Don’t be fooled by a weekend warm up, a MAJOR drop in temperatures is expected next week

After a freezing cold start to our morning, we had another pleasant, early-January day across Central Texas. Temperatures did officially get warmer than normal once again today thanks to the return of south winds. Temperatures will stay ABOVE freezing tonight, in the mid to upper 40s, thanks to the return of those south winds, which will continue to pump in more humidity and cloud cover… Which could result in a round of some dense fog for the morning commute, especially along and west of HWY 281. The morning fog and clouds will give way to some sunshine Friday afternoon with temperatures rebounding back into the low to mid 60s once again. The warming trend is expected to continue into the upcoming weekend before a STRONG ARCTIC front blows into Central Texas throughout the day Sunday. Saturday will start out in the 40s with mostly cloudy skies. We’ll likely keep the cloudy skies throughout the day Saturday, but temperatures will be in the mid to upper 60s for the afternoon! Cloud cover remains in place heading into Sunday morning, which keeps our temperatures into the mid to upper 50s kicking off the 2nd half of the weekend… But don’t be fooled by the warmer start to the day Sunday, because we have BIG weather changes that’ll be barging through.

As of now, the strong, Arctic front looks to arrive during the daytime hours Sunday. Rain chances with this front don’t look great, but there may be a chance for some rain east of I-35, but we’re thinking most will miss out on rain with the arrival of this front. The bigger story is the change in temperatures! Now temperatures will greatly vary across Central Texas on Sunday due to the exact timing of the front, BUT we can all prepare for much colder temperatures settling in as the day goes on. Breezy south/southwest winds can be expected at the start of the day, but expect strong north/northwest winds to move in behind the front, which will usher in that colder air… So if you have any plans to be out during the day Sunday, don’t be fooled by the milder morning and grab a warm jacket because you’ll be wanting one as we head into the afternoon and especially evening hours! As far as high temperatures go Sunday, we’ll likely mostly reach into the 60s before temperatures drop, but it’ll be colder for our northern areas and warmer to the south, potentially some in our southern counties even warming into the low 70s ahead of the front. By sunset Sunday, temperatures could already be in the 40s with wind chills in the 30s thanks to 30+ mph northerly winds! By the time we wake up Monday morning, temperatures will be below freezing in the mid to upper 20s across Central Texas, with wind chills down into the teens as kiddos head back to school!

The first half of next week is looking COLD across Central Texas as northerly winds continue to keep the cold air around. High temperatures will likely only warm into the low to mid 40s Monday through Wednesday! We’re expecting below-freezing temperatures throughout the overnight/morning hours all of next week and possibly into next weekend too. Morning lows will be down into the mid to upper 20s Monday through Thursday morning, and in the upper 20s to low 30s Friday morning into next weekend. Afternoon highs will rebound back into the low 50s by Thursday and continue to slowly climb back up some over the weekend. There’s been a lot of chatter on the potential for wintry precip across the state, but as of right now, confidence is not great for wintry weather for Central Texas. Forecast models are NOT in good agreement with the chance for snow/sleet or rain. We’ll have to see if a storm system develops and approaches from the west by the middle of the week. IF we were to see wintry weather, the days we’d be watching will be Wednesday or Thursday. There’s A LOT that needs to be nailed down over the coming days and we’ll continue to keep you updated. Although temperatures should warm up above freezing every day, we may spend enough time below freezing at night to potentially cause some minor piping issues. If you’re concerned about the integrity of your piping, make sure you’re prepared to protect them by Sunday afternoon.

Copyright 2024 KWTX. All rights reserved.