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ATX PULSE 1/26-27/26 (free) (sponsored by Kelsey Easton, COMPASS): At Least One Dies After Ice Storm // Icy Roads Begin to Clear // Airport Resumes Flights After 200 Canceled // APD Takes 1,000+ Calls During Freeze
Everything you NEED TO KNOW about Austin.
Matt Mackowiak
January 27, 2026
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2026 - TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026
Compiled by Matt Mackowiak
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WEATHER
Today: H: 47° / L: 28°.
Wednesday: H: 55° / L: 31°.
Thursday: H: 68° / L: 37°.
Friday: H: 59° / L: 29°.
Saturday: H: 45° / L: 26°.
Sunday: H: 54° / L: 37°.
TOP NEWS
"At least 1 dead after ice storm in Austin; city expands shelters amid dangerous cold" Austin American-Statesman's Dante Motley – A vehicle crosses the Congress avenue bridge after a winter storm on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 in Austin.
At least one person died from exposure overnight Saturday after an ice storm swept through Central Texas, according to city officials.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called the death “preventable” during a Sunday news conference, urging residents to use city resources such as emergency shelters and warming centers. With temperatures expected to dip even lower Sunday night, Watson said the city expanded capacity at six shelters to accommodate those in need.
An extreme cold warning remains in effect through Monday afternoon, prompting many Central Texas school districts — including Austin ISD and the University of Texas — to close Monday.
No additional precipitation is expected, according to Jason Runyen of the National Weather Service. Parts of Austin received up to 1 inch of sleet but less than 0.25 inch of freezing rain — a difference experts say helped keep power on and trees stable, avoiding damage similar to infrastructure-disabling storms in 2021 ...
"Central Texas grapples with icy roads as winter storm leaves behind hazardous conditions" via KEYE – Central Texans woke up to icy roads, sidewalks and yards this morning after the worst of the winter storm blew through the region overnight.
The region is now facing slick driving conditions, though few residents lost power during the freeze.
TxDOT is asking drivers to stay off the streets due to icy road conditions, saying that only essential personnel and emergency responders should be on roadways.
Temperatures are likely to not go above the 20s today, meaning that roads will probably remain icy through at least Monday morning. Any melting of ice on roads that may occur during the day will likely refreeze into ice tonight, as temperatures will drop into the teens overnight.
The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center will remain activated today, the City of Austin confirmed, as winter weather and cold temperatures impact the region.
The City says that an Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect through noon Monday, January 27. Wintry precipitation has moved out of the area.
(KEYE)
"Austin airport crews working to de-ice runways" via KEYE – Austin, Texas — An arctic blast caused major disruptions at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Sunday, leaving terminals unusually quiet as flights were canceled and delayed.
Early Sunday morning, more than half of departing flights at AUS were canceled, largely due to snow and ice impacting destinations across the country. While conditions improved throughout the day, airport officials said the terminal remained far less busy than usual.
Travelers at the airport described the scene as eerily quiet, with some saying they haven’t seen it this empty since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s quiet. I like it,” said Simon Federman, who is flying out of Austin. “The getting here was the hardest part because it was frozen roads and we were driving 30 miles per hour, but now I think it’s chill.”
Another traveler, Kara Johnson, said the emptiness was shocking.
“I have never seen an airport so empty,” Johnson said. “No one was on the roads and... (KEYE)
"Over 200 flights canceled at Austin's airport following winter storm" via KVUE – Over 200 flights have been canceled at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport following a winter storm that hit Central Texas this weekend.
Sam Haynes, Austin Aviation deputy chief, said the airport is open but conditions were slushy on Sunday morning. Teams cleared the taxiways and the west runway, while the east runway was closed – part of the airport's usual winter weather response.
Additionally, a ground delay was in effect for several hours on Sunday, with the impacting condition listed as staffing. The average delay time was 130 minutes (2 hours and 10 minutes).
According to flight tracking website FlightAware, over 10,000 flights have been canceled nationwide, marking the highest number of cancelations since the COVID-19 pandemic.
More flights appear able to leave on Sunday evening, despite the closure of the airport's west runway. However, multiple airlines have delayed or called off flights scheduled to arrive in Austin.
(KVUE)
