CENTRAL, Texas — Here is everything you need to know when it comes to protecting yourself in this arctic blast.
Saving your pipes and ultimately your pockets:
You should have some sort of insulation around your pipes or any exposed pipes on the exterior of your home.
This could look like something you buy from the hardware store or even a Whataburger cup. Six News found out that Whataburger cups provide enough protection for exposed pipes like water water faucets.
Watch more on this here:
Protecting your people
There's a list of warming centers Six News has provided for you and loved ones. If you have not seen this list, click here.
Doctor Amy Mersiovsky with A&M University Central Texas said you should eat plenty of food and drink water so your metabolism stays up to par. That will keep you warm and safe in the cold.
Mersiovsky added that you should not be out in temperatures less than 31 degrees for more than 30 minutes.
If you are outside, make sure you have the proper winter gear on and stay away from getting wet.
For more on the signs of hypothermia and frostbite and how you can protect yourself in the cold, read below:
Protecting your pets
Make sure your pets have a warm place to stay this winter, whether it be inside or outdoors.
Julie Morriss with the Central Texas Animal Shelter said you need to either put your pets inside but if you can't you need to put straw in their shelter outside and not blankets.
"Blankets hold moisture and freeze," she added.
Straw does not. You can also use tarp as a way to block the wind from hitting your pets directly outside and make sure you always have the shelter facing away from northerly winds.
For more information, watch below: