CENTRAL TEXAS — This evening is a wonderful opportunity for date night outside. Temperatures will land in the 70s and a mild breeze will make for pleasant outdoor conditions. A lovely sunset is in the picture at 7:36 p.m.
Big changes come Sunday with the arrival of a strong cold front. A wind advisory has been issued for the entire Central Texas area for Sunday. That advisory stretches into Monday for the Brazos Valley.
Central Texans should clear anything from their yards or driveways that could be affected by strong winds. Sustained winds will reach 25 mph and some areas could receive gusts near 50 mph.
This cold front is not a rain maker although there is a small chance the tail end of it could bring a wee bit of precipitation to the Brazos Valley. I have given the area a 20% coverage if rain makes its way through.
The cold front is moving relatively swiftly so the compressional heating will be less intense than initially predicted. However temperatures will still spike and we should reach the mid to upper 80s for the high.
A red flag warning also extends to all counties west of I-35 and most counties east of I-35. Sunday is definitely not a day to cook-out or use anything that could create fire. The dew points and relatively humidity will be very low and conditions are already dry. This makes the fire threat extreme on the western side of Central Texas, and very high for the rest of the area.
The biggest weather story is the massive drop in temperatures beginning Sunday. We will experience around a 30 degree plummet by the time we wake up Monday morning. Temperatures will drop to the mid 30s. Throw in the remaining breezy conditions and the feels-like temperatures will be in the 20s.
Monday is definitely a coat day. Tuesday morning will also require bundling up. However, a the luck of the Irish arrives on Saint Patrick's Day, and we begin a warming trend. Tuesday's highs will be in the 60s. Mid week a ridge high pressure establishes itself in the southwest and we will likely see temperatures rise to 90 degrees by next weekend.
Want this forecast delivered to your inbox each morning? Sign up for the daily forecast email newsletter here.
