PHOTO BY PHYLLIS POHELMANN Contrary to perception, these ducks are not standing on top of the water; they are standing on a layer of ice that covered the pond at Lometa Regional Park this weekend when temperatures dipped into the lower teens. The photographer said the ducks had a rough time gaining their footing on the slippery pond. The temperature dipped into the teens Friday and Saturday nights in Lampasas, and it climbed to a high of 45 degrees Sunday, concluding a weekend that pushed an arctic blast across much of the nation.

Though few icy roads were reported locally, had there been precipitation it would have been cold enough for a hard freeze, as happened this time last year when roads and bridges iced over, and schools and businesses delayed their openings.

On Friday, the low temperature was 19 degrees -- 10 degrees warmer than the record of 9 degrees set in 1970. The high temperature for the day was just 33, and the wind chill factor made the air feel even colder.

On Saturday, the coldest night of the early year was recorded by the National Weather Service at 12 degrees, edging out the record low temperature of 10 degrees set in 1976.

The thermometer climbed toward 40 degrees for its daytime high mark.

Lampasas schools were closed Friday in conjunction with the annual Lampasas County Youth Livestock Show, and exhibitors and their animals, along with family members and friends, braved the cold temperatures for the threeday event. The road into the showbarn area was patched with ice, which made for a slippery drive to the parking lot.

The low temperature Thursday was 23 degrees, according to weather.com, and the high during the day was 50.

That compares to the average January low temperature of 30, and the average high temperature of 57 at this time of the year.

Forecasters are predicting a warming trend for the week, with temperatures to climb into the 50s. Some wet weather also is expected.