Austin residents should keep their umbrellas handy as the National Weather Service forecasts a weather pattern for the week, with storm chances peaking around Thursday. Although the weather today remains mostly cloudy with a modest high near 80 degrees and a mild south wind, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms may trouble the peace between 10 pm and 1 am. Following a cloudy night and a low of around 61 degrees, the skies are predicted to clear up on Tuesday, promising a spike in temperatures with sunny highs nearing 88 degrees.
However, as KXAN reports, an afternoon storm could be on today's docket, but it will need to successfully break through a "cap". If any storm manages to forcefully push through, there exists a low risk it could turn severe, bringing with it large hail and damaging winds. Although most models suggest the cap will hold strong, Austin could still see one or two storms emerge.
Above normal temperatures this week, turn below normal for the weekend. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible today into tonight and Wednesday night through Friday midday. pic.twitter.com/JrJtOBci6G
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) March 4, 2024
Looking ahead, Wednesday will be partly sunny with highs approaching 82 degrees, shifting to a mostly cloudy night and a low around 63. The odds for showers and thunderstorms jump to 50% on Thursday, accompanied by gusty south-southeast winds and a cloudy high near 78. These conditions are expected to persist into Thursday night, with similar chances of rain and thunderstorms predicted.
According to the National Weather Service's forecast, Friday will likely begin with a 50% chance of morning showers and thunderstorms before transitioning to partly sunny skies and a high around 77. The weekend outlook appears decidedly cooler following the front's passage, with Saturday and Sunday forecasted to exhibit sunny and mostly sunny conditions respectively, with highs dipping into the 60s.
Austin's overall rainfall for the week is expected to range from a quarter of an inch to a full inch, however, areas caught beneath thunderstorms could see localized heavier totals. With the upcoming front slated for Friday, temperatures are set to cool, bringing a more comfortable and dry weekend to the city.
