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Winter Storm Warning: School closures, cold weather shelters, and how to prepare in Central Texas

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for Austin and several surrounding areas from 9 am Monday, January 30, through noon on Wednesday, February 1.

Photo by Cameron Gibson on Unsplash

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for a majority of Central Texas from 9 am Monday, January 30, until 12 pm Wednesday, February 1. A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for Fayette County for the same time period.

A very winter-like week is ahead of us here in Central Texas. This will include a big drop in temperatures and also the chance for some freezing rain and icing issues. For a play-by-play forecast, head to KVUE's detailed report on the next few days of expected inclement weather, or check out their winter preparedness guide for what to do if the forecast changes.

Essentially, we have several rounds of possible freezing rain and drizzle to monitor. With each, the highest likelihood of icing issues will be across the Hill Country. However, even in the Austin metro and I-35 corridor, we'll need to keep an eye on things closely, especially with the round that moves in on Wednesday.

Forecast models have been trending colder with higher ice accumulation totals possible. As of Monday morning, the ice accumulation forecast calls for anywhere from a quarter-inch to a half-inch along and west of I-35. This would mean hazardous travel conditions and the potential for power outages.

As a result of the weather, schools across the area are cancelling activities and releasing students early. KVUE has collected a list of school closures and delays and will continue to update the list in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the City of Austin has already activated cold weather shelters for Monday and Tuesday in anticipation of overnight temperatures in the mid-30s. The City – along with Travis County, Capital Metro and other local service providers – activates the plan when temperatures are predicated to be near or below freezing.

Individuals in need of shelter are asked to report to One Texas Center, located at 505 Barton Springs Road, between 6 pm and 8 pm each day. From there, individuals seeking shelter will be taken by CapMetro buses to the cold weather shelter locations.

Read the full versions of these stories and watch the videos at KVUE.com.

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings