AUSTIN, Texas — Crews with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) prepared Central Texas roads ahead of an Arctic front coming Wednesday night that dropped temperatures below freezing and brought widespread rain and a few storms.
The State's transportation department tweeted Tuesday it was preparing the roads for the expected cooldown.
Meanwhile, officials at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) said crews were also preparing for freezing weather and precipitation.
"It’s too soon to pre-treat the roadways and runways with our de-icing agent, but AUS division managers and operational units are meeting on a regular basis to assess weather impacts and plan accordingly," an airport spokesperson told KVUE on Tuesday. "Passengers flying out beginning this Wednesday evening should check roadway conditions prior to heading to the terminal and check in with their airlines for their flight's status."
Public transportation provider Capital Metro said it would operate on a critical service schedule on Friday, Feb. 4 after it canceled all non-emergency services on Thursday.
On Friday, the transportation provider will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on 30 to 60-minute frequencies. The emergency service runs on routs that many use to get to jobs, essential services and grocery stores, CapMetro said.
For a full list of routes that will not be operating Friday and alternative services, visit CapMetro's website.
CapMetro previously said it was preparing for the inclement weather and encouraged passengers to avoid non-essential during inclement weather conditions.
"We understand that some of our customers may need to use CapMetro to reach a warming shelter, and no one will be denied service to a warming shelter regardless of their ability to pay a fare," a CapMetro spokesperson said.
According to the KVUE Storm team, as of Feb. 1, the highest likelihood of freezing rain and sleet causing travel issues looks to be across the Hill Country just west of Interstate 35.
Even when wintry weather isn't a guarantee, it's important to remember how to stay safe on the roadways in the event of ice, sleet or even snow. There are some extra precautions drivers can take when they get behind the wheel. We put together some tips here for driving in cold, icy conditions if you need to travel.
Officials are urging drivers to stay off the roads, and only drive for emergencies. It's also a good idea to have an emergency kit in your car. We put together a list of items to keep in your vehicle here.
For the latest roadway conditions, go to DriveTexas.org.
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