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Breezes will turn from cool to warm this afternoon as sunshine elevates us to near 80 today. Just enough humidity will return to the atmosphere from the Gulf to provide a brief rain and storm chance tonight with our first of three cold fronts for the week.

Southerly winds between 10-20mph may gust up to 25-30mph this afternoon, prompting a WIND ADVISORY for at least parts of our area. They’ll shift direction and maintain breezy status tonight.

Another large upper-air storm sends blizzard-like conditions into the Rockies and Plains, and we get a taste of that cool air. The front will sweep across I-35 around 1-4am it appears, so you may awake to a brief clap of thunder but many will otherwise likely sleep right through it. It’s a 30% rain chance from midnight to 6am. You’ll certainly feel a difference in the morning, though, with windchills in the 30s and 40s possible!

We’ll drop to the low 50s tonight Waco and upper 50s Austin, rising back only to near 70 at the warmest tomorrow under sunny skies. Tuesday night temps drop to a range of 40s, the coldest of the work week, before rebounding to near 80 again Wednesday. Another subtle cooldown comes with Thursday’s front (and only a 20% rain chance.)

Saturday’s front may also deliver some showers and storms, but it’s too eartly to tell with certainty. Check back for details on the 8-day forecast.

Enjoy your Monday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons

Foggy, drizzly, cool morning weather across Central Texas was interrupted by brief storms firing up directly over our area.  Quarter inch diameter hail was reported in Lockhart as well as downtown and southwest Austin.  At just over one half inch in Downtown Austin at our Huston-Tillotson weather station, it was the heaviest metro rain this week!

Now get ready for the next twist:  strong westerly winds have already swept into the Hill Country and will arrive soon, with temps dropping sharply by evening as a blustery cold front sweeps across I-35. Daytime 70s drop to 30s and 40s tonight, with a light freeze possible this weekend.

We’re not expecting much if any more rain, only a slim 20% chance in the forecast. You’ll know it when the front arrives, too, as winds from the west become quite breezy. Sustained winds near 25mph may gust to 40mph, prompting a WIND ADVISORY from noon to midnight. Winds again gust up to near 35-40mph Saturday before tapering.

Gardeners, protect any of that recently planted or otherwise tender vegetation! From Waco to the Hill Country, some may end up in the mid 30s overnight before warming to mid and upper 60s around Austin and near 60 for Waco. Might get a few degrees colder Saturday night with widespread 30s possible, maybe some briefly around 32. Under abundant sunshine and high pressure, Sunday looks wonderful…and will feel it, too, with low to mid 70s!

Lone Star Blizzard… After reaching 78 in Amarillo yesterday, highs there today will struggle to rise above 28 as several inches of snow fall (radar loop,) maybe up to half a foot at the extreme, as today’s disturbance swirls east of the Rockies.

Another upper-air disturbance swings out of the Rockies to the Plains Monday with a cold front for our area, though rain chances don’t look high next week on the 8-day forecast just yet. Check back for updates.

Volcano Redoubt… There’s been so little time to focus on any other earth sicence this week, but we’ve got a big headline after several eruptions of Redoubt in Alaska since last weekend.  Reports of ash fall continue today in Anchorage.  Thursday’s eruption with an ash cloud up to 60,000 ft. high was photographed by the USGS.

NOAA weather satellites were able to capture this oblique-angle view of the ash plume!  See below for close-up.

Historical periods of cooling and even some of earth’s previous ice ages were believed to have been caused by eruptions just like this, in which huge amounts of particulate matter inject into the upper atmosphere.  It can take months for those very small aerosols to disperse around the globe.  In the meantime, some of our incoming sunlight becomes filtered or blocked.  Yes, global cooling can result from volcanic activity!  It’ll be very interesting to see what more comes from Redoubt and what ramifications we might see in the long term.

Enjoy your Friday and have a wonderful weekend.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons