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A powerful cold front sweeping through South-Central Texas early Monday brought strong winds, dangerous fire conditions and scattered power outages to the San Antonio area.
The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory and a Red Flag Warning for much of the region as the front moved through.
Forecasters say the combination of strong winds, very low humidity and dry vegetation means fires could start easily and spread quickly.
Critical Fire Weather conditions this afternoon through Monday evening due to strong winds and low humidity values. West winds 10-20 mph gusting to 35 mph shift to the north this evening and rapidly increase to 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 to 55 mph. pic.twitter.com/mkHQnh9X9b
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) March 15, 2026
Behind the front, north winds are expected to reach 20 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts between 45 and 55 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Those winds caused scattered outages in San Antonio late Sunday night, according to CPS Energy, which said crews were responding as conditions deteriorated.
OUTAGE UPDATE (10:10 PM):
— CPS Energy (@cpsenergy) March 16, 2026
Strong winds moving through the San Antonio area are causing outages across parts of our service area.
At this time, there are 67 active outages affecting approximately 18,542 customers. CPS Energy crews are actively assessing damage and responding to… pic.twitter.com/E8oTfUlial
Meteorologists warn that even small sparks — from equipment, vehicles or outdoor burning — could quickly ignite fires in these conditions.
The warnings followed unseasonably hot temperatures Sunday afternoon, when parts of South-Central Texas climbed into the mid-90s before the cold front moved through.
By Monday morning, temperatures in San Antonio are expected to fall into the upper 30s and low 40s, with cooler conditions continuing through the day.
CPS Energy is urging residents to secure loose outdoor items and stay clear of any downed power lines while reporting outages if they occur.
Despite the cooler air behind the front, fire danger is expected to remain elevated Monday as dry air and gusty north winds continue across South-Central Texas.
The National Weather Service advises residents to avoid outdoor burning and use caution with any activity that could produce sparks while the Red Flag Warning remains in effect.
Conditions are expected to gradually improve later Monday as winds weaken and humidity slowly increases across the region.
No rain is in sight, but the sharp cold spell expected Monday will modify quickly Tuesday. By Friday, we'll go right back to our scorching hot selves. 🥵🌶️ pic.twitter.com/Ao5oOhDNbb
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) March 15, 2026
