Weather Highlights through Late Next Week
- Sunny and dry weather will be in place Friday afternoon through Sunday
- A light freeze will be possible across the Hill Country and parts of Central Texas Saturday morning
- Showers and a few thunderstorms are forecast to spread across the region Tuesday into Tuesday night. The best chance for rain looks to be along and east of I-35
- Christmas Day weather is expected to be mostly sunny with high temperatures near 68-70 degrees
- A chance for showers will return to the forecast next Thursday
Discussion
Dry, quiet, and cool weather is in place as we head into the weekend before Christmas. Friday’s weather maps showed a stable ridge of high pressure covering the western U.S. that is expected to keep our weather dry and seasonal through Sunday. Forecasters are monitoring a reinforcing blast of cool air that is headed toward our region. As of late Friday morning, the leading edge of this cooler air was located near the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma. The cold front is moving to the south and southwest and is predicted to quietly move across the area late Friday afternoon and Friday evening. As a result, slightly cooler temperatures can be expected Friday night and Saturday.
With a clear sky and light winds in place, a light freeze is forecast across the Hill Country and the northern counties of Central Texas early Saturday morning. Do note temperatures in the Austin metro area are forecast to stay just above freezing. Freezing temperatures appear unlikely Sunday morning due to the return of light southerly breezes beginning Saturday night.
- High temperatures Friday are forecast to generally be in the mid-60s
- Low temperatures Saturday morning are predicted to be in the upper 20s to low 30s across the Hill Country, in the low and mid-30s across Central Texas, and in the upper 30s across the coastal plains
- High temperatures Saturday will be in the low 60s
- Lows Sunday morning will generally be near 38-40 degrees
- High temperatures Sunday are forecast to be in the mid and upper 60s
- Lows Monday morning are predicted to be in the mid and upper 50s
Some changes in the weather are forecast to take place Sunday night into Monday as southerly breezes bring increasing moisture to the area. Widespread low clouds will develop Sunday night into Monday morning. The sky should become partly cloudy Monday afternoon. Expect southerly breezes in the range of 10-20 mph.
Showers and scattered thunderstorms are forecast to develop across the region during the day Tuesday (Christmas Eve) as trough of low pressure dips south to the southern Plains. The probability for rain will be near 50 percent. The trough will help to push a Pacific cold front across the area late Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to increase ahead of and along the cold front. Atmospheric instability doesn’t look particularly impressive with this system; therefore, the threat for strong or severe storms appears quite low. The chance for rain is forecast to diminish from west to east Tuesday night as both systems push east of the area.
Due to the location of the greatest moisture, rainfall is predicted to be heaviest for areas along and to the east of Interstate-35. Totals trough Wednesday morning are forecast to average around a tenth of an inch across the Hill Country and between a quarter and a half inch at most other locations.
NWS Rainfall Forecast Valid through 6 pm Wednesday:
Christmas Day weather looks to be mostly sunny and mild in the wake of the departing storm system.
- High temperatures Monday and Tuesday are forecast to be in the mid-70s
- Lows Tuesday morning are forecast to be in the upper 50s to 60 degrees
- Lows Christmas morning will range from the mid and upper 40s across the Hill Country, to near 50 degrees across Central Texas, to the low and mid-50s across the coastal plains.
- High temperatures Christmas Day will be near 68-70 degrees
- Lows Thursday morning are forecast to be in the upper 40s to low 50s
A chance for rain showers will return to the forecast across the region next Thursday when another trough of low pressure pushes east across the southern Plains. Due to limited moisture return in advance of this system, rain amounts are forecast to only average around a tenth of an inch. The probability for rain Thursday and Thursday night is forecast to be around 30 percent.
Forecasts call for generally dry weather next Friday, followed by a slight chance for rain next weekend as a trough of low pressure sinks south into northern Mexico. As of now, rain amounts from this system are not expected to be very heavy.
Temperatures late week into next weekend are forecast to stay mild, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Slightly cooler temperatures are forecast for the week of December 30th.
Winter Solstice Happens Early Saturday Morning
The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its southernmost point in our sky for this year. That is what’s happening Saturday morning at 3:21 am CST). This solstice marks the unofficial beginning of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, and the start of the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere.
Did you know that Earth’s seasons are slightly different lengths? And by season, we mean the time between a solstice and an equinox. The season – between the December solstice and March equinox – is a touch shy of 89 days. So it’s Earth’s shortest season. In comparison, the period between the June solstice and autumn equinox is nearly 94 days.
As a matter of fact, every year in early January, the Earth swings closest to the sun for the year. And this nearest point is called Earth’s perihelion. Because Earth reaches perihelion in early January, our planet moves most swiftly in its orbit around that time. Planets move faster when they are closer to the sun than when they are farther from the sun. And it’s why a Northern Hemisphere winter, or Southern Hemisphere summer, is the shortest of the four seasons. It simply takes us fewer days at this time of year to move between a solstice and an equinox, compared to the period in summer.
Have a great weekend!
Bob
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