First Warning: Even colder air brings wintry mix chance
AUSTIN (KXAN) — We're fresh off our most recent round of cold that brought lows in the 20s and highs in the upper 30s and low 40s to Central Texas.
The First Warning Weather Team is tracking even colder air than that due to arrive later this weekend with the biggest impacts possible on Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and Tuesday of next week.
Colder temperatures
Right now our highest confidence is with the colder air. Morning temperatures in the 50s and 60s on Saturday will turn much colder Saturday afternoon as an arctic cold front pushes through the area.
This frontal passage will be dry, but temperatures will drop quickly during the later parts of the day with widespread freezing lows expected by Sunday morning.
Cold air will continue to spill into the area on Sunday keeping highs only in the 40s.
But, it's early next week when temperatures should reach their coldest.
We currently expect that highs on Monday and Tuesday won't get out of the 30s and morning low temperatures could be as cold as the 20s or teens.
This would be colder than the chilly and wet weather we had last week that brought areas of icing into the Hill Country.
Wintry precipitation
Just like our last round of cold, we're much more confident in the cold than the precipitation.
This time precipitation should be arriving from the south, giving South Texas higher odds of wet or wintry weather early next week. Determining how far north and west the precipitation gets into Central Texas will be our goal over the coming days.
While all types of precipitation are possible Monday and Tuesday of next week (snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain), snow would look less likely given the origination of the precipitation coming from the typically warmer south. Sleet or freezing rain would be the primary concerning wintry precipitation types, but plain rain is possible too given daytime temperatures that currently look to rise above freezing.
Also like the last round, we won't gain much confidence in precipitation amounts, type or timing until our higher-resolution computer modes start to see the storm, which won't happen until three days out.
Right now Monday and Tuesday of next week have low chances for precipitation until we start to see more agreement from our longer-range computer models.
Preparation
Given the likelihood of sub-freezing nights and cold days, plan on protecting the Four Ps early next week. People and pets should limit exposure to the cold, non-native plants may not get through next week's cold unless protected. We'll also have to watch our pipes as this cold may not only be colder but more long-lasting.
Stay with the First Warning Weather Team as we track the forecast changes over the coming days.