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An arctic blast will bring freezing weather and a chance of snow to Austin next week

A person bundled up walks a dog wearing a sweater on a sunny day
Renee Dominguez
/
KUT News
A person walks a dog during a hard freeze warning in Austin in January 2024

Austin, prepare to start next week off with biting temperatures and potentially, some wintry precipitation.

The mild, sunny days of this week are coming to an end over the weekend as an arctic blast is forecasted to arrive Saturday and bring sub-freezing temperatures every consecutive night until Wednesday.

Mack Morris, a National Weather Service meteorologist, forecasts Monday and Tuesday to be the coldest days of the snap with daytime temperatures in the mid-30s. There’s also a chance of snow on those days, Morris said, which could make the roads icy.

Hays CISD will be closed on Tuesday due to the weather, the school district announced. (Schools were already closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.) Check your district's website over the weekend for updates.

"Basically right now is the time to push for cold weather preparedness. Be prepared to protect your people, pets, pipes, [and] plants by Saturday night from the cold weather," Morris said.

Morris also said to keep an eye on your space heater if you’re using one, because they can cause fires. Never plug a space heater into a power strip and never leave them unattended, he said.

Local plumbers recommend dripping faucets overnight while the freeze is in session. Dripping your faucet reduces the chances of your pipes freezing and bursting. However, if you forget and your pipes do freeze, the city has a guide for how to thaw them out.

If you need a warm place to stay during the cold snap, the City of Austin activates its cold weather shelters when the forecast is 35 degrees or below. If you aren’t sure if shelters are open, you can call the city’s hotline at 512-972-5055.

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