Updated 130pm CDT Friday / 20 July 2012

…. A Dry Weather Pattern Continues for Now ….
…. A Tropical Air Mass Continues Across the Area ….
…. Afternoon Highs Warm A Bit over the Next Few Days ….

On this Friday… a surface high pressure area is located over the southeastern USA  and the lower Mississippi Valley. A weak trough.. or line.. of low pressure extends southward from western Oklahoma southwestward into far southwest Texas. Another surface high pressure area is over western Colorado and northern New Mexico. As a result of this surface pattern, a south southwesterly surface wind is prevailing across our area.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, the upper high pressure ridge, acting like a lid on the atmosphere, continues broadly over the US central plains east southeastward into the Texas and the Mississippi Valley. As a result of the upper air wind flow, the upper level winds are light to moderate southerly over our area.

A moist tropical air mass continues across the area. However, the upper part of the atmosphere continues to grow more stable as the upper high over the plains states expands and builds southward into Texas.

As a result, it looks like a dry forecast for the next few days. With increased sunshine and the “lid” reestablishing itself in our atmosphere, afternoon high temperatures will continue to warm to above seasonal averages through the weekend.

There continues to be some indications that once we get into the middle and latter part of next week, a slightly more unsettled weather pattern will return with a few more clouds and perhaps a slim chance of rain.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will see a mostly clear sky with lows in the 70s. South southwesterly wind. For tomorrow, mostly sunny with highs in the 90s with a southerly wind.

Have a good Friday night and Saturday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

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