Several businesses forced to shutdown due to weather conditions
The wintry weather forced the shutdown of several business throughout San Antonio.
From car dealerships to restaurants, many businesses had to make the difficult choice of closing their doors for safety.
Among them, owner and chef Elizabeth Johnson of Pharm Table decided the night before that she would not open her restaurant Wednesday.
Her food distributor, which sources from small farmers and is based out of Boston, told her they were unable to make a routine delivery to the restaurant at 611 S. Presa Street.
“I just thought it’d be better for us to play safe,” she said. “When the weather goes down like this, it’s not just the vendors. It’s the internet, loss of power. All of that is hugely, hugely disruptive to our service.”
Johnson still checked on her restaurant to see ice accumulated on the storefront and sidewalk.
Having owned Pharm Table since 2014, she has noticed icey conditions force her to close at least once this time of year since the winter storm in 2021.
Much of the freezing weather this go around appears to have affected the northern part of Bexar County, including the Loop 1604 and US Highway 281 interchange where ice formed on the road.
“It’s just really hard because San Antonio is so big, so the weather and what it looks like north of (Loop) 1604 and what it looks like down here can be very different,” she said.
Many of Johnson’s employees would have been exposed to driving in dangerous conditions from beyond the loop had she not closed. It could have also been a setback financially for anyone who got into a car accident.
“As a business owner, it’s hard to make that call when you have a lot of people that are hourly, and that are depending on all the hours they can get,” Johnson said.
Bexar County offices will be open Thursday
With temperatures expected to increase above freezing Thursday, Bexar County will resume normal hours of operations though county officials say the office of emergency management will continue to monitor the weather.
County Judge Peter Sakai said in a release that the possibility of dangerous conditions may persist, especially in the far northern portion of the county, and cautioned residents to be diligent.
Additionally, Cibolo reports city facilities and offices will reopen with normal operating hours Thursday.
Power issues persist for CPS Energy customers
There were a total of 103 active outages affecting about 8,777 CPS Energy customers as of 4 p.m., according to the utility’s outage center. The city-owned utility services a total 902,401 customers in Bexar County.
Wednesday morning, nearly 90 outages had affected more than 41,000 customers.
The utility continues to report over social media their progress in restoring power to customers.
One more night of freezing rain expected for Hill Country
South Central Texas can expect one more night of freezing rain across portions of the Edwards Plateau, the Hill Country, and areas just east of and along the Interstate 35 corridor, according to the National Weather Service.
The greatest concern for significant icing is in the Hill Country on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, when temperatures are expected to hover at or below freezing.
In San Antonio, showers are likely to continue through Thursday morning. A high of near 36 is forecast for our area, and there is a 70 percent chance of precipitation with amounts less than a tenth of an inch.
San Antonio, Boerne, New Braunfels remain under a winter weather warning through 6 a.m. Thursday.
The NWS continues to warn of hazardous conditions on area roadways due to the potential for additional ice accumulation on roads, elevated surfaces, bridges, trees and power lines.
More than 11,600 still without power Wednesday afternoon
More than 11,600 people were without power Wednesday afternoon in the San Antonio area, according to live data from CPS Energy’s outage map.
There were 114 outages as of 1:45 p.m.This is compared to 88 outages that affected 41,000 customers at about 6 a.m.
Meanwhile, showers are likely to continue in San Antonio with a high near 36, according to the National Weather Service. There is a 70 percent chance of precipitation, with amounts less than a tenth of an inch.
Showers are likely to continue through Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.
No plans to open warming centers in Bexar County
A Bexar County spokesperson said officials do not have plans to open warming centers Wednesday.
The spokesperson said the county is continuing to monitor the weather and current power outages to determine if warming centers will be necessary.
Nearly 16,000 still without power in San Antonio
CPS Energy has restored power to more than half of its customers who were without electricity Wednesday morning. Still, thousands remain without power as the heaviest precipitation is behind the region.
As of 11:30 a.m., there are 131 outages affecting about 16,000 customers, according to the city-owned utility company’s power outage map. This is compared to the 88 of outages that affected 41,000 customers just five hours ago.
All of the outages are concentrated outside of Loop 410 in the north and northwest areas of Bexar County. Temperatures in those areas are expected to hover at or around freezing, which will help thaw power lines.
The weight of ice on branches and power lines can lead to pole fires and downed lines, according to CPS Energy.
Heaviest precipitation is over, NWS says
While the heaviest precipitation is now behind us, the National Weather Service is warning that the storm is not over yet.
“Freezing drizzle & light freezing rain will continue off and on today into tonight,” the service tweeted. “Don’t assume roads that were just wet earlier today will be safe now.”
NWS: North and northwestern Bexar County could stay at or above freezing until Thursday
The impacts of the ice storm in the San Antonio area will largely depend on where you live, according to the National Weather Service.
North and northwestern Bexar County will likely stay at or right around freezing for much of Wednesday, the NWS said. Meanwhile, the rest of San Antonio may see a high chance of rain into Thursday and melting ice.
That could complicate restoring widespread power outages and driving, said Paul Uria, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“It kind of depends on where you go in the city or the county as to what your main impact will be,” said Uria. “In downtown and the southern portion, you will deal with wet roads. And the further you go north, the bigger the chances are that you’ll still get into some icy roads and even some icy bridges and overpasses. So people still have to be very, very cautious.”
Overnight on Wednesday, Bexar County saw widespread rain and freezing rain. Areas with the highest elevation, including the far north and northwest portions of San Antonio, saw the most ice. These areas saw anywhere from a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch of ice on trees, signs, patio furniture and other objects.
