The National Weather Service expanded a Winter Storm Warning to include Bexar County through 6 a.m. Thursday.
Medina and Val Verde counties were also added to the warning area. A Winter Weather Advisory now covered Atascosa, DeWitt, Karnes, and Lavaca counties.
With more raining coming, the temperature in the San Antonio metro area continued to hover too close to freezing temperatures.
The strongest chance for rain to fall on San Antonio was Tuesday night through Wednesday night.
Forecasters said ice accumulations up to three-quarters of an inch are now possible across a broad swath of the Hill Country, including the Austin metro area and much of the I-35 corridor. Areas of along and north of 1604 in northern Bexar County could also see as much.
The rest of the warning and advisory areas can expect a quarter inch to a half inch of accumulation through 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
School closures
Most schools and colleges in the Hill Country and Bexar County were closed Tuesday, with the exceptions of Southside ISD and Texas A&M University-San Antonio on the South Side. Schools just to the south and east of Bexar County, including La Vernia ISD and Floresville ISD, remained open.
Most schools and colleges in the Hill Country and Bexar will also be closed again Wednesday, including every school district in Bexar County.
Trinity University and Our Lady of the Lake University will be remote through 12 p.m. Wednesday, and the Alamo Colleges will be remote through 10 a.m. Thursday. A&M-San Antonio planned to close its campus at 5 p.m. Tuesday and will remain closed Wednesday, with remote classes offered where possible. UTSA and The University of the Incarnate Word will also be remote on Wednesday.
Also closed on Wednesday: Boerne ISD, Comal ISD, New Braunfels ISD, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, Northside ISD, North East ISD, San Antonio ISD, Judson ISD, Southwest ISD, East Central ISD, Harlandale ISD, Edgewood ISD, South San Antonio ISD, Alamo Heights ISD, Southside ISD, Somerset ISD, Fort Sam Houston ISD, Randolph Field ISD, Lackland ISD, Floresville ISD, La Vernia ISD, Medina Valley ISD, Pre-K 4 SA, KIPP Texas-San Antonio, and New Frontiers Public Schools.
5 PM: light freezing drizzle returns are beginning to pick up primarily over Hill Country. Light glazing potential continues. We still anticipate heavier and more widespread activity following the midnight hour tonight. pic.twitter.com/JRSvYVUoml
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) January 31, 2023
Bexar County closed
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai announced the closure of all county offices and court dockets for Wednesday due to inclement weather.
“This decision to close Bexar County offices is being made to allow families to care for their children as many area school districts have already announced Wednesday cancellations,” Sakai said in a statement released by his office Tuesday afternoon.
“I am also concerned about senior citizens and encourage them to call 3-1-1 or contact the County for extra assistance as needed,” he said. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number is 210-335-6000.
He also encouraged essential travel only.
Weather conditions
San Antonio escaped major road closures and power outages on Monday night. Roadways remained open despite the winter weather.
Laura Lopez, spokeperson for the Texas Department of Transportation, said crews treated I-35 in northern Bexar and Comal counties and I-10 in Kendall and Kerr counties. She said roads could be treated again if needed. Forecasters said the biggest concerns for travelers are bridges and overpasses.
Freezing rain can stick to bridges, overpasses, making for hazardous driving conditions. Frozen precipitation can also stick to power lines causing them to collapse under the weight and leading to power outages.
The greatest concentration of ice was expected in the Hill Country and the Austin metro area.
As of noon on Tuesday, San Antonio-based CPS Energy and Johnson City-based Pedernales Electric Cooperative reported no significant power outages. Fredericksburg-based Central Texas Electric Cooperative reported several hundred customers without power after ice accumulations downed a power line in the biggest outage area.