Austin residents are gearing up for a week filled with sunshine, a slight chance of thunderstorms, and the potential spectacle of a total solar eclipse. Weather forecasts predict sunny skies with temperatures soaring up to the high 80s today, dropping to a comfortable low in the upper 50s tonight. Similarly, Friday is expected to be clear with some late-day clouds as temperatures hover in the mid-80s.
Expect mostly sunny & warm weather today with a light south breeze. Winds increase tonight with abundant clouds Friday through Saturday. A weak front brings low rain chances Saturday night & Sunday, and more mostly cloudy skies & rain chances arrive Monday and Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/RQDJuCmVIf
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) April 4, 2024
According to KXAN, Austin's stretch of pleasant weather will face a turnaround with the arrival of a cold front over the weekend. The cold front is projected to bring in spotty showers and storms late Saturday into Sunday. However, it's anticipated that the inclement weather won't produce significant rainfall for the region this time around.
Over the weekend, forecasters expect the winds to pick up with gusts reaching up to 30 mph on Saturday. This could lead to cooler and cloudier conditions—Saturday night, in particular, carries a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms post-1 AM. By Sunday, the weather is likely to clear up with mostly sunny conditions and a high near 85 degrees. The wind will calm down, settling into a gentle rhythm from the west-northwest.
The bigger story could be the partial respite scheduled for Monday, pending a 30 percent chance of afternoon showers, which might allow clearer views of the total solar eclipse. As KXAN reports, "drier air behind this front could delay the return of thicker clouds and rain just long enough to bring some visibility of the total solar eclipse on Monday afternoon." While the remainder of the week appears to be a balance of cloudy skies and occasional thunderstorms, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the sky Monday, hopeful for a break in the clouds to witness the celestial event.
By Tuesday, however, Austin should brace for increasing chances of storms, peaking at a 50 percent likelihood of rainfall. The wet trend is set to continue until midweek when the chances drop slightly, but thunderstorms remain a possibility. Essentially, Austinites can expect a mixture of clear skies, potential rain showers, and gusty winds throughout the coming days, culminating in the hopeful clearing for Monday's solar eclipse.