People who live outside of Loop 410 and Loop 1604 may still continue to see accumulating ice up to a quarter inch, Uria said.
74 years ago this week, San Antonio saw its coldest day on record
San Antonio experienced its lowest temperature on record 74 years ago this week.
KAAB San Antonio news anchor Ernie Zuniga took to Twitter to remind locals of that day on Jan. 31, 1949. The mercury plunged to a brutal 0 degrees and San Antonio was blanketed under 4.7 inches of snowfall.
Photos included in the UTSA Special Collections show a snow dusted Alamo and downtown San Antonio.
Property tax deadline extended, again
The Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector announced that the property tax payment deadline has been extended until Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Residents can still make payments online at www.bexar.org/tax , by phone at 1-888-852-3572, drop off their payment in the drop boxes at any of the Tax Collector-Assessors’ four office locations, or once offices reopen.
Several low-water crossings closed in Bexar County
Below are the low-water crossing that have been closed in Bexar County.
- Several low water crossings have closed in Bexar County including:
- Sleepy Hollow Drive from Sunburst Street to Orsinger Lane
- Old O’Connor Road
- White Bonnet Road from Lockhill Road to Hollyhock Road
- Maltsberger Lane from U.S. 281 North Access Road to Country Parkway
- Southwell Road from Verbena Road to Encino Park Road
The list of road closures may be found at bexarflood.org.
SAWS payment centers will open later due to weather
San Antonio Water System’s payment centers will open two hours late because of the weather, the utility announced on Wednesday morning. The utility also noted that field teams and administrative employees are working normal shifts during the winter storm and that SAWS is not facing weather-related outages at this time.
SAWS wrote that it expects service to continue as normal during the near-freezing weather on Wednesday morning and that it is working to ensure safe, reliable water service for San Antonio customers.
CPS Energy warns of the possibility of extended outages
As thousands of CPS Energy customers remain without power Wednesday morning, the city-owned utility is warning of the possibility of extended outages and for customers to have an emergency plan in place.
“Customers are asked to be prepared with emergency plans and relocate safely, if needed and experiencing an extended outage, especially if using medical equipment,” CPS Energy said in a news release. “To manage bills, customers are encouraged to conserve energy by lowering the thermostat to the optimal winter setting of 68 degrees.”
The outages are primarily across the northern and some western sectors of Bexar County
As of 9:15 a.m., there are 114 active outages affecting 24,600 customers.
CPS Energy said that crews are working in icy conditions to restore power quickly. Ice accumulation on trees has been a common cause of Wednesday’s weather-related outages.
CPS Energy tweeted the following video, which shows how ice can weigh down trees and cause them to fall into nearby power lines:
Dozens of flights at San Antonio airport have been canceled
About 60 flights at San Antonio International Airport have been canceled as of 9 a.m., according to the tracking service FilghtAware.
Most were Southwest (33 flights) and American Airlines (16). Volaris, Frontier and United flights also have been affected.
There have been 204 flights canceled at Austin-Bergstrom.
San Antonio public libraries delay Wednesday openings
San Antonio Public Library locations will open at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to allow staff time to safely travel to locations due to the inclement weather.
Ice spotted around San Antonio and the Hill Country
According to the National Weather Service, ice accumulation has been widespread across Hill Country and the Interstate 35 corridor.
The agency tweeted a photo of the view outside its office in New Braunfels. However, it noted that higher accumulations of near-to-above a half an inch have been reported in several spots throughout the Hill Country.
In San Antonio, a light glaze of ice was spotted on elevated signs in downtown San Antonio, according to NWS. Freezing rain was reported at Stinson Airport on the South Side
There were also multiple reports of ice on grass, trees and vehicles in Hollywood Park and Stone Oak.
Bexar County will reassess opening warming centers at 9 a.m.
As of Tuesday morning, Bexar County had not opened warming centers. A spokesperson said that the county is waiting for a 9 a.m. weather update and updated power outage information before deciding on opening the warming centers.
34,000 still without power in San Antonio
Thousands of CPS Energy customers in the San Antonio area are still without power Wednesday morning.
According to the utility company’s website, there are 116 outages affecting more than 34,309 customers in Bexar County as of 8 a.m.
Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 connectors closed due to ice
Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 connectors were closed due to ice early Wednesday as a wintery blast producing freezing rain and icy conditions has settled in, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Periods of freezing rain are expected to continue through Thursday morning over a good portion of the eastern two-thirds of the South-Central Texas region, according to the National Weather Service. A Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory are in effect through Thursday morning in Bexar County.
Icy conditions lead to power outages around San Antonio
Most of the outages appear to be in the Leon Valley area, where CPS Energy is reporting 26 outages. Another 16 are in the Timberwood Park area off U.S. 281 in far northern Bexar County.
On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio warns of black ice and hazardous conditions. Here’s how to drive in winter weather.
In a tweet, the utility company said many of the outages have been caused by ice accumulation on trees and power lines.
Outages are also being reported in Comal County, and tens of thousands are without power in Austin.
San Antonio remains under a winter storm warning until Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service says to expect a heavier round of freezing rain and embedded light sleet Wednesday morning, with the heaviest icing and impacts across the Hill Country and into the Interstate 35 corridor.
Bexar County is expected to receive between a tenth and a quarter of an inch of ice accumulation.
The Icy conditions forced officials to close the direct Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 connectors and are asking drivers to find alternate routes.
The Texas Department of Transportation is asking residents to avoid travel.