Quiet weather conditions are in place as we move into the last few days of 2022. The bone-chilling arctic air mass which settled across our area late last week pushed east of our area Christmas Day into Monday. Cool air remains in place, but significantly milder readings look to develop Tuesday night into Wednesday and continue through New Year’s weekend. In fact, no addition freezes are predicted through at least the first week of January.
A mostly sunny sky will be in place this afternoon and Wednesday as our region remains under the influence of a dry, stable wind flow in the lower, middle, and upper atmosphere. Light northeasterly winds Tuesday morning are forecast to become southeasterly Tuesday afternoon. Southerly breezes at 5-10 mph Tuesday night will increase to 10-15 mph, with gusts to 30 mph Wednesday. The wind out of the south will bring noticeably warmer temperatures tonight and Wednesday.
- Tuesday’s high temperature is forecast to be near 58-60 degrees across the Hill Country, and in the mid-50s across Central Texas and the coastal plains.
- Lows Wednesday morning will generally be around 38-40 degrees.
- High temperatures Wednesday are forecast to be in the low to mid-70s.
- Lows Thursday morning will range from the low 50s across the Hill Country, to the upper 50s across Central Texas, to the low and mid-60s near the coast.
Forecasts call for a Pacific trough of low pressure to push east out of the southern Rockies and northern Mexico Thursday through Friday. A Pacific cold front associated with the trough is predicted to move across Texas late Thursday through Friday. Gulf moisture returning ahead of the upper trough is forecast to mainly spread across East and Southeast Texas. As a result, no rain is predicted when the front moves across the Hill Country. There will be 20 percent chance for rain showers and isolated thunderstorms for areas along the Interstate 35 corridor Thursday into Thursday evening. The most favorable area for rain will generally be east of a line stretching from Victoria, to La Grange, to near Franklin. Here, the probability for rain and thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and Thursday night will be around 60 percent. All of the rain is predicted to push off to the east Friday morning.
Rain amounts are predicted to average around a tenth of an inch or less across the Intestate 35 corridor. Further east, totals are forecast to average between 0.25 and 0.75 inches.
The sky is expected to be overcast Thursday, but become mostly sunny on Friday.
- High temperatures Thursday are forecast to be in the low and mid-70s.
- Lows Friday morning are forecast to be in the mid-40s across the Hill Country and be around 50 degrees across Central Texas. Across the coastal plains, expect lows in the upper 50s.
- High temperatures Friday will be around 70-72 degrees.
- Lows Saturday morning will range from the upper 40s across the Hill Country, to the mid-50s near the coast.
Mostly sunny, dry and mild weather is forecast this weekend as a stable ridge of high pressure spreads over Texas out of the Desert Southwest.
- Highs Saturday and Sunday are forecast to be in the mid-70s.
- Lows Sunday morning will range from the upper 40s across the Hill Country, to the mid-50s across the coastal plains.
Rain and thunderstorms will return to the forecast late next Sunday night through next Monday when another Pacific trough of low pressure tracks east-northeast out of the southern Rockies. Forecasts indicate this could be a rather potent storm system, with a good chance for rain expected across the entire region. Some strong to even severe storms will even be possible. An early look at projected rainfall shows totals of a quarter inch across the Hill Country, and between 0.25 and 0.5 inches at most other locations.
Dry and mild weather is forecast next Tuesday through Thursday. Long-range forecasts are showing another wet, Pacific storm system moving across Texas sometime late next week into the following weekend.
High temperatures next week are predicted to generally be in the 60s, with lows mostly in the 40s.
All Five Naked-Eye Visible Planets Visible this Week
This week, you can see all 5 bright planets after sunset. But you’ll need a clear horizon from the southwest to the east. Start looking about 30 minutes after sunset. Mercury and Venus will be low in the western horizon. Once you catch Mercury and Venus, then scan the southern and eastern sky for Saturn, bight Jupiter and bight Mars.
Have a good week.
Bob
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