Winter weather road conditions: Multiple crashes in Austin area

Icy conditions on Austin-area roads causing multiple crashes

Freezing rain is leaving a thin layer of ice that's making the roads slippery and dangerous in some spots. FOX 7 Austin's Kelly Saberi has a look at road conditions at around 6:30 a.m. (CT) on February 24.

AUSTIN, Texas - Many roads in the Austin area are seeing icy spots as freezing rain is leaving a thin layer of ice that's making roads slippery and dangerous. Austin-Travis County EMS says it's responded to more than 40 crashes since midnight and 13 of those have been rollover crashes.

The Austin Fire Department also reported it responded to a 12-car pileup at 620 bypass near Briar Hollow. Williamson County officials have also reported multiple crashes.

A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for most of Central Texas until noon today. Good Day Austin meteorologist Zack Shields says what may save us from a big ice event will be the warmth we got the last few days. The road temperatures are still around 60 to 70 degrees. So slippery spots will happen on elevated roads like bridges, overpasses and flyovers mainly north and west of Austin where those areas could be freezing.

The road conditions have prompted most school districts in the area to delay start times and some to cancel.

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The Good Day Austin team and law enforcement have reported the following roadways with icy conditions:

Travis County

FM 812 WB at 45 Toll
I-35 SB at SH 45
290 EB at 130 Toll
MoPac NB at Anderson Lane and MoPac NB between downtown exit and Enfield
East of 71 by ABIA
MoPac bridge over Lady Bird Lake
East 7th between 183 and Pleasant Valley

Icy conditions on bridges, overpasses in Austin area

The freezing precipitation is causing issues on roads and there have been several crashes. FOX 7 Austin's Tierra Neubaum has a look at conditions at around 6:30 a.m. (CT) on February 24.

Williamson County

Highway 95 NB at FM 1660
All ramps to Tollway 45 in Round Rock closed due to freezing weather conditions
WilCo Sheriff's Office says it's working crashes on bridges, overpasses on Toll 45, Toll 130, Hwy 195, I-35, and Hwy 183

Bastrop County

Highway 21 EB at FM 812
71 EB at Jackson Street

The precipitation came as temperatures dropped more than 50 degrees from Tuesday to Wednesday. The much colder temperatures prompted TxDOT to get the roads ready. Crews began treating Austin roads Tuesday morning. They focused mainly on elevated surfaces and major roadways including I-35. Areas in the Hill Country were also advised to begin treating roads.

Winter weather driving tips

Good Day Austin traffic anchor Jane Lonsdale has a few tips to help you stay safe when driving on the potentially icy roads.

Drivetexas.org is a website where you can check road conditions in your area and this includes crashes and shut down roadways. Some other tips for people if the roads to get icy.

Avoid elevated roads, such as overpasses and bridges if possible.
Plan additional time for travel. Go slowly and carefully.
Avoid sudden braking or accelerating to maintain traction.
If traveling, pack emergency supplies in your vehicle such as blankets, jumper cables, emergency lights, and a cell phone charger in case of emergency.
Residents who need to report traffic light outages, road damage or any other weather-related concerns, may do so by contacting Austin 3-1-1 via phone (dial 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000) or the Austin 311 mobile app

FOX 7 Austin Meteorologists update the forecast on-air, online, and on social media. You can also receive updates by downloading the FOX 7 Austin WAPP.