Icy conditions looming, more closures slated for Monday across Kerr County

The Ice Storm Warning that gripped Kerr County through the weekend expired at noon Sunday as frozen precipitation ended, but icy roads and dangerous cold will persist through Monday, prompting widespread closures of schools, businesses and medical facilities.

The National Weather Service allowed the Ice Storm Warning, Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory to expire at noon Sunday after frozen precipitation came to an end around 7 a.m. across the far southeast portion of the area. However, an Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect through noon Monday.

Freezing rain and sleet from Saturday night into Sunday morning has left most roads across the Hill Country into the Austin metro area icy and dangerous to travel on. The icy roads are likely to continue through the afternoon, into Sunday night and Monday morning for many areas.

“Any melting of ice that does occur this afternoon will likely refreeze back into ice tonight,” the weather service stated Sunday. “Continue to avoid travel across the Hill Country and Austin metro area, and if you must travel use extreme caution.”

Medical Facilities Close Monday

Peterson Health announced multiple facilities will be closed Monday due to inclement weather:

• All Peterson Medical Associates offices
• All Peterson Specialty Care clinics
• Peterson Women’s Associates
• Peterson Urgent Care
• Peterson Community Care
• Transitional Wellness
• Heart and Vascular Lab

The Pevehouse Ambulatory Care Center will open at noon Monday.

Many businesses are reporting they will be either closed or opening late Monday.

Schools, University Closed

Multiple school districts and Schreiner University announced closures for Monday.

Kerrville Independent School District, Ingram Independent School District, Center Point ISD and Hunt ISD are all closed Monday. Ingram ISD also announced a delayed start for Tuesday.

Schreiner University will be closed Monday, with all classes — including labs, flight instruction and clinicals — canceled. Administrative offices will also be closed, though staff will monitor email remotely. Campus dining options will remain limited with special hours at the Schreiner Diner and Lion’s Den, while the C-Store will be closed.

Ice Accumulation Reports

Reports are coming in with freezing rain accumulations ranging from a few hundredths of an inch to 0.15 inches and sleet accumulations of 0.2 to 1 inch across the area. The hardest-hit areas were portions of the Hill Country, including the Austin metro area and vicinity.

The impacts of this winter event could last for days, forecasters warn.

Officials: Residents Staying Home

Local officials reported Sunday that residents are largely heeding warnings to stay off icy roads and the winter storm has caused minimal impacts so far.

“Road conditions are less than ideal and people should use extreme caution,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said Sunday. “Expecting some thawing today with refreezing tonight.”

Rice said the city will make the decision to close City Hall around 7 p.m. Sunday night.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said call volume has been lower than expected.

“Yes, it’s going very well. We were very prepared and still are,” Leitha said Sunday. “People are lost and staying off the roads for the most part. We still have 24 hours to go but the call volume has been lower than expected.”

Power Outages Minimal

Kerrville Public Utility Board General Manager Mike Wittler said the utility has experienced minimal impacts from the winter storm.

“Things have been pretty quiet for us and we pray they stay that way,” Wittler said Sunday. “We had an outage in the Scenic Hills area this morning affecting 144 customers for about 45 minutes.”

Wittler asked residents to check their breakers before calling if they experience an outage. KPUB crews remain on standby 24/7 if needed.

Dangerous Cold Continues

The coldest airmass of the season arrived Friday night after the passage of an Arctic cold front. Dangerously cold Arctic air continues across the region through at least Monday morning.

Northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph will send wind chills as low as 5 below zero across northern areas and 5 degrees above zero across southern areas.

Lows in the teens are expected Sunday night into Monday morning, except for areas of single digits in the Hill Country and lower 20s along the Rio Grande.

The weather service urges residents to stay warm and continue to protect the four P’s: People, Pets, Plants and Pipes as this cold episode continues for a few more days.

Road Conditions

The weather service urges residents to adhere to any road closures. For the latest on road conditions, contact the Texas Department of Transportation at 800-452-9292 or visit drivetexas.org.

Week Ahead

Warming is on the horizon Tuesday afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 40s areawide. However, another dry cold front pushes across South-Central Texas early Wednesday, bringing morning lows for the early commute in the low to mid-20s for most locations with a few upper 20s along the Rio Grande.

Temperatures will climb back into the 40s and 50s Wednesday afternoon as surface flow turns to the east and southeast. Even warmer temperatures are forecast Thursday afternoon with partly cloudy skies and highs ranging from the lower to upper 50s and even a few lower 60s across the southern Rio Grande.

Freezing temperatures are forecast for the overnights and early mornings of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Another Cold Front Friday

Another cold front is forecast to push across the area early Friday morning across Val Verde County and over the rest of South-Central Texas by the afternoon. A surface low develops near the middle Texas coast, injecting moisture into the boundary and resulting in showers and storms mainly along and east of Highway 281 and the southern Rio Grande.

Cold rain is expected Friday night into Saturday as moisture pushes away from the area. However, if moisture remains in place longer Friday night into Saturday morning, the area could see a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet again.

Forecasters recommend staying informed by checking the weather forecast often for latest updates and products as the latter part of the work week approaches.

Pet Shelter Available

Kerrville Pets Alive has set up a pet crate and supply area at Calvary Temple Church, 3000 Loop 534 in Kerrville. People and non-aggressive, crated pets are welcome. Pet owners in need may call 844-572-7387.

Animals in distress should be reported to Kerr County Animal Services at 830-257-3100, Kerrville Police Department at 830-257-8181 or the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office at 830-896-1133.

Critical Safety Reminders

Residents should:

• Stay off all roads through Monday
• Keep pets indoors through extreme cold
• Check breakers before calling KPUB if power goes out
• Use space heaters safely — never leave unattended
• Watch for refreezing Sunday night
• Check on elderly neighbors by phone
• Know location of water shut-off valves
• Never use generators indoors

For non-emergency issues, residents may contact the city at 830-257-8181. The latest weather information is available at weather.gov/ewx.