This has been quite the week for wind and spring-like temperatures, thanks to persistent southerly breezes off the Gulf of Mexico. This mild weather pattern is expected to continue through the weekend and early next week, with just a slight cooldown expected for late next week. No cold weather is on horizon. There is a little rain in the forecast over the next week, but amounts are forecast to generally be less than a half inch.

Friday is shaping up to another mostly cloudy, dry and breezy day across the region with high temperatures generally near 80-83 degrees. Expect southerly winds at 10-20 mph with occasional gusts to 25 mph. All eyes are currently focused on a large trough of low pressure located over southern California. This system is forecast to cross the Desert Southwest Saturday, move toward the southern Plains states Sunday, then pull north to the Middle Mississippi Valley on Monday. Although this system will track north of Texas, it will help push a Pacific cold front across Texas Saturday night into Sunday. Conditions appear favorable for the development of showers and isolated thunderstorms along and just behind the front.

In advance of the storm system and cold front, Saturday’s weather is predicted to once again be mostly cloudy, breezy and warm. A few spotty light rain showers will be possible through the morning hours. Expect strong southerly breezes at 15-25 mph, with gusts to around 30 mph. High temperatures will be around 80 degrees.

Forecasts call for an area of rain showers and thunderstorms to develop along the cold front across West Texas Saturday evening. The rain and storms are predicted to spread east across the Hill Country late Saturday evening into the hours after midnight. Some of the storms across the northern Hill Country could be strong—producing large hail and gusty winds. The rain and thunderstorms look to spread into the Austin/Central Texas region after midnight Saturday night, reaching the coastal plains region late Saturday night into Sunday morning.  As of now, it appears the atmosphere will be too stable to support the development of severe thunderstorms. The showers and storms are forecast to end across the Hill Country just after daybreak Sunday while across Central Texas, the rain and storms should end about midday. The sky is predicted to become mostly sunny Sunday afternoon. Lows Sunday morning are forecast to be near 50 degrees across the Hill Country and in the mid to upper 50s across Central Texas. High temperatures Sunday will be in the low 70s.

The chance for scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are forecast to persist across the coastal region Sunday into Sunday evening as the cold front pulls up stationary across the area. Lows Sunday morning will be in the low 60s. Highs on Sunday are forecast to be in the low 70s.

Weekend rain totals across the region  are forecast to generally average between a quarter and a half inch. A couple of isolated totals to near 1 inch will be possible.

Mostly sunny weather is forecast next Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will still be mild, but the air will be noticeably drier.

  • Lows Monday morning will include the upper 40s across the Hill Country and Central Texas regions and the low 50s across the coastal plains.
  • High temperatures Monday will be near 80 degrees.
  • Lows Tuesday morning will range from the upper 40s across the Hill Country to the upper 50s near the coast.

Forecasts call for a chance for rain to develop Wednesday into Wednesday evening as another cold front moves across the region. The probability for rain will be near 40-50 percent. However, rain amounts are forecast to average less than a quarter inch. Expect a partly to mostly cloudy sky Wednesday, with a high temperature in the mid-70s.

Sunny and slightly cooler weather is expected to follow the cold front next Thursday and Friday. High temperatures both days look to be near 68-70 degrees while low temperatures will be in the 40s.

The outlook for next weekend calls for more sunny and mild weather with highs in the low and mid-70s and lows in the 50s.

Looking out into the week of March 22nd, forecasts call for generally dry and mild weather as the jet stream becomes nearly zonal over the central U.S. High temperatures are predicted to be in the 70s with lows in the 40s and 50s.

No cold temperatures are forecast through the end of the month. It’s appearing more and more likely now that most of our region has seen its last freeze for the winter. While temperatures can still get cold in April, it becomes much harder to get cold air masses that will produce freezes. Stay tuned for further updates.

This is Time Change 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 weekend.

Bob