A winter storm brought light snow and sleet to South Texas Tuesday morning, but the coldest temperatures are yet to come. San Antonio is expected to see temperatures drop into the upper 20s overnight, with the Hill Country experiencing temperatures as low as 15 degrees. Residents are advised to take precautions to protect their pipes from freezing, as well as to drive cautiously on potentially slick roads.
A winter storm brought light snow and sleet accumulations Tuesday morning across much of South Texas . However, even though the precipitation has come to an end, the coldest temperatures have yet to arrive. How cold will it get? Thanks to clearing skies this evening, temperatures will be able to plummet, falling to their lowest levels so far this winter. After reaching the upper 30s to near 40 degrees Tuesday afternoon, San Antonio temps will dip below freezing after 7 p.m.
, sinking into the upper 20s just after 8 p.m. Overnight and into the earliest hours of Wednesday morning, temperatures are expected to fall to around 20 degrees in the San Antonio metro area. The Hill Country temps will be slightly colder, bottoming out between 15 and 19 degrees in Kerrville, Fredericksburg and Boerne. The wind will only be blowing at around 5 mph or less, so the wind chill is not expected to be a large factor. Could pipes burst or be damaged? Normally, when temperatures freeze in San Antonio, it’s a light freeze with low temps between 29 and 32 degrees. When that occurs, plumbing is not typically affected in a significant way. However, when temperatures drop into the upper teens and low 20s, the threat of pipes bursting or being damaged increases substantially. The largest threat is to your outdoor plumbing, which is directly exposed to the cold temperatures. Outdoor water systems should be drained and covered to help prevent damage. In addition, foam faucet covers can provide the insulation necessary to prevent damage as well. With temperatures falling to 20 degrees Tuesday night, some indoor plumbing can also be affected, especially in areas that are not well insulated, like the attic, garage, and crawl spaces. Here, exposed pipes should be protected with insulation sleeves or heat tape. Heat lamps can also help to raise the temperature in less insulated spaces in your home. Be sure to open the doors to cabinets and bathroom sinks to let warm air from your home reach the outside of the pipes. Dripping your faucets can also help prevent pipes from freezing. However, avoid dripping all your faucets because that can cause a large amount of stress on the water system. The San Antonio Water System recommends leaving just one faucet on a slow drip to keep the water moving through the pipes. Any slick roads? As temperatures drop, any leftover moisture on area roadways will freeze, leading to patchy slick spots overnight and Wednesday morning. However, because San Antonio will have several hours on Tuesday for roads to dry off, most main roads will be unaffected. Use caution on side streets, as well as bridges and overpasses. Thawing is on the way This will be the last night for awhile that we have to worry about such cold temperatures. High temps will rise to the upper 40s to near 50 degrees by Wednesday afternoon, rising to the mid- to upper 50s on Thursday and Friday. Low temperatures are still expected to fall near or slightly below the freezing mark both Thursday and Friday mornings. However, these will only be light freezes and are not expected to affect plumbing in a major way
WINTER STORM COLD TEMPERATURES FREEZING SOUTH TEXAS SAN ANTONIO HILL COUNTRY PIPE BURSTING ROAD CONDITIONS
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