It’s going to feel very much like spring this week as warm and humid Gulf air spreads over the region. Monday’s weather maps showed the bubble of Canadian high pressure responsible for this weekend’s cooler, pleasant weather has moved off to the east. With high pressure now centered over the southeastern U.S.. southeasterly breezes have returned to Central Texas. Southeasterly breezes will continue this afternoon and tonight, then increase in speed Tuesday through Friday. A moderate pressure gradient taking shape Tuesday and persisting throughout the week is expected to cause wind speeds to be in the range of 10-20 mph with occasional gusts to 30 mph. These persistent breezes will cause humidity levels to increase beginning Tuesday. Warm days and mild nights are forecast throughout the week. Weather conditions are forecast to be dry today through Thursday afternoon. However, a slight chance for a few spotty light rain showers is forecast Thursday night through Friday as the atmosphere becomes quite moist.
- This afternoon, expect a partly cloudy sky and warmer temperatures, with readings reaching the low and mid-70s. The sky looks to become cloudy by midnight tonight. Lows Tuesday morning will be in the low and mid-50s.
- Tuesday through Thursday, expect widespread nighttime and morning clouds, followed by a partly cloudy sky in the afternoon. It will be quite breezy all three days. High temperatures will be in the mid/upper 70s Tuesday, warming to near 80-82 degrees Wednesday and Thursday. Low temperatures Wednesday morning will be near 60 degrees while lows Thursday and Friday mornings are predicted to be in the mid-60s.
- Friday’s forecast calls for a cloudy and breezy conditions with just a slight chance for a few spotty light rain showers. The probability for rain will only be near 20 percent. Expect a high temperature near 80 degrees. Lows Saturday morning will be near 60-62 degrees.
Our weather is forecast to become more unsettled this weekend when a large trough of low pressure over the Southwestern U.S. slowly lifts northeast to the southern Plains states. The chance for rain showers and scattered thunderstorms will increase Saturday into Saturday night as the atmosphere over Texas becomes increasingly unstable. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to continue into Sunday afternoon as a Pacific cold front tracks southeast across the region. The chance for rain is predicted to end from west to east Sunday afternoon as cooler, drier air spreads in from the west. Forecasts indicate some of the thunderstorms late Saturday into Sunday could possibly be severe. The probability for rain Friday and Saturday will be near 50 percent. High temperatures will be in the mid-70s Saturday, cooling to the mid-60s on Sunday.
Rainfall forecasts for the weekend call for totals to generally average between 0.5 and 1 inch across the Hill Country and the Austin/Interstate 35 corridor. Southeast of Austin, totals are forecast to average between 0.25 and 0.50 inches. These totals could go slightly higher, depending on how the situation eventually comes together.
The outlook for next week calls for mostly sunny, dry and a bit cooler weather throughout the week. A cold front is predicted to move across the area Wednesday, reinforcing the cooler temperatures for the second half of the week. High temperatures throughout the week are predicted to remain in the 60s, with lows in the 40s. There are some indications in the long-range models this “cooler” pattern will persist through late March.
Time Change this Coming Weekend
Daylight Saving Time will begin this Sunday, March 14, 2021, at 2:00 AM. At that time, we will “spring forward” and set our clocks ahead one hour.
Have a good week.
Bob
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