He has one left. One. Due in 3 hours. And he’s laughing, talking and acting like we’re on the beach. Someone come get him…or me. 
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So we are inside the scope of the snow event. The big local public districts cancelled. D30’s K-8 delayed. But S24’s senior school was, “Nope, get in and get to work.”
He is not happy.
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School has been in session for 8 days. Four of those days have been calamity days. It is going to be a long semester.
FWIW, I think the cold levels in TX may not be as big a worry as you think. I grew up in Austin and have lived in DFW for 15+ years, and I don’t think you’ll really need to invest in long undies or a heavy winter coat for either place. I have a big coat and can’t remember the last time I wore it - I’m not actually sure where it is, in fact. We get one of these winter storms (usually with some amount of ice) every few years, but (1) they typically only last 3-4 days, and (2) almost everything shuts down b/c hardly anyone has appropriate winter equipment to move around in sub-freezing weather. If you need to make a quick run to the store, a hoodie and normal jacket with jeans, maybe with gloves and/or hat over the ears, is probably fine (I did this yesterday when it was 14). Before you know it, everything melts and it’s 60 degrees again.
I’d actually focus on the umbrella and rain boots - 45 degrees with rain is actually worse (and much more common) than 25 degrees with ice/snow, and nothing closes for rain so you have to deal with it.
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We live nearish one of your Texas schools. You really don’t need a winter coat/long underwear/etc here! Yes, the past few years we have had some (unusual) cold snaps, but generally people don’t leave their houses when it is this cold. Everything shuts down. My kids just have hoodies and one fleece jacket, no heavy winter coats. The only time I wear long underwear is if I am sitting outside at night in the cold for two+ hours to watch my kids play sports.
ETA: I just saw txfriendly’s post - I should have just agreed with them!
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This is the reason I’d say you might not need to rush the application process. My child knew a lot more about what they wanted in November than in June. But that probably depends on how introspective your child is.
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We took this approach with ED2 and it was well received.
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Definitely have her go visit the schools that are paying for visits and have her do it during hte winter. Midwest and NE winters can be brutal and if you hate the cold it will make for a miserable college experience. S24 was invited to audition at a school in Chicago and luckily got in ED to a NE LAC so we wont have to go. I have spent my life in the Northeast and would never want to spend winters in Chicago.
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I had S24 walk home in the terrible NYC area weather today. He has to get used to functioning in the terrible weather. It is a trial by fire this week!
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We know, but HEY! (all Chicagoland residents) 
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D24 submitted one app yesterday and has one more left, due tomorrow. I’m already sitting here with a cocktail.
We’ve also scheduled a visit to St. Olaf for next week. We know it will be freezing, but we’re in NW Indiana right now where temps have been negative the last couple of days so the weather isn’t really a concern. (She actually loves the cold weather anyway.)
One thing I’m mulling over though - They are in their J term, so there isn’t an opportunity to sit in on a class. The admissions director offered to see if there was something available that she could sit in, but it’s not normal for them and there will be fewer classes meeting on a Friday. D24 seemed ambivalent about it, so I’m considering just scrapping the idea of a class in favor of rescheduling the visit. We can do the tour, her interview, and eat in the dining hall, and then spend the afternoon checking out Northfield instead.
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Just FYI, we live right outside of Boston. It is snowing today (3 to 5 inches) and right now a ton of sleet coming down. My son went to school with a sweatshirt on, as my husband and I were driving back from a conference we saw a ton of high schoolers leaving for the day, I would say 3 out of 40 students had a coat, everyone else sweatshirts, no boots etc. One kid was wearing shorts. I don’t blame her for wanting to stay warm- right now I am fantasizing about being somewhere warm, but they will all acclimate.
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I know this is a, shall we say, minority opinion, but I had no problem with Chicago in the winter. I like a nice clear, cold winter day, and I thought Chicago had a lot of great ones.
Edit: Just a quick addition. As mentioned we were in a state park cabin this last weekend. First couple days were OK, but cloudy and windy so we only did short walks outside with the dog (who also seemed fine keeping it brief).
The last day it had snowed a bit over night and gotten colder, but clear. I absolutely loved it. I dragged that poor animal on a much longer walk than she expected, exploring the ice growing along the shoreline of a lake, mildly wrenching my back hopping over a small stream in a frozen marsh (dog leapt it just fine, which I assume she saw as karmic justice) . . . just great winter fun.
And yes, it all sort of fits in with then making yourself some hot popcorn with a nice cocktail, but I am an adult and I am allowed (dog didn’t get the cocktail, but the popcorn seemed sufficient).
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You are wise and wonderful. Truly the best on CC. 
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It is clear today but cold. No school. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with highs in the low 30s. Schools are closed again tomorrow - no explanation beyond winter weather. Our state no longer allows alternate means of instruction. Students will have to make up the missed days at the end of the school year.
S24 does not want a longer school year. He wants to take his AP exams and be done. (Traditionally seniors’ last day of school is the second Friday of AP testing.)
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I think D24 would be able to adjust a-ok in either TX or KY. She’s a bit on the dramatic side at times. 
But what teenager isn’t?
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I keep hoping my kid will choose a school in a warm location so I have an excuse to visit somewhere warm!
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…the Austin College sweatshirt I ordered for D24 arrived today and she promptly put it on when she got home this evening, smiled, and gave DH & I 2 big thumbs up. 
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So far D24 has been admitted to 5 schools. 3/5 of those have an admitted student day on Saturday 4/13 (San Diego State University, University Utah, and Santa Clara University) and one of those has another option for 3/23 (Utah). Santa Clara’s only other option is a Thursday evening. Loyola Marymount University hasn’t published their date yet.
So far she has signed up for the admitted student day on 3/23 (Utah) and for one of the ones on 4/13 (SDSU, the school that other than than Utah could come out as being the most affordable), and it is driving distance to our house.
If she gets into what I perceive is her top choice (UCLA) that admitted student day is also 4/13 as is UC Berkeley, CSU Long Beach, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has told me that she really needs to visit both Cal Poly (visited as a sophomore), and Cal again if admitted because especially with Cal she feels like she might have a different experience the second time around. One of the 5 remaining schools (University of Southern California) admitted student day is 4/6 or 4/7, and another one of those 5 is still TBD (University of San Diego) but could be easily done on the same day as SDSU as long as they aren’t too overlapping.
So if you didn’t do an admitted student day was an admitted student tour on another day and was that okay as well?
It is a huge bummer that all of these dates are on the same day. Did this happen to anyone else?
Would visiting any of the other schools if admitted on any other day than an admitted student day be beneficial? I know posts in the past have said that kids have gotten way more out of an admitted student day than the actual tour. Dd1 has been on official tours except UCLA, Long Beach State, and Utah.
You need to go to a school and check it out.
You don’t need to go to an admitted student day.
You’ll know by visiting - hanging out, talking to kids, walking around, checking the neighborhood - if it’s the right school or not.
Admitted student day is a nice to have but not necessary.
So pick the ones that may be most impactful and/or affordable but don’t worry about missing the formal day itself vs. a normal visit.
Good luck - and congrats to your student.
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