Updated  130pm CDT Friday / 23 March 2012

…. Stable Weather Pattern with a Mostly Clear to Partly Cloudy Sky Next Few Days ….
…. Warmer Daytime Temperatures Through the Weekend ….
…. With More Instability, Clouds and Rain Chances by Middle Part of Next Week ….

On this Friday morning… a surface cold front extends from the middle Mississippi Valley to northeastern Mississippi and south central Louisiana and into the Gulf of Mexico before extending across deep south Texas. High pressure is located over New Mexico.  As a result, a light or light southerly surface wind is blowing across our area of Texas.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, a deep counterclockwise rotating closed upper level low is over southern and eastern Missouri. As a result, upper level winds are moderate west northwesterly across our area of Texas.

With the upper level low pressure disturbance finally off to our distant northeast, a stable and drier air mass is in place across our area.

As surface winds turn more southerly, a few more clouds will return by tonight through the weekend, but, for the most part, a partly cloudy sky will permit lots of sunshine through the weekend into early next week.

Passing west-to-east overhead, weak upper air disturbances will combine with increased low level moisture and limited instability by the middle part of next week resulting in increased cloud cover and, at least at this time, slim rain chances.

My forecast confidence through the early part of next week is very high with my confidence falling to medium to high with the timing of the increased cloud cover and slim rain chance for the middle part of next week.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will see a clear to partly cloudy sky. Lows in the 50s. Southerly wind will prevail. For  tomorrow, mostly sunny. Highs in the 80s with southerly winds.

Have a good Friday night and Saturday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel