Updated 130pm CDT Tuesday / 24 April 2012

…. South Southeasterly Surface Winds Have Returned to Texas ….
…. Late Night and Early Morning Cloudiness with an Otherwise Partly Cloudy Sky ….
…. Even with Increased Humidity.. A Dry Weather Pattern Continues ….

On this Tuesday… surface high pressure is centered over the northwest Gulf of Mexico and over the four corners region with a trough.. or line.. of low pressure extending southward from eastern Colorado and western Kansas into the western Oklahoma and western Texas panhandles and further south into southwest Texas.  As a result, a southerly surface wind is blowing across our area.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, an upper level trough.. or line.. of low pressure is situated north to south over the eastern USA while a ridge of upper level high pressure covers the western USA with another trough.. or line.. of upper air low pressure off the west coast of the USA. As a result of the upper air wind flow, the upper level winds are moderate northwesterly over Texas.

The surface high pressure has moved east of the area with the development of a trough of low pressure to our west. As a result, a south southeasterly surface winds will continue with a return of low level moisture through the remainder of the week.

Late night and early morning low clouds will prevail as overnight low temperatures and daytime high temperatures rise back to above seasonal levels.

The latest guidance suggests that a weak cold front will move into west Texas on Saturday then progress through our area early Sunday. The front will pull up stationary to our south late Sunday into Monday. At this point, I continue slim rain shower and thunderstorm chances for Sunday into Monday given the proximity of the front. Temperatures will fall a few degrees as a result of the front.

Southerly surface winds will return to the area by Monday night into Tuesday of next week.

My forecast confidence continues very high through the remainder of the week and into Saturday. By Sunday and Monday, given the uncertainties of the weak cold front and any associated rain chances, my confidence falls to medium to high.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will see a partly cloudy sky with low clouds thickening after midnight. Lows in the 60s. South southeasterly wind. For tomorrow, it’ll be partly cloudy after morning low clouds. Highs in the 80s with a southerly wind.

Have a good Tuesday night and Wednesday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel