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A cloudy, foggy, wet start to this Wednesday will make for tough travel across many Texas roadways. For some in the Panhandle, ice and snow make it even worse. As a front moves through the state today we’re in for more showers before the sun returns.

Morning fog and light showers bring low visibility for drivers this morning, so please be extra cautious and make sure you’re not in a rush. Yes, that tropical southeast breeze keeps us moist! Visibility down to a mile has been reported from Temple to San Marcos. The fog will lift late this morning.

Futurecast shows the Pacific cold front tied to this latest winter storm edging through the I-35 corridor through midday today. In advance, a 50% chance more light to moderate rain will fall across the area. As the front pushes through, isolated thunder may erupt from some of the heavier cells as they move west to east across the area. We could get about a tenth to a quarter of an inch for some.

Northwest winds will return this afternoon with a drier breeze that’ll help break up the clouds by evening. We’ll turn cooler overnight, dropping into the mid and low 40s by daybreak Thursday, with near average temps into Friday. Travel across Texas will be mostly dry and fairly sunny by then.

The holiday weekend turns much colder as a Canadian cold front plunges southward Saturday, with spotty rain showers turning to snow flurries from the Hill Country towards I-35 by Sunday morning. Although no ice/snow accumulation is expected, it’ll be fun to watch as we head towards Christmas Eve! Wind chills will be in the 30s and 40s over the weekend, so get ready to bundle up. Christmas Day itself is looking fairly chilly, as well, with a light morning freeze and highs only in the mid 50s.

National Travel… As the big winter storm moves from the Plains to the midwest, heavy rain and storms will sweep across the Mississippi River Thursday then push towards the Eastern Seaboard through Saturday. By late Sunday, that precip will lessen for the northeast (in the 40s to low 50s) though southeastern communities (upper 50s to 40s) will continue to see showers and storms. Another storm system will arrive this weekend in the Pacific northwest, as well, with temps in the mid 40s. Travel will be much easier nationwide by Wednesday of next week.

Stay tuned for the latest here and on ‘Weather on the Eights.’ You’ll always find the most current data on our 8-day forecast.

Winter Solstice… The “shortest day of the year” comes tomorrow, marking a change of the seasons. We call it the Winter Solstice, the time of year where the earth’s tilt provides us the least amount of daylight. Winter officially arrives at 6:20 pm.

Winter Forecast… Experts at the Climate Prediction Center continue to lean on the El Nino for rain through the next three months, in spite of our recent dry spell. The forecast calls for above normal precipitation and near normal temperatures in much of the south, including Texas, for the season ahead.

Enjoy your Wednesday and travel safely. I wish the very best for you and yours through the holidays, and will be with you again early next year.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons

Cloudy skies and warmer winds keep the brutal cold away this morning, with the warmest day this week now upon us. But just as soon as we take off our coats to enjoy a bit of this mild weather, our next cold front makes it to town. We’ll be freezing again for the end of the week before some much needed rain moves this direction… we hope.

Skies turned cloudy overnight across Central Texas, with temps dropping only into the 40s and 50s most areas. That’s nearly 25 degrees warmer than sunrise the last four days! Expect highs in the upper 60s to low 70s this afternoon, the only time this week we’ll call for above-normal temps.

Futurecast shows the cold front arriving in the Hill Country this afternoon then sweeping across the CapCity by 7-9pm or so. There’s a limited 20% chance for a few sprinkles into the night. Stout north winds will push the warmth south, putting us in the 40s overnight and only in the 50s Thursday and Friday.

The subtropical jet stream or “pineapple express” continues to actively push Pacific moisture from Hawaii to Texas, and a big disturbance (known as a “Kona low” to habitants of the Aloha State) will be travelling along this conveyor belt soon, too. It’ll push over the Baja and sweep across Northern Mexico, most likely arriving along the Rio Grande Valley southwest of us by Saturday.

At the same time down at ground level, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will also be returning to the area. We’ll gradually warm and humidify our atmosphere this weekend as that disturbance moves in, lending to more clouds and a chance for rain. Showers and a few storms may linger into next week, with another cold front expected by Tuesday.

As always, we’re still several days out so be sure to check back for all the specifics and frequent updates to the 8-day forecast.

Get out and enjoy your Wednesday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons