LA GRANGE, Texas — As the Austin area prepares for winter precipitation, areas to the south and east could see bigger impacts.
Milam, Bastrop and Fayette counties are expected to see some of the coldest temperatures in Central Texas along with the possibility of more than an inch of snow.
In Fayette County, Emergency Management Coordinator Angela Hahn said they expect to see sleet and rain Monday night, but by Tuesday morning, the snow should already be falling. In anticipation of the freezing conditions, they’ve decided to close schools and county offices for safety.
They’ve also pushed out messaging to people about protecting people, pets, pipes, and plants. Hahn said they’re ready for the storm.
“Our road and bridge crews don’t have big snow plows because we just don’t get that kind of weather very often,” Hahn said. “But they’ll do whatever they need to do to help.”
The county saw bad and cold weather a few years ago, but they’re not worried about the outcome this time around.
“This storm is a little bit different because it’s only supposed to last about 24 hours, so the precipitation is supposed to end Tuesday afternoon,” Hahn said. “The problem is going to be, it’s not going to get above freezing, so anything on the roads is going to stick again Wednesday morning because it’s supposed to be below freezing again.”
Despite the cold weather, it hasn’t stopped people from being out and about, like Ginger Cooper, who was picking up some last-minute essentials at HEB.
“Just making sure we’re stocked up on groceries,” Cooper said. “We won’t be able to leave the house for a day or so, so just have plenty of food on hand. Just preparing the house so we don’t have busted pipes.”
Susan Cherry said she remembers the frenzy the winter storm in 2021 brought, with stores being out of supplies, and feeding animals on her ranch in freezing temperatures. However, the only things she’s concerned about this time are her pipes freezing and staying warm.
“I’m trying to restock water. I also wanna cook some food tomorrow too for the day, because I’m staying in and I’m not going out,” Cherry laughed.
Electrician Christopher Dobbins said he knows the cold can affect people’s power, so he’s expecting to be busy.
“Power lines down, ice on the lines, all kinds of stuff,” Dobbins said. “I mean, it could go terrible.”
The Fayette County Emergency Management office has asked people to stay indoors if possible on Tuesday so first responders can stay safe and warm too.
Fayette County’s snowfall record is 7.2 inches, which happened in La Grange during the December 1929 snowstorm.