Updated 845am CDT Thursday / 18 April 2013

A Strong Cold Front Moving Across Texas with Much Cooler Temperatures ….
Plenty of Sun Late Week into the Weekend ….
A Weekend Warm Up in Store as Southerly Winds Return ….

On this Thursday morning…. a cold front extends southwestward from western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma to along and just east of the IH35 corridor and into northeastern Mexico southwest of Del Rio and west of Laredo. Surface high pressure.. centered over the Rockies and western plains states.. is building southward into our area in the wake of the front. Given this surface pressure pattern, surface winds are gusty north northwesterly across our area of Texas.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere…. a broad area of upper level low pressure is situated  from Wyoming and the western plains south southwestward into southwestern USA. Given this upper air pattern, winds over south central Texas and the Austin metro area about 18,000 feet above the ground are southwesterly 60 to 70 mph.

A strong cold front is moving southeastward through Texas with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of the front. The front passed through the Austin area in the 7am hour this morning. Rain chances are decreasing rapidly in the wake of the front this morning.

Drier and cooler air will continue to move into our area through tomorrow on the heels of the northerly wind. Daytime highs over the next few days will be well below seasonal averages with overnight lows in the 30s in outlying and low lying areas to 40s in the metro areas along the IH35 corridor.

The surface high pressure.. following this mornings front..  will move east of the area by late tomorrow night into Saturday with a southerly wind.. warmer temperatures and a little increase in cloud cover and humidity by late Saturday through Sunday and into early next week.

Have a good Thursday night and Friday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

Contact me:
[email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/troykimmel

Updated 845am CDT Wednesday / 17 April 2013

A Strong Cold Front with Thunderstorms Possible Late Tonight/Early Tomorrow ….
Much Cooler Temperatures Return By Tomorrow ….
A Weekend Warm Up in Store as Southerly Winds Return ….

On this Wednesday morning…. a stationary front extends west southwestward from the Missouri bootheel through Arkansas and Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle and then into a deepening surface low pressure area over southern Colorado. A cold front extends southward from the surface low through New Mexico. Given this surface pressure pattern, surface winds are southerly across our area of Texas.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere…. a broad area of upper level low pressure over the northwestern USA has consolidated into a sharp and deep trough extending from Montana south southwestward into southeastern California. Given this upper air pattern, winds over south central Texas and the Austin metro area about 18,000 feet above the ground are southwesterly 25 to 35 mph.

Southerly surface winds continue to bring moisture northward from the western Gulf of Mexico. This basic weather pattern will continue through tonight into early tomorrow. Clouds could break a little today by late morning today with afternoon sunshine getting afternoon high temperatures well in the 80s.

By tonight (after midnight) into early tomorrow.. a strong cold front will move southeastward through Texas with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms likely just ahead of the front as it moves through the area. At this point, I think the cold front will pass over the Austin area in the mid morning hours tomorrow with the best instability and atmospheric lift remaining to our distant north and, as a result, the highest rain chances and the threat of severe weather generally remaining to our north. In addition, time of day.. being the morning hours.. is also a negative for severe weather. Locally, I think we could see between 1/4 and 1/2 inch of rain with this systems passage.

Drier and cooler air will move down into our area by tomorrow midday and afternoon through tomorrow night into Friday. Surface high pressure will move east of the area by the weekend with a southerly wind.. warmer temperatures and a little increase in cloud cover and humidity by late Saturday through Sunday and into early next week.

Have a good Wednesday night and Thursday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

Contact me:
[email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/troykimmel