Updated  930am CDT Wednesday / 4 April 2012

…. Upper Level Low Pressure Storm Continues to Move Away From the Area ….
…. A Dry and Stable Weather Pattern Continues over the Next Few Days ….
…. Southerly Winds and Increased Humidity by Friday into the Weekend ….

On this Wednesday… an area of surface low pressure is over extreme northeastern Oklahoma with a cold front extending south southwestward through east Texas and along the Texas coast. Surface high pressure is located over New Mexico. As a result, a light and variable surface wind is becoming more south southeasterly tonight.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, a strong closed area of upper level low pressure is moving slowly east northeastward over the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. As a result of the upper air wind flow, upper level winds are strong west southwesterly across our area of Texas.

As the upper level low northwest of our area continues to move east northeastward out of the south central states, our atmosphere has become drier and more stable. Tonight, we’ll see surface winds become light south southeasterly. Overnight into the predawn hours tomorrow, another weak dry cold front will move southeastward with surface winds becoming north northwesterly once again.

The dry and more stable weather pattern will continues tomorrow into tomorrow night become our surface winds return south southeasterly on Friday. With the south southeasterly flow, moisture will begin to return to the area Friday night through the weekend with late night and early morning low cloudiness returning Friday night into Saturday morning.

Another weak cold front will approach and then move southeastward through the area early on Sunday morning with little in the way of sensible weather (other than the wind shift). A mix of clouds and sunshine is expected for late in the weekend into early next week.

Another slightly stronger cold front, again with little in the way of sensible weather, will move through the area early Tuesday morning with temperatures falling back a little closer to seasonal averages under a partly cloudy sky for the middle part of next week.

My forecast confidence over the next seven days will continue to be high to very high.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will see a mostly clear sky. Lows around 60. Light south southeasterly wind. For  tomorrow, it’ll be mostly sunny. Highs in the 80s with a north northwesterly wind.

Have a good Wednesday night and Thursday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel