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.

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“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.