The first of three Arctic cold fronts pushed into Central Texas yesterday, dropping temperatures to near freezing this morning.
The Texas Panhandle saw below-zero wind chills Wednesday and are again this morning.
What’s notable are the large swings in temperature over the next several days. We’ll reach the 50s tomorrow and the 70s by Saturday but another front will move in and drop us back into the 50s for Sunday.
By the middle of next week, we’ll be feeling the coldest air in weeks when the third Arctic front arrives.
More on today’s forecast and the extended outlook can be found further down this post in WEATHER.
Austin firefighters battled a blaze at a pawn shop early this morning.
Austin homicide detectives are now part of the investigation into an apartment fire early Wednesday that killed a man and a woman.
Police in Elgin have identified the two people found dead in a home there Tuesday in what was reportedly a murder-suicide. (Fox7 Austin)
One person died after a crash in southeast Austin Wednesday afternoon.
The US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force has arrested a Del Valle man on an injury to a child charge after a two-year-old was hospitalized with significant injuries. (KXAN-TV)
The Austin Planning Commission has given preliminary approval to significant revisions to the city’s short-term rental rules. These changes are designed to simplify enforcement and bring the regulations into compliance with recent court decisions that invalidated key parts of the current policy.
The City of Austin celebrated the opening of a new affordable housing complex on Wednesday in southeast Austin.
After signing one of the largest industrial leases in Austin in 2024, Saronic Technologies, which produces three models of autonomous boats for the U.S, plans to hire hundreds as it ramps up production at its new headquarters here. (Austin Business Journal)
KUT News analyzed maps block-by-block to determine which properties are in the path of Austin’s planned 10-mile light rail system. They were able to identify 60 of the 64 businesses and three of the single-family homes. Some property owners have been notified, but not all. (KUT 90.5)
Attention bus and light rail passengers: CapMetro is switching to a new app. Starting today, riders will use the Umo app to pay fares digitally. Download Umo from the App Store or Google Play Store.
JOANN, the crafts and fabrics chain, is closing 500 of its roughly 850 stores nationwide following its second bankruptcy filing. The chain will shutter 18 of its 43 stores here in Texas including the 9500 S IH 35 Frontage Road location in Austin. (Fox7 Austin)
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed Wednesday that multiple black vultures in Landa Park in New Braunfels have preliminarily tested positive for bird flu. (Austin American-Statesman)
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Richard Tabler, who went back and forth on whether he wanted to be executed for two murders he once boasted about committing, will be put to death tonight. He is set to become the second death row inmate Texas puts to death in 2025. (Texas Tribune)
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice voted to send four bills to the full chamber for a vote after hearing emotional testimony on Wednesday.
Texas state representative Andy Hopper has filed a bill to eliminate the state’s education agency, which oversees public teaching across 1,200 school districts.
A bill filed in the Texas Senate Wednesday would allow parents to review materials at their child’s school and create a list of items that cannot be checked out or used by that child. (Fox7 Austin)
A coalition of the state’s pro sports teams, racetracks and betting platforms is looking to push a proposal to legalize online sports betting in Texas. (Texas Public Radio)
Texas lawmakers urged the Texas Lottery Commission to ban courier services that allow people to purchase lottery tickets. The request was made Wednesday during commission testimony before the Senate Finance Committee. (KXAN-TV)
In other Texas Lottery news, no one matched all six numbers in last night’s Texas Lotto drawing causing an already huge jackpot to grow even higher.
The estimated value of Saturday night’s drawing will be $83.75 million.
A new report shows a surge in the number of top-tier research universities in Texas, giving the state the most of these institutions in the country. (Texas Tribune)
Texas Game Wardens have successfully concluded an investigation leading to the arrest and conviction of two individuals involved in the illegal transportation of captive white-tailed deer. (My Texas Daily)
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: JT Toppin had a career-high 41 points and 15 rebounds as 12th-ranked Texas Tech outlasted Arizona State 111-106 in double overtime Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The 3rd-ranked women of Texas travel to Lexington to face the 8th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats tonight. (Texas Longhorns)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Mark Orphey, a cornerbacks coach for Rutgers since 2022, will replace Blake Gideon who left for the defensive coordinator job at Georgia Tech. (Longhorns Wire)
MLB: Alex Bregman, the de-facto leader of the Houston Astros, agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. Bregman’s contract includes player opt-outs after 2025 and 2026. (Chron)
MLS: Austin FC officially unveiled its new primary kit for the 2025 MLS season with just days until its home opener against Sporting Kansas City.
NBA: Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 14 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-103 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory and seventh in eight games. (Yahoo! Sports)
Amen Thompson had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his fourth career triple-double and the Houston Rockets used a big run late to get a 119-111 win over the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Kyrie Irving scored 42 points and took a charge in the closing seconds, Klay Thompson added 17 against his former team, and the undersized Dallas Mavericks beat the Golden State Warriors 111-107 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
San Antonio is idle tonight while the Rockets host Golden State and Dallas hosts Miami. (Yahoo! Sports)
Today we visit several unique roadside attractions in North and East Texas as seen by Strange RV Tours.
