This story has been updated.
A cold front is expected to move into San Antonio this weekend, bringing subfreezing temperatures, freezing rain and sleet that could make roads dangerous according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS Austin/San Antonio office issued a Winter Storm Warning Friday afternoon for Bexar County and surrounding areas from 6 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday, warning that ice accumulations of one-tenth to one-quarter inch are likely.
The warning states that roads, especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Extreme cold temperatures that will persist through Monday morning will become life threatening and likely damage unprotected pipes and put livestock at risk.
The warning states that travel could be nearly impossible and people should delay all travel if possible.
NWS Meteorologist C.J. Magnussen said the warning was issued as forecasts showed the cold air arriving faster and settling in colder than previously expected, but the largest impact will likely be seen outside of San Antonio.
“It still looks to be more Northern Bexar County, not San Antonio proper, that would see the most ice,” he said. “Even though San Antonio is in the winter storm warnings, expect more impacts across the northern parts of Bexar County.”
Magnussen said the primary concern for the area is freezing rain, which can coat roadways quickly and make driving dangerous. He said residents may also see some sleet, and possibly a few snowflakes on the back end of the system, but the main threat remains ice.
“Anytime you get any kind of ice that kind of hits the road surfaces, that makes everything super slick. Our message for people is to just stay home and stay off the roads,” he said. “It’s going to be very cold. Whatever falls will freeze, and it’ll stay frozen. We’re looking at more of a long duration freeze event and with temperatures still very cold, it’s very difficult for that ice to melt off the roads.”
With many residents still remembering the February 2021 winter storm, NWS meteorologist Eric Platt said this weekend’s cold front is not expected to be a repeat of that prolonged statewide emergency — but he cautioned that icing conditions, even if short-lived, can still cause crashes and dangerous travel.
“It’s going to be cold enough to where we’re going to have to worry about some icing on some bridges and overpasses, maybe even some of the secondary roads,” he said. “We’re looking at a low temperature of around the low 20s for Saturday night, and then for Sunday, we’ll stay at a low freezing pretty much through most of the morning.”
The latest forecasts at the time of publishing from NWS predict the time window for ice accumulation in San Antonio to begin around midnight Sunday with no additional ice accumulation expected after Sunday afternoon.
“I’m not saying there’s going to be another repeat of 2021, but we do have to keep an eye on this one,” Platt said.
Staying prepared, warming shelters
City guidance urges residents to prepare for freezing temperatures by protecting the “four P’s” — people, pets, property and pipes — and checking in on older adults and other vulnerable neighbors.
Residents who need a warm place to stay can find city-run resources, including libraries, community centers and senior centers open during regular hours, through the city’s cold weather page at SA.gov/ColdWeather.
The City of San Antonio and Bexar County will together operate 11 overnight warming shelters that open Saturday and close Monday at noon.
Both local governments are encouraging residents to bring medication and other personal supplies if they utilize the shelters. Crates are available for those bringing their pets. As of 4:45 p.m. Saturday, 11 people are staying at the warming centers.
Northeast Senior Center — 4135 Thousand Oaks Drive, San Antonio
Gilbert Garza Community Center — 1450 Mira Vista, San Antonio
Normoyle Community Center — 700 Culberson Ave., San Antonio
Miller’s Pond Community Center — 6175 Old Pearsall Road, San Antonio
Southside Lions Senior Center — 3303 Pecan Valley Drive, San Antonio
Copernicus Community Center — 5003 Lord Road, San Antonio
South Side Baptist Church – 2010 South Loop 1604 E, San Antonio
Emergency Service District #7 Annex – 11591 Galm Road, San Antonio
St. Padre Pio Catholic Church – 3843 Bulverde Parkway, San Antonio
Christ the King Lutheran Church –1129 Pat Booker Road
The Rock United Methodist Church – 1784 E Loop 1604, St. Hedwig
City officials and groups like SAMMinistries, Haven for Hope, Corazon, Communities Under the Bridge are also mobilizing to help unhoused residents in San Antonio. Additional shelters will be open specifically for homeless people.
- City of San Antonio Bode Community Center — 901 Rigsby Ave
- Communities Under the Bridge (CUB) — 724 Chestnut St.
- Corazon San Antonio — 504 Ave E
- New Direction Church — 1139 Gembler and 1802 Guadalupe (female only)
To check shelter availability or connect someone to outreach services, residents can call the Community Connections Hotline at 210-207-1799 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Are schools ready for cold weather?
On Saturday afternoon, San Antonio Independent School District, Northside ISD, Harlandale ISD, Pre-K 4 SA and others have made the call to close its schools on Monday, Jan. 25 because of the extreme weather.
Alamo Colleges District is also canceling all classes and services on Monday.
SAISD says it has taken steps to avoid a repeat of the heating failures that disrupted schools during cold snaps in 2024 and 2025. District officials say SAISD has invested bond funding into HVAC upgrades, inspected boilers ahead of winter weather and implemented a preventive maintenance program aimed at keeping campuses safe and operational during sudden temperature drops.
CPS Energy, SAWS prepare for outages, freezing pipes
CPS Energy has crews on standby, according to public relations manager Dana Sotoodeh. “CPS Energy is monitoring the winter weather expected later this week. Facilities have been weatherized and crews are on standby,” she said in an email.
CPS Energy is concerned about downed power lines and falling tree branches, Sotoodeh added, and she urged residents to stay away from fallen power lines. In case of outages, it may take CPS Energy workers time to resolve issues.
SAWS urged residents to insulate above-ground pipes, but was not concerned about underground infrastructure, said SAWS Communications Director Anne Hayden.
“While weather will be cold, we don’t expect any major issues,” she said in an email.
The ground won’t freeze, Hayden said, so freezing in exposed pipes, sprinkler systems, faucets and unoccupied buildings is a bigger worry.
“Any building left exposed can have pipes freeze up. Normal insulation and water use in the house should be fine,” she said.
Bexar County Public Works started deploying liquid de-icing agent at noon on Saturday and crews plan on working through the night. More than a dozen trucks and 130 employees are prepared to tackle icy streets with fine grade stone and barricades, according to a Bexar County press release.
Is ERCOT ready for extreme cold weather?
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of potential winter weather expected to move across the state beginning Thursday.
In a statement, Abbott urged Texans to remain weather-aware and check road conditions before traveling. The state activation includes TxDOT crews pre-treating roadways, DPS troopers patrolling highways, and Texas National Guard high-profile vehicles that can assist stranded motorists, along with monitoring of infrastructure and utilities through agencies including the Public Utility Commission and the Railroad Commission.
Texas infrastructure should have enough power to meet demand, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, which oversees much of the state’s grid.
“Based on expected weather conditions, ERCOT anticipates there will be sufficient generation to meet demand this winter,” read an ERCOT statement. “We are continuing to monitor the weather conditions throughout this week and keep Texans informed through our communications channels.”
ERCOT came under fire after Winter Storm Uri in 2021. Since then, ERCOT has taken steps to weatherize its infrastructure and build up contingency and backup power supplies, according to a statement from the organization.
ERCOT also has a notification system in English and Spanish that will tell Texans when demand for electricity is high and conservation might be necessary. It’s free to sign up.
