A warm, almost spring-like weather pattern will be in place for the first half of the week before much colder air spreads south late week, this weekend and early next week.  This is not expected to be a historical cold outbreak for our region, but with the recent streak of 70-degree temperatures, it will be quite a change! Sub-freezing temperatures can be expected across the Hill Country and Central Texas regions.

Monday’s weather maps showed a moderate wind flow from the Gulf of Mexico into South and Central Texas. Increasing moisture levels overnight caused the development of widespread fog and low clouds. Although the fog dissipated by late morning, widespread clouds remain in place. The clouds are forecast to slowly thin this afternoon, allowing for some scattered sunshine. Temperatures will be mild, with readings predicted to reach low and mid-70s. Expect breezy southeasterly winds at 10-15 mph.

A Canadian cold front was located across Northwest Texas. As of midday, the front stretched from just east of Wichita Falls, to Abilene, to Midland. The front is slowly sinking to the southeast and forecasts call for it to spread across the northern Hill Country this evening, then pull up stationary just north of a Fredericksburg, Austin, College Station line Tuesday morning. No rain is expected with the front. For areas north of the boundary, readings will fall in to the mid and upper 40s early Tuesday morning. Elsewhere, lows Tuesday morning will be in the upper 50s to low 60s.

Tuesday’s weather will feature widespread clouds through late morning, with the sky becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon. High temperatures will be around 68 degrees across the northern half of the region. From the Austin area south, high temperatures will be in the mid and upper 70s. Clouds will increase Tuesday night as the cold front remains stalled across the Hill Country and the northern counties of Central Texas. Lows Wednesday morning will range from the upper 40s across the northern Hill Country to near 60 degrees in the Austin area to the lower 60s near the coast.

On Wednesday, scattered rain showers are forecast to develop across the region ahead of a trough of low pressure tracking east out of northern Mexico. Isolated thunderstorms and scattered rain showers are predicted Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night. The probability for rain will be near 40 percent. Rain amounts Wednesday through Thursday morning are forecast to average around a quarter inch. Under a cloudy sky, high temperatures Wednesday will range from the upper 60s northwest to the upper 70s near the coast. Lows Thursday morning will be around 50 degrees across the Hill Country and Central Texas regions and in the upper 50s towards the coast.

The much anticipated arctic cold front is predicted to sink south out of the Plains states late Wednesday. The front is forecast to reach the northern Hill Country late Wednesday night, the Austin area around daybreak Thursday and the coastal plains region late Thursday morning. There will be a 60 percent chance for scattered rain showers along and behind the front, with the rain tapering off from west to east Thursday afternoon. Rain amounts are forecast to be under a quarter inch. Temperatures Thursday will fall to the upper 40s across the Hill Country and the Austin area Thursday afternoon. To the south, high temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s.

Partly cloudy and cold weather is forecast Thursday night and Friday. Lows Friday morning will include the upper 20s across the Hill Country, the low and mid-30s across Central Texas and the low 40s across the coastal plains. High temperatures Friday will be around 48-50 degrees across the Hill Country and Central Texas regions and in the low to mid-50s towards the coast.

Partly cloudy and very cold weather is forecast over the weekend as additional arctic air spills into Texas out of the Plains states. Saturday night through Sunday night is shaping up to be the coldest period of the upcoming week.

  • Low temperatures Saturday morning will include the upper 20s Hill Country, the low and mid-30s Central Texas and be around 40-42 degrees towards the coast.
  • High temperatures Saturday will include the upper 30s to low 40s across the Hill Country, the middle 40s across Central Texas and the low 50s across the coastal plains.
  • Lows Sunday morning are predicted to be around 20-22 degrees across the Hill Country, the mid to upper 20s across Central Texas and the lower 30s across the coastal plains.
  • High temperatures Sunday are forecast to be in the mid and upper 30s across the Hill Country, the low and mid-40s across Central Texas and be around 50 degrees towards the coast.
  • Lows Monday morning will include the upper teens across the Hill Country, the low and mid-20s across Central Texas and the upper 20s coastal plains.

The outlook for next week calls for temperatures to trend a little milder as the arctic air shifts off to the east. A trough of low pressure is forecast to track east out of Mexico late Monday into Tuesday, causing the development of widespread light rain showers across the region. High temperatures next week will be in the 50s to low 60s with lows in the 30s.

Have a good week.

Bob