of IH 10 from Loop 410 to 1604
  - East and West bound lanes of Loop 1604 from 281 to IH 10
  - Hwy 151 between Loop 410 to 1604
  - 1604 East and West from IH10 to 281
  - US 281 North and South between Basse Rd to IH 35
  - US 281 at IH 35
  - Wurzbach Parkway (NW Military to IH 35)
  - Loop 1604 between 281 and I-35 North
• Loop 1604 Overpasses / Flyovers
  - Loop 1604 West & Hwy 90 W
  - Loop 1604 West & Hwy 151
  - Loop 1604 West & IH 10 West
  - Loop 1604 East & US 281 North
• Loop 410 Overpasses / Flyovers
  - NW Loop 410 & Hwy 151
  - NW Loop 410 & IH 10 West
  - NW Loop 410 & US 281
  - NE Loop 410 & US 281
  - SE Loop 410 & IH 37 South
• Downtown Loop – Upper Levels & Ramps
  - Upper level of inbound IH 10 West downtown
  - Upper level of IH 35 Northbound and Southbound downtown
  - Downtown Loop

Public Works

• Public Works has 18 City street closures due to icy conditions. Street closures are updated in real-time. https://www.sanantonio.gov/PublicWorks/News-and-Media/Street-Closures
• Public Works has also weather treated 59 streets and bridges throughout the day. The department will continue to treat roadways.
• Public Works will also have street sweeping crews on standby to remove accumulated de-icing material from roadways, once weather conditions have improved. Residents are urged to please contact 311 to report any concerns about fallen tree limbs or malfunctioning traffic signals.

Metro Health

• COVID-19 data and dashboards will not be updated February 14 or 15. Mayor Nirenberg and Judge Wolff will not host a COVID-19 briefing on February 15. Data reports, along with progress and warning indicator reports will resume on February 16.
• The COVID-19 hotline will be closed on Monday, February 15.
• COVID-19 Vaccines: COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the Alamodome scheduled for Monday, February 15th have been rescheduled to Friday, February 19th at the same appointment times.
• COVID-19 Testing: COVID-19 Testing Sites located at Cuellar and Ramirez Community Centers will be closed February 13th- 15th due to inclement weather. For the latest information visit the website.

Parks and Recreation

• The following San Antonio Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed to the public on Monday, February 15 due to inclement weather: Community Centers (including the drive-thru supper and snack meal service), Barrera Fitness Center, Reservation Desk at Ron Darner Headquarters, Fairchild and McFarlin Tennis Centers.

Solid Waste Management Department

• All locations will be closed on Monday, February 15, and all collections and operations services will be not be in service. Monday scheduled curbside collections will move to Tuesday until further notice.

Office of the City Clerk

• The drawing for a place on the ballot has been rescheduled from February 15 to Friday, February 19 at 2 p.m. The drawing will take place via WebEx and will be made available to the public.
• The Transportation and Mobility Committee Meeting scheduled for February 15, 2021 at 2 p.m. has been postponed. A new date and time will be provided to the public.

Department of Human Services

• Senior Centers: Curbside pickup and delivery of meals by the Department of Human Services is cancelled on Monday, February 15. Meal distribution will resume on Tuesday, February 16, at its regularly scheduled time.
• Shelter for people experiencing homelessness: The Department of Human Services, in coordination with providers, has continued to conduct on the ground outreach to those experiencing homeless to encourage people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to access available shelter options. Haven for Hope is open to anyone seeking shelter from the cold.
• Shelter information is available here: https://www.sanantonio.gov/gpa/News/ArtMID/24373/ArticleID/20111/City-of-San-Antonio-encourages-residents-to-limit-unnecessary-travel-and-conserve-energy-as-severe-winter-weather-enters-the-region

Animal Care Services

• The Animal Care Services shelter located at 4710 State Highway 151 will be closed to the public tomorrow; however, ACS staff will be caring for the pets on campus. The City’s Animal Care Officers will remain on patrol to respond to animal related emergencies. Calls for service should be made through the City’s 311 customer service center via phone call, online or via the 311 mobile app.
• The Paul Jolly Center for Adoptions, located at 210 Tuleta, will also be closed tomorrow.

San Antonio International Airport

• If you are flying out of San Antonio International Airport (SAT), be sure to check SAT Twitter and Facebook social media accounts @SATairport for official updates regarding airport conditions.
• To confirm flight status, contact your airline directly or visit www.flysanantonio.com to check flight status. If travel is necessary, please use extreme caution and check road conditions in and around San Antonio International Airport.

Bexar County

• All County parks closed at noon today and remain closed until Tuesday at 9 a.m. Should conditions persist, this closure could be extended
• County Public Works crews continue on 24-hour rotations with 132 people including tree crews ready should there be fallen trees in the roadways due to ice and snow.
• In the last 24 hours, County Public Works have used more than 72 tons of chat rock and covered 249 bridges.
• Reminder that Monday, February 15, 2021 is a County holiday.

Information in American Sign Language is also available at http://sat.ahasalerts.com/Default.aspx

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.