Austin, TX

Central Texas school officials prepare for possible freezing temperatures next week

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

Central Texas school officials prepare for possible freezing temperatures next week

Austin area school officials are monitoring an arctic blast that’s predicted to plummet temperatures to dangerous, subfreezing conditions in Central Texas early next week, and they’re preparing their campuses for the possible extreme weather.

Districts likely won’t make decisions about delayed or canceled classes on Tuesday until after the weekend, but officials are advising parents to stay tuned to their district’s social media sites for information. Students are scheduled to be off Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Austin’s high temperature Sunday is forecast just above freezing, with a low of 21 and a 40% chance of freezing rain at night, according to the National Weather Service. Monday’s high is forecast at 30, with a low of 14. There’s a 30% chance of freezing rain Monday before noon.

Austin weather: Freezing rain could cause dangerous road conditions in Austin on Monday, NWS warns

On Tuesday, the high is forecast at 33 and the low at 14, with temperatures rising well above freezing Wednesday with a high of 45 and a forecast low of 32, according to the weather service.

Are schools in Central Texas closed Tuesday?

As of Friday, most Central Texas school district officials remained in a holding pattern by keeping an eye on the weather and waiting to make decisions on any potential school closures.

Officials in the Dripping Springs district will check their buildings Monday and early Tuesday morning to make sure conditions are safe for students to return to classes, spokeswoman Jennifer Edwards said.

Rain, which could freeze roads when temperatures are subfreezing, is one of the biggest factors school districts consider to decide whether to delay the start of classes or cancel them altogether.

Texas freeze tips: How to stay safe and avoid the ER during Austin’s cold weather

“The precipitation causing dangerous driving conditions is generally our key indicator whether we plan to close or delay with cold weather,” Hays district spokesman Tim Savoy said.

In the Lake Travis district, maintenance staff plans to scatter salt on sidewalks in case of wet weather and prepare buildings for subfreezing temperatures, said spokesman Marco Alvarado. Workers will winterize the toilets in portable restrooms and wells, shut down the irrigation to campuses and shutdown water to the district’s non-insulated buildings, such as the football press box and band shed, Alvarado said.

More: Texas is preparing for arctic blast. Here’s how state is helping cities, counties respond

Officials are asking parents and guardians to check their child’s school or district website Monday for more information about any potential closures or delayed school start times Tuesday.

Check back with the American-Statesman over the weekend and Monday for updates on school closures.

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Austin, TX

Billy Strings at Moody Theater in Austin, TX – Loud Hailer Magazine

Published

11 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Billy Strings at Moody Theater in Austin, TX – Loud Hailer Magazine

Bluegrass musician Billy Strings sold out Austin’s iconic ACL Live at The Moody Theater, where Strings closed his headlining North American tour.

Billy Strings, born William Apostol, is an American singer and songwriter from Michigan. Music has always been a big part of Strings’ life, but he started his music career seriously in 2012. He took on the name Billy Strings after his Aunt saw his talent on various traditional bluegrass instruments. Today, Strings tours with a handful of bluegrass musicians, including Royal Masat (bass), Alex Hargreaves (fiddle), Jarrod Walker (mandolin), and Billy Failing (banjo).

This past year, Strings and his band have been touring North America, concluding their tour with two shows in Austin, TX. The first being at the Moody Center and the second and final being at ACL Live at The Moody Theater. Billy Strings is no stranger to ACL Live and has previously recorded multiple episodes of the venue’s famous series. His debut aired in 202,1 and he went on to record another taping in 2024. In 2024, Billy Strings released his most recent album, Highway Prayers. The album explores themes of personal reflection, identity, and family.

Billy Strings didn’t have an opener and began his set at a little after 8 PM. He opened his set with a few classic bluegrass covers, some being “Riding the Midnight Train” by The Doc Watson Family and “Big Spike Hammer” by The Osborne Brothers. He also performed originals like “It Ain’t Before” from his latest album, Highway Prayers. The song is about feeling disadvantaged by societal systems that don’t work in your favor. The song blends traditional and modern bluegrass sounds, featuring a mouth harp in the original recording.

The band sped through some more classics while the audience on the floor cut up a rug. He performed a few more originals, such as “Gone a Long Time” from Highway Prayers and “These Memories of You” from his 2017 album Turmoil & Tinfoil. The latter was recorded with his stepfather, the one who introduced Strings to the genre. The song reflects on their sustained relationship.

Fans were surprised and delighted when Strings began “Cora Is Gone,” by Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and The Foggy Mountain Boys. Strings and his band haven’t performed the cover since 2020. Ultimately, Billy Strings closed his set with Patty Griffin’s “We Shall All Be Reunited,” clearly implying that Strings will be back to commune with the locals of Austin.

Billy Strings will be back on tour soon enough. In February, he will kick off a tour in Georgia and finish towards the end of April in Indiana. Billy Strings has successfully kept an exceptional genre alive by sharing his and his band’s talent with the world.

BILLY STRINGS
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MOODY THEATER
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