AUSTIN, Texas — After a muddy first weekend, Austin City Limits Music Festival fans can expect sunny skies and warm temperatures as Weekend Two kicks off Friday at Zilker Park, though they may trade the mud for dust.
CBS Austin Meteorologist Avery Tomasco said Friday will be the nicest day of the weekend, with a high of 93 degrees and relatively low humidity. Saturday will be sunny with a high of 93, and Sunday will be the warmest at 94 degrees, with humidity on the rise.
Rain fell on and off throughout Weekend One, leaving much of the Great Lawn covered in mud.
Festivalgoers slogged through puddles, ruined shoes and slipped on the hills, but many said the conditions didn’t stop them from enjoying the music.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | ACL fans brave rain and mud for final day of Weekend One
Five days of sunshine and dry air since then have dried out the ground, and Tomasco said another 200,000 people stomping around the park could kick up dust.
“I think we might be heading for kind of a Dust Fest this weekend,” Tomasco said.
He suggested festivalgoers keep a bandana or a face mask handy in case the dust starts flying.
City officials are trying to keep the dust down. Austin Parks and Recreation said Friday that crews began laying artificial turf Thursday in high-traffic areas prone to excessive dust and would finish Friday.
Crews have also been watering the Great Lawn since Wednesday, and the lawn will be watered overnight Saturday and Sunday, the department said.
City staff and festival organizer C3 Presents worked around the clock this week to get the park ready, officials said.
Fans should also bring a refillable water bottle and take breaks in the shade, with highs in the 90s all weekend. The festival has free water refill stations.
After the festival, portions of the Great Lawn will remain closed to allow the turf to recover, the department said. Sections will reopen as work allows, and the department said it aims to reopen the lawn on a timeline similar to previous years.