Updated 1145am CDT Monday / 24 September 2012

A Dry and Stable Weather Pattern Continues …
More Unsettled with Increased Clouds/Slim Rain Chances Late Week and Weekend …

On this Monday… a weakening front extends northwestward from southeastern Louisiana into northeast Texas and northwestern Oklahoma into a surface low over southeastern Colorado. High pressure is located to the northeast of the front over the Ohio Valley region. A surface high is also located over the four corners region. As a result of this surface pattern, a southerly surface wind prevails across our area.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, a ridge of upper air high pressure extends from the western Gulf of Mexico across south Texas into northern Mexico. A trough. or line.. of upper air low pressure continues over the eastern half of the USA. An upper level low pressure area is over southeastern Oregon.. northern Nevada and southwestern Idaho. As a result of this upper air wind flow, our upper level winds are light westerly.

Southerly surface winds continue across our area with patchy fog and morning low cloudiness prevailing with an otherwise partly cloudy sky.

By late week into the weekend, a passing upper air low pressure disturbance.. to our north.. will combine with available moisture (including some tropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean) to produce increased clouds and widely scattered to scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.. particularly Friday night into Saturday.

As the upper air low pressure disturbance passes, a weak surface cold front will pass through the area by Sunday morning with slightly cooler and drier air taking hold in a more stable airmass Sunday night into Monday.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will see a mostly clear sky with low clouds developing after 10pm. Lows in the in the 70s with a south southeasterly wind. For tomorrow, it’ll be mostly sunny after some morning low clouds and patchy fog with highs in 90s with a south southeasterly wind.

Have a good Monday night and Tuesday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

Contact me:
tkimmel@mail.utexas.edu
http://www.facebook.com/troykimmel