Front delivers coldest temperatures of season Thursday morning

Blast of arctic air to arrive overnight

SAN ANTONIO – A blast of arctic air began pushing into the Panhandle of Texas on Wednesday afternoon. Temperatures in the Amarillo region have fallen at or below the freezing point, with gusty winds making it feel like the lower 20s to upper teens. This is just a hint of what we’ll be seeing here in Central Texas when the cold front blows through.

In San Antonio, the forecast calls for the surge of cold air to reach our vicinity around midnight to 3 a.m. As it does so, the winds will increase dramatically out of the north/northeast around 20-25 mph, with gusts ranging in the 30-40 mph range.

This potential for strong winds has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Wind Advisory from San Antonio up toward New Braunfels and Austin from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday. These kinds of high winds can make it difficult for drivers, especially those driving high profile vehicles. Also, any loose outdoor items might want to be brought in.

With the front arriving, clouds will remain in place and a few stray showers and light sprinkles will be possible.  Temperatures will hover in the mid- to lower 40s for much of the day. The high winds will make it feel like the lower 30s.

Friday morning, temperatures will fall at or below freezing for much of our viewing area. Here in San Antonio, we’ll look for the lower 30s, and in the Hill Country will see the mid- to upper 20s. Winds will not drop completely, staying around 5-10 mph, and drop the wind chill to the mid- to lower 20s in the city and upper teens for northwestern locations. Be sure to cover sensitive vegetation and protect outdoor pets from the colder weather.

Friday afternoon will still feature plenty of cloud coverage and temperatures will still only manage to reach the upper 40s.

Over the weekend, temperatures will get a little milder (still cool through) with highs in the 50s and 60s. Jackets and/or sweaters will still be needed for some with outdoor plans. Clouds will stay in place though with a few stray sprinkles on Saturday, a far cry from the flooding rains we saw last weekend.

We don’t see another big rain making weather system headed our way past seven days, but the clouds will remain in place next week with highs in the mid-60s.