Updated 915am CT -Tuesday / 07 February 2017

… South Southwesterly Wind with Record Warmth …
… Our Next Cold Front Passes Late Tomorrow Afternoon / Night …
… A Stronger Cold Front Due Late Sunday … Wetter Weather Pattern Follows …

On this Tuesday… a surface low pressure area is over southeastern Kansas with a cold front extending southwestward across central Oklahoma into west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. As a result, our surface winds across south central Texas are south southwesterly.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere.. the wind pattern continues to be rather zonal (generally west to east) over the USA with a shortwave trough.. or upper level low pressure disturbance.. moving eastward from the plains states into the central and lower Mississippi Valley region. Our upper level winds, at about 18,500 feet overhead, are northwesterly at about 60 mph.

A more pronounced west southwesterly surface wind will take hold locally today with drier air moving in from the west. This will allow for a rapid warmup with record highs expected in the area both today as well as tomorrow. Overnight lows tonight will be slightly cooler given the drier air place over the area.

Our next cold front is expected in the late afternoon into evening hours tomorrow. Due to the drier and more stable component of the air ahead of the front, I do not expect any precipitation and little in the way of clouds as the front moves through the area.

Temperatures will cool a bit for Wednesday night and Thursday with surface winds turning more southerly once again Friday as a warming trend begins.

Clouds will increase a bit as low level moisture returns on the heels of the south southeasterly wind flow Friday night through Saturday and early Sunday.

The next cold front, this one a bit stronger, will move across the IH35 corridor late in the afternoon into the evening hours on Sunday. Current indications are that we’ll see a few rain showers associated with the atmospheric lift ahead of and just along the front with clouds persisting and rain chances increasing back in the colder surface air behind the front in association with a strong upper level low pressure storm system approaching Texas from the west. Temperatures, as a result of the expected clouds, will turn much cooler in the wake of the front.

Have a good Tuesday….
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

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

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Updated 845am CT.. Tuesday / 07 February 2017

TODAY…. Patchy morning low clouds and fog.. otherwise mostly sunny with record warmth. High 89. West southwesterly wind 5 to 10 mph.

TONIGHT…. Mostly clear. Low 58. South southwesterly wind 4 to 8 mph.

WEDNESDAY…. A few low clouds in the morning becoming mostly sunny with record warmth in the afternoon. A weak cold front will move into the area by late afternoon. High around 90. West southwesterly wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwesterly 5 to 12 mph by late afternoon.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…. Clear and cooler. Low 50. Northerly wind 5 to 10 mph.

THURSDAY…. Sunshine. High 69. Northerly wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northeasterly in the afternoon.

THURSDAY NIGHT…. Mostly clear. Low 50. Light easterly wind.

FRIDAY…. Mostly sunny and warmer. High 75. Light wind in the morning becoming southerly 5 to 12 mph by afternoon.

FRIDAY NIGHT…. Becoming mostly cloudy. Low 60. South southeasterly wind 4 to 8 mph.

SATURDAY…. Morning low clouds otherwise partly cloudy and unseasonably warm. High 84. South southwesterly wind 5 to 12 mph.

SATURDAY NIGHT…. Partly cloudy. Low 62. South southeasterly wind 5 to 12 mph.

SUNDAY…. Some morning low clouds.. otherwise partly cloudy. Widely scattered rain showers. Rainfall, where it occurs, will average 1/10th inch or less. High 78. Southerly wind 5 to 12 mph shifting more southwesterly in the afternoon.

SUNDAY NIGHT…. Mostly cloudy and turning cooler with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms as a cold front passes in the evening hours. A 30% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average 1/4 inch. Low 51. Southwesterly wind shifting north northwesterly 10 to 20 mph with some higher gusts.

MONDAY…. Cloudy and much cooler with scattered patches of rain and rain showers. A 40% chance of rain; rainfall, where it occurs, will average 1/4 inch or less. Highs remaining in the 50s. Northerly wind 8 to 15 mph.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE / 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK
Valid Tuesday / 14 February 2017 through Monday / 20 February 2017…
Temperature… Above Average
Precipitation… Above Average

AUSTIN SUNSET/SUNRISE TIMES…..
Sunrise this morning (07 Feb)……………………………………………. 7:17 am
Sunset this evening (07 Feb)……………………………………………… 6:13 pm
Sunrise tomorrow (08 Feb)………………………………………………… 7:17 am
Sunset tomorrow (08 Feb)…………………………………………………. 6:14 pm