Tuesday, January 19

Austin gets ready for cold weather

by By JIM BERGAMO/KVUE News

Posted on December 4, 2009 at 9:45 PM

Updated Friday, Dec 4 at 10:26 PM
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Despite those very chilly temperatures, some people in Central Texas are spending tonight outside.

The people we talked to from Austin to Cedar Park weren't about to let the threat of freezing temperatures keep them from having fun or going to work, and none of tonight's outdoor events that we covered had to cancel because of the weather.

Since Friday's real snow didn't stick around long enough, the evergreens at the Mueller development were covered in the phony white stuff. This snow may have been fake, but the threat of a hard freeze is very real. And that is just fine with the Hagler family.

"We have plenty of hot weather in Texas so I look forward to all the cold weather we can get," said Glenn Hagler from Austin.

Melissa Steiner is used to the cold.

"It is something I have always dealt with in Michigan but it keeps you moving, keeps you going," Steiner said.

Folks in Cedar Park didn't have to light a fireplace at home, because there was already a pretty good fire working in the old pit. The fire warmed their bodies and the annual tree lighting warmed their hearts.

"We have been residents of Cedar Park for 13 years and I told the family hey lets go out and do something different on a Friday evening and so here we are," Janice Auld said.

For others, a Friday night near freezing was no different than any other Friday night - its simply time to go to work. Scott Cannon is a pedicab driver for Capital Pedicab.

"This is the first ah, first cold weekend of the year and it seems like it is really taking the customers by surprise, it is really dead out here so far," Cannon said.

Leave it to some KISS fans from Florida to come prepared for the cold weather and a hot time -- each sporting a ski mask in the likeness of their favorite KISS band member.

"We flew in from Orlando last night, it was 80 degrees when we left and we heard there was going to be snow here tonight but we're here for the show, it's going to be a hot show," said Brad McMahen.

So just how cold is it? Well it is cold enough to keep a duck on dry land. Only four people showed up for the Duck Tour today -- we're told they need at least 10 passengers before the land and water tour can take off.