This story has been updated.
The announcements of closures and delays kept coming Tuesday.
Bexar County and most school districts announced they would remain closed for a second day as potentially dangerous road conditions were expected to continue, while a slew of public agencies and private businesses shared adjusted hours and closures.
All Bexar County offices and courts will remain closed Wednesday, except for “emergency and essential infrastructure services personnel.” County Judge Peter Sakai said Tuesday the decision to remain closed will “allow families to care for their children” given Wednesday’s school cancelations.
Nearly all San Antonio area school districts will also remain closed Wednesday. Southside Independent School District, which stayed open Tuesday, said it would make an announcement by 5 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Districts closing campuses and offices include Northside, North East, San Antonio, Judson, Harlandale, Edgewood, South San Antonio, East Central, Southwest, Somerset, Fort Sam Houson, Lackland, Randolph Field, Boerne, Comal, Schertz-Cibolo-Univeral City and Alamo Heights ISDs. All Pre-K 4 SA schools will also stay closed.
Almost all colleges and universities moved to remote instruction for at least Wednesday morning, including the Alamo Colleges District, UTSA, Trinity University and Our Lady of the Lake University. St. Mary’s University continues to monitor the weather, according to a statement on the school’s website.
The San Antonio International Airport saw 15 flight cancellations and more than 75 delayed flights due to the ripple effects of the frigid weather in other locales Tuesday, but the airport’s runways and roadways remained free of ice, said Director of Airports Jesus Saenz.
He reminded travelers to check with their airlines for possible delays or cancellations before heading to the airport.
H-E-B said it would close its Boerne and Bulverde stores at 9 p.m. Tuesday and re-open at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
University Hospital said its ExpressMeds walk in clinic will close at 6 p.m. Tuesday and open at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, and its dialysis centers will have a delayed start, opening at 7:30 a.m.
The Robert. B. Green Ambulatory Surgery Center is also delaying its opening, with patients arriving at 9 a.m. and surgeries starting at 10 a.m. Surgeries at other locations will continue as scheduled. The system’s transplant clinic will open at 9 a.m.
A winter storm warning from the National Weather Service covering much of south-central Texas, including the Hill Country and the Interstate 35 corridor, remains in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
Up to a half-inch of ice could accumulate on San Antonio roads Tuesday night, said Monte Oaks, meteorologist for the NWS San Antonio office, and by Wednesday morning, all of Bexar County could see frozen bridges and overpasses.
“This is going to be an off-and-on accumulation of ice. There could be parts of Bexar County and outer regions of San Antonio that stay freezing throughout the period,” Oaks said, referring to areas like Bulverde and Fair Oaks Ranch.
City and county officials encouraged residents to remember the four Ps: people, pets, plants and pipes.
“Check on family, friends and neighbors who may be more vulnerable to this week’s cold weather or may not have access to housing and heating, including the elderly and those with special needs,” they wrote in a joint release Tuesday.
For unsheltered people, Haven for Hope offers safe, indoor sleeping accessible at all hours. Call 210-207-1799 for shelter resource information weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The San Antonio Fire Department reminds residents to use caution while staying warm. Keep flammable items away from heating equipment, like furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves or portable space heaters.
Don’t use ovens for heating, and turn off space heaters when leaving a room, and never leave children unattended with space heaters.
All city and county outdoor activities are canceled, and water will be turned off at Friedrich Wilderness Park, Crownridge Park, Canyon Park and Eisenhower Park. Vista Loop, Juniper Ridge, Fern Del, Bosque, and Restoration Way back trails are closed at Friedrich Wilderness Park.
City solid waste collection stayed on schedule Tuesday and will remain so on Wednesday as well.
VIA Metropolitan Transit remained operational but said some routes north of 1604 may be detoured or delayed. Schedule adjustments can be found on VIAinfo.net, VIA’s social media or by calling 210-362-2020.
Downed power lines can be reported to CPS Energy at 210-353-4357. Do not attempt to move or drive over any downed power lines. The utility’s customer service centers will be closed Wednesday.
Bexar County’s closure means Tuesday’s property tax deadline will be extended through Wednesday.
The National Weather Service discouraged all non-emergency travel, noting that the greatest ice accumulations are forecast across the Hill Country and the northern portions of the Interstate 35 corridor.
Reporters Isaac Windes and Andrea Drusch contributed to this report.
