According to forecasters, the first freeze of the season in the Hill Country could take place next week – News – Austin American-Statesman

Get ready to party: The Austin area and the Hill Country could see chilly weather next week, the National Weather Service announced.

A cold front coming from Canada early next week in the region is expected to bring freezing temperatures to central Texas, particularly in the Hill Country west of Austin. The city could receive rain from Sunday, but it should leave Monday night, said meteorologist Cory Van Pelt meteorological service. The rain should allow dry air to enter the room, creating a favorable climate for falling temperatures, he added.

"There is a good chance we will have such cold temperatures, and if we can freeze it will most likely happen in the Hill Country," Van Pelt said.

The nighttime temperatures around Austin will plunge into the 30s, with a 70 to 80% probability of falling to 32 degrees freezing point on Tuesday and Wednesday, he said. The country of the hills will almost certainly be frozen Tuesday and Wednesday, he said. The day peaks will only reach the 1950s in the Austin area, he said, while the Hill Country peaks will not be hotter than those 40 and over.

Bitter cold could be a shock to your system, but it's not as unusual as you might think, forecasters said.

"Usually, the first frost of the year occurs between mid-November and mid-December in the Austin area," said Texas climate scientist, John Nielsen-Gammon, and the more one s & # 39 away from the north, the earlier the frost is.

Blanco had his first freeze on Oct. 29, as did Llano, Nielsen-Gammon said.

"It's pretty normal," he says. "It's about the right time of year for that."

Cold weather can cause concern for crops and grass fires due to the dryness of the air. But a freeze at this time of year is normal, and farmers are gearing up for normal, said Nielsen-Gammon. After particularly wet months of September and October, the fire is not a big problem in the short term, he said.

In addition, those who suffer after a hot summer and a fall filled with mosquito bites could be relieved: Mosquitoes can be killed by the cold, said Nielsen-Gammon.

"So (a gel) can be beneficial for humans in this way," he said.

But for those who can not warm up safely, freezing temperatures are a major concern, especially for the homeless population of the city.

Angel Flores, a spokesman for Austin's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said city officials would monitor the forecasts to decide whether to activate shelters in cold weather to accommodate people and animals that would otherwise be on the street. When the temperature reaches 38 degrees and it rains on the outside, or 32 degrees when it gets dry, city officials coordinate their efforts with those of the Salvation Army, of the Austin Homeless Resource Center and other facilities to create more shelters.

"Monday is in three days," he says. "But if something happened during the weekend, we would be informed."

Mary Huber, journalist at Statesman, contributed to this article.