The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather warning for Saturday morning. City of San Antonio officials have already opened overnight shelters for residents who need a place to stay warm.
The NWS is issuing its warning between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
“This is more of a wind chill cold weather advisory,” said C.J. Magnussen, a meteorologist in the Austin/San Antonio office. “Temperatures are 49 degrees, but it’s not going to feel that way. It will feel like it’s in the low 20s to teens because of the wind.”
The City of San Antonio is working with several local groups to open six temporary warming shelters Friday afternoon through 8 a.m. Sunday.
- City of San Antonio Bode Community Center, 901 Rigsby Ave.
- Communities Under the Bridge (CUB) – 724 Chestnut St.
- New Direction Church -1139 Gembler Road, 1802 Guadalupe St. (women only)
- Haven for Hope – 1 Haven for Hope Way
- Corazon Ministries – 504 Ave. E
- SAMMinistries will also be sheltering residents by referral
It’s the second straight weekend that city officials have opened overnight shelters.
Last week’s winter storm warning prompted 11 shelters to open across San Antonio and Bexar County as temperatures dipped below freezing, bringing freezing rain and icy conditions to parts of Central Texas.
City-run warming locations recorded 47 people sheltering at the city’s six resilience hubs from Saturday night into Sunday morning and another 70 residents staying overnight from Sunday into Monday, according to city officials. County officials reported a peak occupancy of 19 individuals and one dog at Bexar County’s warming facilities, but did not provide nightly totals.
Temporary overnight shelters operated in partnership with local nonprofits saw even higher usage, serving 398 people the first night and 434 the following night.
Magnussen said temperatures this weekend will not be as cold as last weekend. NWS forecasts showed warmer winds blowing in by Sunday afternoon, he added.
To prepare for the cold, Magnussen suggested San Antonio residents minimize their time outdoors, make sure pets are dry and warm and check on pipes.
“You just want to bundle up,” he said.
