You’ve probably noticed that San Antonio has been playing a weird game of "winter" roulette lately. One day you’re in shorts grabbing a breakfast taco, and the next, you’re frantically looking for where you stashed the heavy coat. Honestly, the extended weather forecast San Antonio is looking like a rollercoaster right now, especially with the city finally staring down its first real freeze of 2026.
It’s about time. We’ve been unseasonably warm—like, record-breaking warm. Usually, San Antonio hits the freezing mark way before mid-January, but this year has been an outlier. We actually hit 89 degrees on January 2nd, which tied the all-time record for the month. That’s not winter; that’s just a confused July.
The Immediate Outlook: Getting Through the Big Chill
If you’re looking at the next few days, the headline is definitely Sunday morning. We are officially under a Hard Freeze Warning. The National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio is calling for temperatures to drop into the mid-20s across Bexar County.
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Basically, tonight is the night you actually need to care about the "Four Ps": people, pets, plants, and pipes.
- Tonight (Saturday): It’s clear but windy. That north wind at 13 mph is making it feel a lot colder than the actual 39 degrees it currently is.
- Sunday Morning: This is the peak of the cold. Expect a low of about 31 in the city, but outlying areas like Kerrville or Fredericksburg could see the low 20s.
- MLK Day (Monday): If you're heading to the march, bundle up. It starts in the mid-30s at sunrise, though we’ll climb to a much more comfortable 66 degrees by the afternoon.
What the Rest of the Week Holds
Once we shake off Sunday’s frost, the extended weather forecast San Antonio starts to shift toward "gray and damp." We aren't looking at a massive snowstorm or anything dramatic, but moisture is definitely returning from the Gulf.
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By Tuesday, the clouds move back in for good. You’ll see the humidity jump from a bone-dry 28% on Sunday to nearly 80% by Wednesday. That’s when the rain chances start to tick up. We’re looking at a 25% chance of light rain on Wednesday with a high of 66. It’s that kind of misty, annoying South Texas rain that doesn't really wash your car but definitely makes the roads slick.
The 10-Day Horizon at a Glance
| Day | High/Low | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday (Jan 18) | 60° / 30° | Sunny & Cold |
| Monday (Jan 19) | 66° / 35° | Partly Sunny |
| Tuesday (Jan 20) | 59° / 46° | Cloudy |
| Wednesday (Jan 21) | 66° / 54° | Light Rain |
| Thursday (Jan 22) | 63° / 53° | Mostly Cloudy |
| Friday (Jan 23) | 69° / 54° | Partly Sunny |
Why San Antonio Weather is Acting So Weird
The "why" behind this mess is actually pretty interesting. Meteorologists like Sarah Spivey from KSAT have been tracking a persistent La Niña pattern. Normally, La Niña keeps the jet stream pushed way north. That’s why we’ve had such a dry, warm start to the year. It basically blocks the cold Arctic air from sliding down into South Texas.
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But every now and then, the jet stream wobbles. That’s what’s happening this weekend. A quick "dip" is allowing that cold air to spill in, but because the overall pattern is still leaning warm, it won't stay for long.
In fact, the long-range outlook suggests we might move into an El Niño phase by late 2026. If that happens, our drought—which has been hanging over Bexar County for four years—might finally get some relief. El Niño usually means a wetter, cooler winter for us. But for now, we're stuck in this "warm-cold-warm-rain" loop.
Practical Steps for San Antonians Right Now
Don't let the 60-degree afternoons fool you into thinking the danger is over. A light freeze can still burst a thin PVC pipe if it’s exposed.
- Drip those faucets: Just a tiny trickle is enough to keep water moving and prevent freezing.
- Styrofoam is your friend: If you don't have professional pipe covers, those oversized Styrofoam cups (yes, the ones from the orange burger joint) actually work in a pinch for outdoor faucets.
- Check the pets: If it's too cold for you to sit on the porch in a t-shirt for 20 minutes, it's too cold for your dog to be out all night.
- Cover the succulents: Our native plants are tough, but the decorative stuff you bought at the nursery last spring will turn to mush if it hits 28 degrees.
The extended weather forecast San Antonio shows we’ll be back in the high 60s by next weekend, so this winter blast is more of a sprint than a marathon. Stay warm, keep an eye on the radar for Wednesday's drizzle, and maybe keep a light jacket in the car just in case.