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It’s a fairly quiet weather day across Central Texas except for the wind. Again, a blustery breeze from the south prompts a high fire threat. We’ll find more springlike warmth, more clouds, and a slight rain chance this weekend as March arrives like a lamb.

A RED FLAG WARNING is in effect today for the Hill Country and Killeen-Temple-Waco area, along with a WIND ADVISORY across much of North Central Texas. Please help do your part to keep flames limited and under control as fires could quickly spread in these conditions!

After enjoying lots of sun today, a sign of moisture returning to the atmosphere will be seen in the form of scattered cloud development later this evening. Then, as a winter storm crosses the Plains (radar loop,) a weak cold front will slide south towards our area Friday but likely stall out somewhere nearby before having any impact on temps. A slim 20% chance or an isolated storm. An upper-air disturbance slowly moving across Mexico may produce a few showers in our skies this weekend.

Signs of a much stronger cold front continue to point to our next possible severe weather outbreak late Sunday night into Monday morning. The three key ingredients we need for showers and storms — uplift, moisture, and instability — will be in good supply across the area by then. As of today, the rain chance appears as high as 40% early Monday, but it subject to change as more data becomes available between now and then. Stay tuned for updates here and on the 8-day forecast.

Fly a Kite Sunday… Skies over Zilker Park will be filled with kites of all colors, shapes and sizes on Sunday. The 80th Zilker Park Kite Festival promises more fun and entertainment for the entire family. Despite the minimal rain chance, most of the day should be dry with a mix of sun and clouds, with afternoon temps in the upper 70s to near 80.

Severe Weather Awareness… Today, Rich Segal talks about our number one weather killer: floods. It’s one of the easiest weather phenomena to avoid! Find out how. Tomorrow, Marc Gomez concludes our series with a look into what it takes, both mentally and physically, to be one of the first on the scene after a disaster like a tornado ravages a community. Watch for severe weather trivia on ‘Weather on the Eights’ through the day, too.

Enjoy your Thursday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons

Blustery winds from the north bring a much cooler day than yesterday’s record 90s! We’ll barely break out of the 50s for some this afternoon, so dress accordingly.

After hitting a record 92 at the Austin/Camp Mabry thermometer yesterday afternoon, a polar cold front arrived around 10:15pm with some drastic change. Peak wind gusts so far:

46mph Waco
44mph Fort Hood
39mph San Marcos
39mph Temple
37mph ABIA
36mph Lockhart
35mph Camp Mabry

Sustained north winds near 25mph may gust again above 40mph, peaking early this afternoon. With very low humidity and dry vegetation, we have a high fire threat across Texas today. A WIND ADVISORY and RED FLAG WARNING are now in effect. Expect winds to tame after sunset tonight, after warming only into the low and mid 60s at best.

Clear, calm conditions tonight allow for a light freeze, especially outside of the city limits, and the coldest temps of our work week near sunrise Wednesday. Daytime temps will warm into the upper 60s under total sunshine, easing higher into the 70s Thursday, Friday, and for the weekend ahead.

An upper-air disturbance will swirl from the West Coast towards the Southern Plains by Friday with a weak front. If enough moisture returns from the Gulf between now and then, some isolated thunderstorms may develop. A 20% rain chance Friday increases to 30% Saturday, though widespread showers aren’t anticipated. Southerly breezes and clouds increase Sunday as another more powerful storm system nears our area for Monday, possibly with some showers. Check back for updates on the 8-day forecast.

Go Fly a Kite… Kite enthusiasts, get ready to take flight! The 80th Annual Zilker Park Kite Festival brings hundreds of kites to Central Texas skies this Sunday. We’ll expect a mix of sun and clouds that day with what looks to be a decent kite-flying breeze!

Severe Weather Week… Today’s story from Maureen McCann helps us prepare our homes to withstand strong spring storms. Then, on Wednesday, Rich Segal will show how schools prepare students for severe weather, with a visit to a slightly different local school than most. Thursday, we talk about last year’s record floods and how we can all avoid becoming a statistic. Then, on Friday, learn how rescuers prepare other rescuers for one of their toughest assignments: the storm season.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons