A winter storm is expected to bring potential freezing rain to the San Antonio area this weekend as local officials urge residents to begin taking precautions for the event.

What residents should know: The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for all areas just north of Bexar County on Jan. 24-25 for the potential of significant ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.

This includes all of Kendall and Comal counties and the cities of New Braunfels, Boerne, Bulverde and Spring Branch, according to the watch.

Although Bexar County and San Antonio are not under the winter storm watch, the National Weather Service said freezing rain will still be possible Saturday night into Sunday in the Alamo City.

What is there to do? The National Weather Service urges residents to check in on elderly neighbors and family, and to dress in layers if outdoor travel is necessary.

Due to the National Weather Service, or NWS, forecasting a severe drop in temperatures this weekend, the City of San Antonio will open six overnight resilience hubs, beginning Saturday, Jan. 24, which will remain open until noon on Monday, Jan. 26.

What you need to know: According to a news release, the hubs will provide necessities, supplies, access to power, device charging capabilities and free wi-fi. Pets are allowed at all shelter locations and kennels will be available in a separate area. Residents arriving at the hubs are advised to bring clothes, supplies and medicine.

VIA Metropolitan Transit will provide free travel fare to and from all resilience hubs via bus service and VIA Link, which is available only within the link service zones, the news release states. To receive fare-free travel, passengers should notify bus operators upon boarding and VIAtrans passengers should alert the reservation agent when booking a VIAtrans trip. Those with disabilities can arrange transportation through 3-1-1.  

Howard Smith said he has been in the biking industry since he was in elementary school.

“My earliest memories were of my dad on two wheels,” Smith said. “It was bicycles, bicycles, bicycles.”

Smith was making plans to open a bike shop as early as junior high school—already having a notebook of all the required inventory it would take to get a brick-and-mortar up and running.

What’s special about it? While many bike shops are scattered around the San Antonio area, Smith said Action Bikes stands out because of the range of options available and the shop's customer service.

“Bikes are just so personable,” Smith said. “Things that work for me might not work for others.”

The shop offers cycles from just about every major brand out there, from Trek Bikes to Schwinn Bikes and everything in between, Smith said. Action Bikes also sells pedals, bike seats and road cycling shoes. There are also classic bikes for children for sale.

Action Bikes also offers bike repairs.

• 1705 Pat Booker Road, Ste. 205, Universal City

A far-reaching winter storm is expected to bring below-freezing temperatures, wintry precipitation and “dangerous ice” to Texas beginning Jan. 23, according to the National Weather Service. As residents brace for days of potentially hazardous conditions, state leaders said Jan. 22 that the Texas power grid “has never been stronger” and will withstand the storm.

What's happening: Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 134 of Texas’ 254 counties, telling reporters that the northern two-thirds of the state—from San Antonio to the Panhandle—will be impacted by the storm.

Officials said they do not expect a repeat of the widespread power outages that occurred during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, emphasizing that changes have been made in recent years to harden the grid against extreme weather. The governor said some Texans could see “local, isolated” outages due to fallen tree branches or ice on power lines.

"The severity of it is not quite as great... as Winter Storm Uri," Abbott said. "That said, people would be making a mistake if they don't take it serious."