Winter Weather Response Information
Published on January 31, 2023
City of San Antonio, Bexar County, CPS Energy, SAWS and VIA Share Coordinated Winter Weather Response Information
NOTE: Information current as of 7 p.m.
SAN ANTONIO (January 31, 2023) – The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the San Antonio local area. Periods of freezing rain are expected through Thursday morning. Ice accumulations of ¼ to ½ inch are possible north of Loop 1604 and in northern Bexar County. Ice on ramps, overpasses and elevated bridges is possible, causing hazardous travel conditions through Thursday morning. Temperatures will be right above or at freezing until early Thursday.
The City, County and partners strongly urge all residents to remember the Four Ps:
People, Pets, Plants & Pipes.
People
Keep warm and dress in layers. 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.
San Antonio Fire Department recommends:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Never use a generator indoors.
- Always plug portable heaters directly into a wall socket (no power strips).
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Never leave children unattended in a room with a space heater.
- Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of poisoning.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
Unsheltered Individuals
The Homeless Connections Hotline is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 210-207-1799 for shelter resource information. Haven for Hope offers safe, indoor sleeping accessible at all hours. Other providers including Christian Assistance Ministry, SAMMinistries, Communities Under the Bridge (CUB) and Corazon Ministries are in regular communication with the Department of Human Services to ensure street outreach coverage across the city and to share resource information.
Pets
Pets should be brought indoors and provided with a warm place to sleep. Farm animals and livestock also rely on their humans to protect them and keep them safe. Have adequate food and water. Animals need to eat more in cold weather to provide extra calories for heat energy. During extremely cold temperatures, water will freeze. You will need to break up ice or replace the frozen water with fresh water.
State law dictates dogs cannot be tethered with any size chain at any time; it also states dogs cannot be left outdoors restrained and unattended in the case of officially defined extreme weather or situations in which an animal is in severe distress including conditions in which the outdoor temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Animal Care Service Officers will be on patrol in the community. Potential violators can face impoundment of their pet, fines up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail for repeat offenders. To report suspected violations, call 311 (210-207-6000).
Plants
Plants may need to be covered or brought inside to avoid frost damage.
Pipes
To protect your pipes if temperatures dip below freezing:
- Cover and insulate outdoor pipes.
- Local hardware stores have foam insulation and faucet protectors but wrapping pipes with rags or newspapers will do.
- Allow one internal faucet to slowly drip to keep water moving in your pipes.
- If your home has plumbing in cabinets on outside walls without insulation, leave cabinet doors open to allow warmer indoor air to circulate.
San Antonio Water System (SAWS)
SAWS is not experiencing any weather challenges. An outage map is available at: outagemap.saws.org. Water emergencies can be reported 24/7 by calling 210-704-7297.
SAWS has created a webpage with infographics and how-to videos, visit San Antonio Water System. Know where your meter cutoff valve is. If pipes freeze, SAWS has created a video on how to turn off water at the meter in English and Spanish.
311
311 Customer Service is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and until 11 p.m. by pressing option 1 to report any urgent weather or animal related concerns. Residents may call 311 (210-207-6000) or use the 311 SA mobile app.
Rental Property Tips
Landlords are obligated to maintain their rental properties to the minimum standards set by the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code (Sec 6-52). Heating equipment must be able to maintain a minimum inside temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit (measured three feet above the floor). To report suspected violations, call 311 (210-207-6000).
Parks
All outdoor actives are canceled. 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.
CPS Energy
CPS Energy is prepared to power the community and crews are ready to respond to any local weather-related outages. CPS Energy reminds residents to stay away from downed power lines and report them at 210-353-4357. Do NOT attempt to move or drive over the lines. CPS Energy Customer Service Centers will be closed on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Customers can access their account information 24/7 through Manage My Account. Sign up for Energy Alerts or call 210-353-2222 to provide your emergency contact information. CPS Energy has created winter preparation pages in English and Spanish. For additional winter safety tips, visit CPS Energy.
Solid Waste Management
All Solid Waste Management services are fully operational on Tuesday, January 31 and Wednesday, February 1. This includes curbside collections of trash (brown cart), recycling (blue cart) and organics (green cart) as well as the brush, bulky items and household hazardous waste drop-off centers. Customers collection days and the locations and hours of operation for the drop-off centers can be found at SArecycles.org.
Customers are reminded to have their carts placed out by 7 a.m. Wheels must face the curb and carts should not be overstuffed – the lids must close completely. Due to the weather conditions, some collection trucks may be behind their regular schedule. Customers should wait until after 5 p.m. to report to 311 (210-207-6000) if they believe their cart was missed.
Roads
San Antonio Public Works is monitoring City streets and bridges for icy conditions and is treating locations as needed. To view current San Antonio street closures, visit gis.sanantonio.gov/PWD/StreetClosures
Bexar County Public Works is treating county roads for ice.
VIA
VIA is fully operational. Some routes north of 1604 may be detoured or delayed due to changing road conditions. VIA Offices and Transit Centers will remain open for regular business hours and bus, VIAtrans, and VIA Link services will continue to operate if safe to do so. Detours and schedule adjustments are on VIAinfo.net, VIA’s social media or the VIA goLine at 210-362-2020.
Bexar County
Bexar County Courts & Jury Service
All County courts are closed today, January 31, 2023 due to inclement weather. Please call your respective courtroom when Bexar County offices reopen to discuss resetting your court date.
Contact the Jury Services department when Bexar County offices reopen to discuss your schedule. Their contact information may be found on their webpages at Bexar.org
Tax Assessor Collector’s Office
The County Tax Assessor Collector is extending the property tax payment deadline until tomorrow, Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
Payments may be made today online at Bexar.org/tax or 888-852-3572 or drop off payment in any drop boxes at one of four locations.
Airport
The San Antonio Airport has had several flight delays and cancelations due to weather in other cities. San Antonio International Airport (SAT) offers the following tips:
- Check flight status with airlines before heading to the airport to make sure your flight has not been delayed or cancelled.
- Monitor social platforms for updates and visit FlySanAntonio.com
- SAT’s social platforms:
- Arrive at least two hours before flight boarding time.
- Print/download boarding passes early.
Resources