An Arctic front brought a significant drop in temperatures to the Hill Country this week. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an Extreme Cold Warning for several counties including Llano, Gillespie and Kendall, effective from midnight Tuesday through noon Wednesday, with a subsequent warning from midnight Wednesday to noon Thursday. Residents were advised to prepare for dangerously cold wind chills, potentially as low as 3°F.
By evening on Tuesday February 18th, temperatures started to plummet to a low of 18°F overnight as the Arctic front moved in with wind chills around 5°F. Snow flurries were reported Wednesday in Llano, Burnet, Mason, Kingsland and most of the surrounding towns. Not much stuck to the ground in Llano but places like Bertram and Round Mountain saw a light carpet of white. As of 8:00 am, 2,333 out of 20,885 tracked meters (11.17%) were without power in Llano County according to FindEnergy.com.
Wednesday remained brisk and cold, but with some sunshine. Highs were around 33°F with overnight lows near 15°F. Very cold conditions will persist on Thursday with sun followed by increasing cloud cover, but temperatures will creep back up over the weekend with Spring-like weather predicted for next week.
The NWS warns that frostbite and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken. Residents are urged to dress in layers, protect pets, check on vulnerable individuals and use heating devices safely.
