A cold front will bring freezing or near-freezing temperatures to San Marcos beginning Sunday, Jan. 5.
Temperatures in San Marcos will drop to a low of 32 degrees on Jan. 5 and gradually fall to a low of 27 degrees by Tuesday, Jan. 7. For comparison, the 2021 Great Texas Freeze brought lows of 6 degrees to the city, nearly 20 degrees colder than the forecasted low next week.
“A strong cold front arrives Sunday, bringing in much colder temperatures. Several nights of below freezing temperatures are expected next week. Wintry precipitation is possible Thursday for some areas, though the location and type of precipitation remains highly uncertain,” a Jan. 4 X post from the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office read.
The change in weather is due to the polar vortex, which is expected to reach Texas by Monday. A polar vortex is a massive system of low-pressure and cold air circling the Earth’s poles, mainly in the stratosphere, driven by strong west-to-east winds. If the vortex weakens, it can push icy Arctic air southward, leading to dangerously cold temperatures in mid-latitude areas, including the southern United States.
While next week’s weather will not be as severe as the 2021 freeze, the weather pattern is similar. During the Great Texas Freeze, which lasted from Feb. 11-20, 2021, the polar vortex led to power outages across Texas and more than 200 deaths.
The city of San Marcos has resources in place ahead of the upcoming drop in temperatures. According to an email from San Marcos Communications, utility crews are monitoring Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) alerts to stay ahead of potential outages.
An X post from ERCOT on Jan. 2 read, “ERCOT is monitoring the cold weather approaching Texas and will keep Texans informed on grid conditions through our various communication channels. Grid conditions are expected to be normal. For regular updates, follow ERCOT’s official social media channels and continue to monitor real-time and extended grid conditions on http://ercot.com. You can also download the official ERCOT app and subscribe to receive Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) notifications and Emergency Alerts to your email.”
ERCOT also foresees an increased energy demand early next week. Residents can view the San Marcos outage map to keep track and dial 512-393-8313 to report an outage.
In the event of an outage, residents should keep refrigerators and freezers closed, use generators only outdoors and away from windows, have alternative plans for refrigerating medications and powering medical devices, discard any medications that require refrigeration if left unrefrigerated for more than 24 hours and throw away any food exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees for more than two hours.
The San Marcos website also recommends residents have an emergency kit ready ahead of inclement weather which includes first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, water, battery banks and more.
“All public park water fountains and restrooms will be closed to protect pipes in anticipation of freezing temperatures. Closures will be implemented by the end of the day Saturday,” the email from San Marcos Communications read.
The city’s Public Works team is on standby to address potential hazardous road conditions. Residents can report street or drainage issues by calling 512-393-8036.
According to an email from the city, Southside Community Center will activate its winter shelter from Jan. 6-8.
“We know that cold temperatures are on their way, and we are busily preparing to open our winter shelter early next week. There will be updates on social media and our website when we are open,” Southside Community Center wrote in a Facebook post.
The Southside Community Center, located at 518 South Guadalupe Street, can be reached at 512-392-6694.
