In the wake of Thursday’s very spring-like temperatures, cooler air has returned to our region behind a cold front. Overnight and this morning, a weak wave of low pressure tracking east out of West Texas caused the development of light rain showers across the Hill Country and Central Texas. As of late Friday morning, the showers were exiting Central Texas and spreading southeast towards the coast. According to LCRA’s Hydromet, most totals have generally measured just a few hundredths of inch, although one gauge near Cedar Park, northwest of Austin, recorded 0.29 inches. Interestingly, there were a couple of reports of small hail in the Marble Falls/Granite Shoals Friday morning when an isolated thunderstorm moved through that area.
Today’s wave of low pressure is forecast to push off to the east this afternoon, causing the clouds to decrease. Temperatures will be noticeably cooler, with highs around 58-60 degrees. This afternoon’s sunny sky will be short-lived as forecasts show another weak trough of low pressure diving southeast out of the southern Rockies. This system is predicted to pull clouds back over the region Friday night through about midday Saturday. No rain is expected. Lows Saturday morning will include the upper 30s across the Hill Country, the low 40s across Central Texas and the mid to upper 40s towards the coast.
A sunny sky is forecast to develop Saturday afternoon and continue through Monday. Highs temperatures Saturday and Sunday will be around 68-72 degrees, warming to the mid-70s on Monday. Lows Sunday morning will include the low 30s Hill Country, the mid-30s Central Texas and the upper 30s to low 40s across the coastal plains. Lows Monday morning will be mostly in the mid-40s while lows Tuesday morning will be close to 50 degrees.
A big change in the weather pattern is forecast to take place next Tuesday when a large trough of low pressure begins to develop south out of Central Canada. Forecast solutions indicate the trough will connect well up into northern Canada, allowing arctic air to spread south across the Plains states and into Texas. The leading edge of this very chilly air is predicted reach northern Texas early Tuesday morning, with the cold air spreading south across Central and South Texas Tuesday afternoon. Even colder air is forecast to arrive on Thursday and continue into next weekend.
Forecasted temperatures for next week are shaping up as follows. Keep in mind there is still quite a bit of uncertainty with the magnitude of this cold air.
- High temperatures Tuesday will be near 70 degrees. Lows Wednesday morning will range from around 28-30 degrees across the Hill Country to the mid-30s across Central Texas to the mid-40s towards the coast.
- High temperatures Wednesday will be close to 50 degrees. Lows Thursday morning will include the upper 20s across the Hill Country, the low and mid-30s across Central Texas and be around 40 degrees towards the coast.
- High temperatures Thursday will be in the low and mid-40s. Lows Friday morning will include the mid-20s across the Hill Country, be near 28-30 degrees across Central Texas and the low to mid-30s towards the coast.
- High temperatures Friday and Saturday will range from the upper 30s across the Hill Country to around 40 degrees Central Texas to the low and mid-40s near the coast. Lows Saturday morning will include the low and mid-20s across the Hill Country, the upper 20s across Central Texas and the lower 30s towards the coast.
High temperatures are forecast to remain in the 40s next Sunday but warm into the 50s the early part of the following week. Low temperatures will continue in the 30s.
In addition to the very cold temperatures, there will also be a threat for freezing/wintery precipitation across the Hill Country and parts of Central Texas next Wednesday night into Thursday morning and also late Friday into Saturday morning as a couple of waves of low pressure cause the development of light overrunning precipitation. Keep in mind, there is considerable uncertainty in this part of the forecast seven days out from the event. But as of now, should our region see wintery precipitation, it will likely be in the form of freezing rain and sleet as opposed to snow. This part of the forecast should become somewhat clearer next week. How far south the wintery precipitation will develop is not clear at this point. Stay tuned for further updates.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Bob
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