Updated 130pm CDT Thursday / 26 July 2012

…. Little Change ….
…. A Dry Weather Pattern Persists ….
…. A Tropical Air Mass Continues Across the Area ….

On this Thursday… a surface high pressure area is located over the Gulf of Mexico. A weak trough.. or line.. of low pressure extends southwestward from Missouri and eastern Kansas through Oklahoma and west Texas and southern New Mexico with a a stationary front, within this trough, extending wet southwestward from southwestern Missouri and southeast Kansas through western and central Oklahoma into west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Another surface high pressure area is over the Rockies to the northwest of the front. As a result of this surface pattern, a southerly surface wind is prevailing across our area.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere, the upper high pressure ridge, acting like a lid on the atmosphere, continues broadly over the US south central plains east southeastward into  the lower Mississippi Valley and southeastern USA. As a result of the upper air wind flow, the upper level winds are light southerly over our area.

Although a moist tropical air mass continues across the area, the large stable upper level high pressure area overhead continues its influence on our area weather by keeping a “lid” on the atmosphere.

I expect little change in the overall pattern. It looks like the dry summertime forecast continues over the next seven days. Afternoon high temperatures will continue to be at or above seasonal averages through the seven day forecast period.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will see a few clouds with lows in the 70s. Southerly wind. For tomorrow, some morning low clouds will give way to a mostly sunny sky with highs in the 90s with a southerly wind.

Have a good Thursday night and Friday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel

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