New year expected to quickly bring freezing temperatures to San Angelo
SAN ANGELO — Freezing temperatures are expected to arrive in San Angelo shortly after the sun sets on New Year's Day.
Matt Groh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said there will be a strong cold front moving through the Concho Valley during the evening of Saturday, Jan. 1.
The high temperature on Jan. 1 is forecast to be in the low 70s but will drop to the low 20s by Sunday morning with a wind chill around 10-15 degrees.
Groh said with the hard freeze expected, everyone should think about the '4 P's': people, pets, pipes and plants.
It's suggested to protect your pets, bring sensitive plants inside, cover exterior pipes, and dress for warm weather if you'll be outside.
"We have seen a lack of winter weather, and this chill will remind us that it is winter season," Groh said.
The NWS highly recommends people stay home and off the roads.
Keep an eye out for road conditions, which can be viewed at drivetexas.org.
Here's more information to protect your family, pets and home:
How to prepare your home for freezing temperatures
People should ensure their carbon monoxide and fire detectors are working properly. If someone uses an alternate heating source, make sure nothing is around it. If you have a generator, make sure it is not blowing into the home. Fire safety is a concern at this time.
It's also important to have plenty of nonperishable food, water, blankets and tools needed to clear snow and ice. People could also use weather stripping or install a plastic window insulation kit to keep the cold out.
With the potential for power outages, make sure you have an emergency kit. The kit should have:
Flashlights
A battery-operated radio
Portable phone chargers
Batteries
Candles
Matches
Mike Avila, general manager for San Angelo's Westlake ACE Hardware, said people who need to water things outside should consider getting a heated water hose. One product at ACE that is selling fast, he said, is ice melt. Other substitutes for ice melts are:
Pool salt
Water softener salt which will not harm the concrete
Oil dry
Cat litter
How do you prevent pipes from freezing?
Information from Westlake ACE Hardware stresses the importance of protecting your pipes at home. Here's how:
Disconnect all hoses and insulate outside faucets. You can use foam faucet covers.
Insulate water pipes. You can use pipe insulation or tape to cover the exposed pipes.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around pipes.
Leave a trickle of water running.
If you are leaving town, set your thermostat to 55 degrees or higher.
At ACE, faucet covers are flying off the shelves, Avila said. If you can't get one, he offered these substitutes:
Wrap a towel around the outside faucet and wrap a bag around it
Spray insulation foam around the pipes
Pipe insulation and wrapping it with duct tape
How do you keep pets and livestock safe in the cold?
Dr. Douglas Kratt, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, discussed what people should do to keep animals safe and the dangers they face.
"Pets are very similar to what you're going to be going through," Kratt said. "If it is too cold for you to be outside, it is too cold for your pet. Their hair coat helps them a little bit, but it doesn't make them immune to this. Especially if they are used to warmer weather."
If left in the cold, animals can experience frostbite, hypothermia or can hurt themselves by slipping or cutting themselves on the ice. For people using de-icers, make sure to clean your pet's paws and do not put it on the pet.
Livestock need more water than usual when it is cold, so using a heating element or breaking it up is encouraged. Provide some type of shelter for the livestock.
"If there are ways to give them breaks, to be out of direct wind, that will help," Kratt said.
Kratt stated people should make sure they have plenty of food and water for their animals, along with any medications.
The American Veterinary Medical Association website also warns to check your vehicle before driving off, because cats could hide in or around it as a heat source. Unattended vehicles in cold weather are "like a refrigerator, and can rapidly chill your pet," according to the site.
Avila added that "feathered friends" could benefit from a heating element in a ceramic birdbath as well.
San Angelo 7-day forecast
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 77. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between midnight and 3 a.m., then a chance of showers after 3 a.m.. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
New Year's Day: Sunny, with a high near 71. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22. West wind 10 to 15 mph becoming north in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 49. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Sunday night: Clear, with a low around 25. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 58. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. South southwest wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 71.
Tuesday night: Clear, with a low around 39.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 74.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Weather in San Angelo: 2022 will quickly bring freezing temperatures
