Updated 915am CT – Thursday / 02 February 2017

… Cooler Temperatures in the Wake of the Overnight Cold Front …
… Unsettled Weather Pattern Continues into the Weekend …
… Another Cold Front Due Next Wednesday …

On this Thursday… a cold front extends westward from central Mississippi into a surface low pressure area over northeast Texas with the front southwestward to near Houston and along the Texas coastal plains then westward across the Rio Grande River near Laredo then northwestward through northeastern Mexico into the southwestern part of the state around the Texas Big Bend. High pressure, building in from the north in the wake of the cold front, is centered over the Nebraska/South Dakota border. As a result, our surface winds across south central Texas are northerly.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere.. the wind pattern has turned more zonal (generally west to east) with upper level low pressure areas centered over Hudson Bay and off the west coast distant west of northern California and Oregon. Our upper level winds, at about 18,500 feet overhead, are west northwesterly 10 to 20 mph.

A cold front passed the area just before midnight last night and has continued to move south of the area this morning. The surface wedge of cooler air that has moved into the area is only a little more than 2,000 feet deep with overrunning moisture coming up from the south and over the top of the colder air. We’ll see some breaks in the overcast today as the front moves off the Texas coast but by tonight into tomorrow, as the front weakens over the northwest Gulf and begins to return northward as a warm front, clouds will thicken a bit with even a few sprinkles developing.

The surface based cooler air mass with overrunning clouds will remain in place tomorrow into tomorrow night under a mostly cloudy sky. A few sprinkles and rain showers are possible especially as the warm front moves back northward through the area tomorrow night into Saturday. Warmer temperatures returning over the weekend into next week with clouds breaking a bit as southerly surface winds increase.

Our next cold front is now not seen until we get into the middle part of next week. Current guidance suggests that the cold front will move through the area next Wednesday during the morning hours. There will be a slim chance of rain showers and thunderstorms as the front moves through the area.

Overall, over the next seven days, I expect a generally dry weather pattern with any rainfall to average 1/10th inch or less.

Have a good Thursday….
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

Contact me:
tkimmel@austin.utexas.edu
http://www.facebook.com/troykimmel

—

Updated 845am CT.. Thursday / 02 February 2017

TODAY…. Patchy morning low clouds and fog with a few periods of drizzle before 10am. Becoming partly to mostly cloudy. Cooler. High 58. North northwesterly wind 5 to 10 mph.

TONIGHT…. Mostly cloudy. Low 45. Northerly wind 4 to 8 mph.

FRIDAY…. Mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles. A 10% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average trace amounts. High 59. Northeasterly wind 4 to 8 mph becoming more easterly by afternoon.

FRIDAY NIGHT…. Mostly cloudy with patchy fog developing. A few sprinkles. A 20% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average trace amounts. Low 50. Light east wind becoming southeasterly after midnight.

SATURDAY…. Patchy morning low clouds and fog. Becoming partly to mostly cloudy with widely scattered rain showers. Warmer. A 20% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average 1/10th inch or less. High 72. South southeasterly wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph.

SATURDAY NIGHT…. Partly to mostly cloudy. Patchy fog developing. A few sprinkles. A 10% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average trace amounts. Low 58. South southeasterly wind 4 to 8 mph.

SUNDAY…. Patchy morning low clouds and fog.. otherwise partly cloudy. High 76. Southerly wind 4 to 8 mph.

SUNDAY NIGHT…. Partly to mostly cloudy with patchy fog developing. Low 60. Light south southeasterly wind.

MONDAY…. Patchy morning low clouds and fog.. otherwise partly cloudy. High 77. Southerly wind 5 to 10 mph.

MONDAY NIGHT…. Partly to mostly cloudy. Patchy fog developing. Low 62. Light south southeasterly wind.

TUESDAY…. Patchy morning low clouds and fog.. otherwise partly cloudy. High 80. Southerly wind 5 to 10 mph.

TUESDAY NIGHT…. Partly to mostly cloudy. Patchy fog developing. Low 65. Southerly wind 4 to 8 mph.

WEDNESDAY…. Partly to mostly cloudy with widely scattered rain showers and thunderstorms as a cold front moves through in the morning hours. A 20% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average 1/4 inch. Partial clearing.. less humid and cooler in the afternoon. High 69. Southwesterly wind shifting northerly 8 to 15 mph.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE / 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK
Valid Thursday / 09 February 2017 through Wednesday / 15 February 2017…
Temperature… Above Average
Precipitation… Below Average

AUSTIN SUNSET/SUNRISE TIMES…..
Sunrise this morning (02 Feb)……………………………………………. 7:21 am
Sunset this evening (02 Feb)……………………………………………… 6:09 pm
Sunrise tomorrow (03 Feb)………………………………………………… 7:20 am
Sunset tomorrow (03 Feb)…………………………………………………. 6:10 pm