Good to come to you after a quiet morning...compared to how Wednesday started with rumbling thunder, lightning and even golf ball size hail in a few locations.
Yup -- the final hours of Winter turned out to be a doozy for some. Now that we've turned the page to Spring, get used to the chance of stronger thunderstorms rolling through your forecast. In fact, we could even see a few, once again, as early as this weekend.
Warming Up:
Following Wednesday's storms, a weak cold front kept highs to the low 70s for many.
Today, southerly winds are going to help ratchet afternoon temperatures into the mid-to-upper 70s. Friday and Saturday -- let's slip into the low 80s, shall we?
Breezy to gusty winds are a big part of Spring forecasts, and the next several days are no exception. Today, winds will be sustained 10-20mph, with gusts upwards of 25mph to 30mph at times.
Cold Front is Coming:
Friday: Our weekend cold front will settle up across North Texas. We'll stay on the warm and breezy path under partly cloudy skies. By the afternoon an isolated thunderstorm is not out of the question (although not very likely). While the atmosphere isn't very willing to allow for thunderstorms to form, if one can take root it could become strong, possible severe, with large hail and strong winds being the outcome. (The exception rather than the rule)
Saturday: Here comes the cold front. Have outdoor plans? Might want to keep an eye on a radar if
you are going to be away from home for a while. As the front approaches (for now, the time line looks to be afternoon into the evening hours), we'll bring our rain and thunderstorm chances up to a 30% chance. There is a slightly better chance for storms to form (vs. Friday) given that the forcing from this cold front will bring added lift to the atmosphere.
Same case goes -- if a storm really can get going, it could be on the strong to severe side with hail and damaging winds being the concern. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has already placed a SLIGHT RISK over the Brazos Valley in their Day 3 Outlook.
Weekend Plans:
Lots going on across the Brazos Valley Saturday -- City of College Station Easter Celebration at the Bush Library, Big Event, Texas A&M Maroon & White Game, Johnson Elementary Carnival etc etc.
No need to cancel your plans -- but it will be a weekend to keep a close eye on the forecast and your smart phone. Don't forget you can check PinPoint Interactive Radar on your cell phone along with get information from:
Twitter (@KBTXShel & @KBTXWeather)
