Austin Faces Weekend Freeze With Freezing Rain Possibility

Central Texas braces for a weekend cold front bringing freezing temperatures, single-digit wind chills, and a chance of freezing rain or sleet. The NWS has a winter storm watch Friday night through Sunday for the Austin area, with temperatures dropping about 30 degrees and remaining below freezing into Monday. Officials urge precautions (drip faucets, check on neighbors) and have opened cold-weather shelters, with One Texas Center serving as a check-in point and CapMetro offering free rides to shelters; ERCOT expects higher energy demand but no widespread outages anticipated. No school closures have been announced yet.