Updated  930am CDT Thursday / 5 April 2012

…. Low Level Moisture Returns Back from the Southeast ….
…. A Stable Weather Pattern Continues over the Next Few Days ….
…. Temperatures Expected to Continue Above Seasonal Averages ….

On this Thursday… an area of surface low pressure is over southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois with a weak cold front extending southwestward into south Texas. As a result, a light southeasterly surface wind has become more west northwesterly as the front continues slowly southeastward.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, a closed area of upper level low pressure is moving eastward over north central Arkansas. As a result of the upper air wind flow, our upper level winds have become more northwesterly across our area of Texas.

As the upper level low northwest of our area continues to move eastward out of the south central states, our atmosphere, which became more moist overnight, is becoming drier once again with a west northwesterly surface wind flow.

The drier and more stable weather pattern will continue through the next few days even though our surface winds return south southeasterly overnight tonight into tomorrow.  With the south southeasterly flow, moisture will begin to return to the area tomorrow 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 cold front, again with little in the way of sensible weather, will approach the area next Tuesday but the system doesn’t look to be as strong as I thought it might be yesterday.

Another cold front will move into west Texas by next Wednesday.

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 wind becoming southeasterly. For  tomorrow, it’ll be mostly sunny after some early morning low clouds and patchy fog. Highs in the 80s with a south southeasterly wind.

Have a good Thursday night and Friday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel