A generally dry and breezy week is ahead of us.

A cold front moved across the region late Sunday night into early Monday, bringing in drier and slightly cooler air. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any rain with the front. Sunny, breezy, and pleasant weather will be in place this afternoon through Tuesday afternoon in the wake of the front. High temperatures both days are forecast to be in the upper 70s to low 80s. Lows Tuesday morning are forecast to be in the low and mid-50s, with upper 50s expected near the coast. Expect northeasterly winds at 10-15 mph, with gusts to 25 mph this afternoon. On Tuesday, expect southeasterly winds at 10-15mph, with gusts to 30 mph.

Forecasts call for considerable moisture to spread north from the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday evening and Tuesday night. This will result in a mostly cloudy to overcast sky and milder temperatures. Lows Wednesday morning will be mostly in the mid-60s. Expect breezy southerly winds, with gusts to near 30 mph.

Wednesday through Friday’s weather will feature widespread clouds in the morning, followed by a partly cloudy sky in the afternoon. Humid and breezy conditions are forecast. The breezy conditions will be the result of a strong pressure gradient across the state. Expect southerly winds at 10-20 mph, with gusts to 30 mph each day. Lows Thursday and Friday mornings will range from the mid-60s across the Hill Country, to the low 70s near the coast. High temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-80s Wednesday, warming to 88-90 degrees Thursday and Friday.

A weak wave of low pressure tracking east out of northern Mexico may spark off a few isolated thunderstorms over parts of the western Hill Country and Big Country regions late Thursday afternoon into Thursday evening. However, forecasts indicate atmospheric conditions over the eastern Hill Country and Central Texas will be a bit too stable for any of these storms to make it much further to the east.

The outlook for the upcoming weekend calls for a slight chance for scattered afternoon and evening showers and isolated thunderstorms both days as the ridge over Texas weakens, allowing the atmosphere to become a bit more unstable. Without a significant weather feature in place, just a 20 percent chance for rain and isolated thunderstorms is forecast. Rain amounts, if any, should only total around a tenth of an inch. Otherwise, expect morning clouds and partly cloudy afternoons. It will be warm, with high temperatures in the upper 80s.

Looking ahead to next week, forecast solutions are pointing toward a somewhat better chance for scattered rain showers and thunderstorms Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning as a trough over the Desert Southwest lifts northeast to the southern Plains state. The trough will help drag a Pacific front across the area next Tuesday. Forecasts call for widespread rain showers and thunderstorms to develop just ahead of and along the cold front as it moves across the area. Rain amounts are predicted to generally range between 0.5 and 0.75 inches. Sunny and dry weather will follow next Wednesday through Friday. High temperatures next week are forecast to be mostly in the mid and upper 80s.

Bob