Updated  130pm Wednesday / 18 January 2012

…. Southerly Winds Return to our Area and Continues Next Few Days ….
…. Cold Fronts Still Due Early Saturday Morning and Again Early Next Week ….
…. Clouds by the Weekend with Rain Chances Late Weekend/Next Week ….

On this Wednesday… a dome of surface high pressure is located from the Mississippi Valley south southwestward into Texas.  Yesterday’s cold front extends from the southeastern USA into the central Gulf of Mexico and into Mexico well south of Brownsville. As a result of this surface pressure pattern, northerly wind is increasing across the area as the front passes.

In the upper levels of the atmosphere… a most zonal (west-to-east) upper level wind flow is over the USA with the low pressure storm track well north of Texas. As a result of this pressure pattern, the upper air winds over our area of Texas are light to moderate westerly.

As the surface high overhead moves eastward, we’re already seeing a return to a south southwesterly wind flow. Enough moisture will return for late night and early morning low cloudiness by tomorrow night into Friday.

Another weak cold front moves across the area by early next Saturday but limited instability and moisture will keep the mention of rain out of the forecast.

Winds will quickly return back southerly by Sunday with clouds increasing ahead of another series of cold fronts  expected by next Tuesday morning.

Slightly cooler and drier air will likely move into the area from the west northwest by the middle part of next week.

My forecast confidence through the remainder of this week is very high. My forecast confidence.. for the weekend into early next week.. is medium with exact timing of the Tuesday cold front as well as any rain chances is still a little uncertain.

For Austin and south central Texas… tonight will be mostly clear.  Lows in the  40s. South southwesterly wind 5 to 12 mph. For tomorrow, it’ll be mostly sunny. Highs will be back in the 70s with southwesterly wind 8 to 15 mph.

Have a good Wednesday night and Thursday…
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel