A dry and quiet weather pattern continues across the area and forecasts indicate it may be another week before we see our next chance for rain. Friday’s weather maps showed a large trough of low pressure tracking east across Oklahoma. A Pacific cold front associated with the trough is pushing east out of West Texas and is expected to move off the middle Texas coast this evening. As of late morning, the cold front stretched from just east of Waco, to near Austin, to Eagle Pass. Today’s atmosphere is just too dry and stable for any showers to develop along the front as it crosses Central Texas. However, a few spotty light showers will be possible in the coastal plains region mid to late afternoon, in a zone of somewhat higher moisture. Today’s sky will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy as considerable middle and high-level clouds spread in from the west.
Behind the cold front, expect breezy west and northwesterly winds at 10-15 mph, with occasional gusts to 30 mph. Similar winds are forecast to continue overnight. Much drier air is expected behind the front. The combination of the dry air and the breezy conditions will bring increased fire weather concerns to the Hill Country and most of Central Texas through late afternoon. Afternoon temperatures are predicted to generally reach the mid and upper 70s.
A Canadian cold front with noticeably cooler air is forecast to spread south across the region this evening and overnight. Lows Saturday morning will include the mid and upper 40s across the Hill Country, be around 50 degrees across Central Texas and be in the mid-50s near the coast.
Mostly sunny conditions and a little cooler weather is forecast Saturday through Sunday. High temperatures Saturday will be in the mid to upper 60s. Expect a breezy northeasterly wind at 10-15 mph through late afternoon. Lows Sunday morning will range from the low 40s west to the upper 40s near the coast. Sunday’s temperature is forecast to climb to around 68-70 degrees. Winds should be fairly light. Lows Monday morning will be in the mid and upper 40s.
Partly cloudy, breezy and warm conditions are predicted Monday through Friday. Forecasts call for our region to be situated between a large ridge of high pressure over the southeastern U.S. and large trough of low pressure over the western U.S. and the northern Plains states. This type of setup typically brings a pattern of warm, breezy and humid weather. High temperatures next week are forecast to be near 78-82 degree with low temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s. Expect southeasterly breezes at 10-15 mph throughout the week.
Longer-range forecasts call for a more unsettled weather pattern to develop across Central Texas next weekend and the early part of the following week. Forecasts call for cooler air to spread south behind a cold front sometime next Saturday or Sunday. At the same time, a piece of the western trough is forecast to track east across Texas next weekend. Forecasts call for an increasing chance for rain showers and thunderstorms beginning next Saturday, continuing into the following Monday. Depending on how both features set up, we could see a potential for some good soaking rains. Temperatures will trend cooler, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s for much of the week.
Last Week of Standard Time
This will be the last week of Standard Time. A heads up that Daylight Saving Time will begin next Sunday, March 14th at 2:00 am. At that time, we will lose an hour of time, setting our clocks forward by one hour. Mornings will be darker, but evenings will contain another hour of daylight.
Have a good weekend!
Bob
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