Austin residents can enjoy a streak of bright skies and chilly nights as the week progresses toward New Year's Day, local forecasters say. The National Weather Service predicts sunny days with highs in the low to mid-60s, starting today with a high near 61 and a clear night ahead as lows dip to around 39 degrees.
While reaching a high near 62 on Wednesday, a north-northwest wind of 5 to 10 mph is expected, gusting as high as 20 mph. Gearing up for the weekend, Central Texas will see temperatures dropping in the mornings to the low to mid-30s, particularly on Friday and Saturday, according to the KXAN Weather Team. Even though the sun will shine bright, Austinites should brace for the cooler temps when waking up this weekend.
The weather remains unwaveringly dry with no precipitation in sight, and clear nights will prevail through the weekend. The forecast validates that there's no rain expected until at least a week after today, with only a slight 20% chance. The holiday weekend itself promises slightly warmer temps, topping out in the mid to upper 60s by Sunday.
For those venturing out early this morning, it may have been a particularly brisk start, as parts of the Hill Country and southern Edwards Plateau faced freezing low temperatures, per an advisory from the National Weather Service. Gardening enthusiasts were advised to move any cold-sensitive, outdoor plants inside overnight.
As Austin bids farewell to 2023 and welcomes the New Year, weather-wise, it's expected to remain mostly sunny with a high of around 62 on New Year's Day. Looking ahead, the Climate Prediction Center's outlook indicates that residents should prepare for unexpectedly wetter and cooler conditions than what's typical in early January, which marks a contrast to the current dry spell greeting the city.
