Austin Braces for Showers and Thunderstorms as New Year Starts with Chilly Temperatures

Austin residents should be ready for a gray, wet start to the new year as a slow-moving system brings showers and a possibility of thunderstorms starting midday Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The highest chances of rain, clocking in at a near-certain 90%, will arrive after noon with temperatures hovering near a cool 50 degrees. In contrast, normal highs for this time of the year typically hit the 62-degree mark.

The wet weather is expected to continue into the evening hours, only letting up as nightfall encroaches. As the skies open up, there's a chance for a quarter to a half-inch of new precipitation before the storms are projected to wind down before midnight as reported by the National Weather Service. Intermittent patchy fog will also develop after 9 pm, possibly lingering until the following morning.

Looking ahead, Wednesday and Thursday should offer a brief dry spell before the clouds regroup, bringing another round of showers Thursday night into Friday with a 70% likelihood. These predictions are based on movements of an upper-level low currently tracking east through parts of New Mexico and Texas. KXAN noted that "an upper-level low is moving east through southern New Mexico/far west Texas this morning," setting the scene for Central Texas's first rainfall of 2024.

The weekend promises a respite with forecasts indicating a dry and mild couple of days. Saturday will shine, sunny with highs hovering in the low 60s, while Sunday's temperatures should climb to the mid-60s, according to KXAN. However, dangling the prospect of sunnier skies, a third installment of rain is expected to roll in Sunday night into Monday, potentially welcoming the week with a mix of showers and thunderstorms and highs nearing 70.