Participants taking part in Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day March on San Antonio's East side will need to dress in layers to protect themselves from likely low wind chills.
Everyone else in San Antonio and across the Hill Country will also need to bundle up as wind chill watches and warnings are possible after a polar blast arrives Sunday.
Sunrise wind chills on Monday could be as low as zero in some spots. Tuesday could be slightly more bitter.
The march kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and ends at Pittman-Sullivan Park for a celebration that includes a main stage with multicultural performances, a health and wellness area. a youth area, and food and merchandise vendors.
Turnout for the march is usually in the tens-of-thousands but it may be impacted this year by frigid conditions produced by an arctic cold front's arrival by Sunday night.
The National Weather Service reports a hard freeze is likely for all areas north of U.S. 90 on Monday. San Antonio sunrise temperatures on Monday will be in the mid 20's and in the low 20s at sunrise on Tuesday. Sunrise temperatures both days will be in the teens across the Hill Country.
The high on MLK Day in San Antonio will struggle to get out of the 30s and may rise a little higher on Tuesday. Highs will be lower across the Hill Country.
Forecasters said if a wind chill warning is issued, residents will need to limit time outside and dress in layers and cover exposed skin to prevent frostbite and hypothermia, which could occur in a matter of minutes. If a wind chill watch is issued, there is a strong chance of cold air and strong winds.
Residents will need to bring pets inside during the extended cold blast.
Plumbing will also need protection once the temperatures dip below freezing for hours at a time.
Plumbing experts say exposed outdoor pipes should be covered by some sort of insultation found at most home or garden centers. Indoor faucets, especially those near exterior walls, should be allowed to drip. Cabinets surrounding sinks should be opened to allow warm indoor air to circulate around them.
And finally, don't forget your green friends. David Rodriguez, a master gardener with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Office in San Antonio, said in ground and container plants that cannot be brought inside should be watered one to three days before the bitter cold arrives.
Rodriguez said a good dousing will help keep root temperatures from dipping too low below freezing where the real damage occurs. He said also make sure in-ground plants in containers are well-mulched at their bases.
Rodriguez said if container plants are too large to move indoors, try at least to shelter them around a corner or near a fence out of the harsh northerly winds on the way. Cover them too. Burlap is one suggested option.
And as for those perennial flowers and plants green thumbs are afraid of losing, he said there may be hope for them even if they are left outdoors.
"A lot of these hardy perennials, like Texas Superstar perennials, hey that's okay if they freeze back. Most of those plants are hardy to the crown or the roots," Rodriguez said.
He just said make sure those too are well-watered and mulched. Rodriguez said when spring arrives, they will likely sprout from the crown to live another spring.
Any kind of tropical plant in a container outdoors must be brought indoors to survive.
San Antonio's city-owned utilities, CPS Energy and SAWS. say they are prepared for the cold blast that arrives Sunday.
CPS Energy President—Rudy Garza—says the utilities and government leaders have learned a lot since the winter blitz of February 2021 that knocked out power and water for most.
"We're more prepared than we were three years ago for this type of scenario and the real biggest difference is last time, remember, it was under freezing for days. It was tons of precipitation."
Unlike February 2021, the National Weather Service reports this storm system arriving Sunday will be dry and have lower wind gusts. Another front moving in as soon as Friday night will pack winds up to 45-miles per hour, but also be dry.
ERCOT has issued a Weather Watch from January 15–17 due to forecasted extreme cold weather across the ERCOT region, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves. Grid conditions are expected to be normal and can be monitored on http://ercot.com.
