Arctic front arrives tonight

The anticipated arctic front is nearly here! It is set to arrive in just a couple of hours, starting around 6 p.m. today, Saturday, and will have blanketed the rest of South Central Texas in very cold temperatures and possibly freezing rain by 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.

The Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service forecast office has issued a winter weather advisory that covers Kerr County and the rest of the Texas Hill Country.

The advisory cautions the public that this cold front will mean very cold temperatures for the next four days and it will bring with it a 20-40% chance of freezing rain that might impact travel, especially over bridges, overpasses, etc.

“We expect to see ice accumulations here of anywhere from .01” to .10”, with the highest accumulations most likely be along and east of I-35,” said Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. “Dub” Thomas. “So, if you must be out driving, then please travel cautiously as the ice can make the roadways super slick.”

Once it arrives, the arctic front will set up camp. Hard freezes, with lows dipping down to the low teens, 10 degrees or even lower, are likely Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the NWS forecasters said.

“There is the potential for more than 60 hours of freezing temperatures in some places,” Thomas added.

“Hopefully by now, everyone has prepared for this cold snap. But, please remember to actively protect your pipes, pets and plants and remember to check on the people you know who may be at-risk, Thomas added.

Also, keep an eye on weather statements issued by news outlets, as additional wind chill and other warnings are expected.

This arctic front will be followed by another cold spell at the end of next week.

To view the entire NWS forecast in slides, click the "Download Article" button.