City of Austin and Travis County officials urged residents Wednesday to prepare for a cold-weather system expected to bring precipitation and lower temperatures the following day, and said warming centers are open and an emergency operations center (EOC) would be activated to coordinate response.

A joint city-county spokesperson said officials had reviewed winter preparedness plans in December and were monitoring conditions closely. The spokesperson said the City of Austin and Travis County are ready to restore power if outages occur, operate warming centers, coordinate sheltering and share critical information with residents via Ready Central Texas and city alert systems.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown said officials expect precipitation to begin overnight and that rain in cold temperatures could bring localized ice. He emphasized that individual households and community members should prepare emergency plans and check on neighbors, noting that infants, older adults, outdoor workers and people experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable.

Gil Wilson, director of the county's Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division, reiterated basic safety steps and urged residents not to use generators, grills or gasoline-powered heaters indoors because of carbon monoxide risk. Wilson pointed residents to the Ready Central Texas website and the Ready Central Texas mobile app for updates and resources.

Austin officials said warming centers and several community centers and libraries would remain open, with shelters to be available during the day while cold and rain are expected. The city cited guidance from Camp Maybury stating warming centers are opened when temperatures fall below 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stewart Riley of Austin Energy said the utility is conducting inspections, increasing vegetation management and has staffing and contracts in place to restore power if outages occur. "Austin Energy is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to outages," Riley said. He also urged customers to register for outage alerts and to consult austinenergy.com for updates.

Richard Mendoza, director of the Transportation Department, said crews would monitor road conditions and prioritize anti-icing and clearance on critical routes serving hospitals, warming centers, fire stations and EMS. "Please check city communications for street conditions or closures and plan routes that avoid elevated bridges or overpasses," Mendoza said. He advised residents to report malfunctioning traffic signals by calling 4-1-1; crews can deploy generators or temporary four-way stops at dark intersections.

Officials said the City of Austin planned to activate its EOC at 2 p.m. after the briefing and would publish situational updates on alerts.austintexas.gov in up to 14 languages. They also gave phone and website contacts for shelter registration and assistance and said county coordinators were in direct contact with smaller municipalities in Travis County to ensure shared resources and coverage.

The briefing closed with officials repeating that forecasts can change rapidly in Central Texas, encouraging residents to download the Ready Central Texas app, follow official city and county social media for updates, and to prioritize planning for heating, travel safety and protection of pipes, plants and pets.