Thunderstorms rolled over Austin before sunrise Wednesday, dragging folks out of bed with rumbles of thunder, muggy air and temperatures in the mid-60s. The first line of storms is set to push east by late morning, but scattered strong cells around the commute could still bring heavy rain and some punchy wind gusts.
This Morning: Heavy Downpours And Gusty Wind
Forecasters say showers and thunderstorms are likely through about 7 a.m., with most spots picking up roughly one-half to three-quarters of an inch of rain and the strongest storms capable of dropping a couple of inches in isolated areas. Small hail and wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are possible in the most intense cells. There are no active watches or warnings at the moment, so keep an eye on the National Weather Service for updates.
Afternoon And Tonight: Clearing, Then Breezy And Cooler
Once the morning action moves out, skies should clear, leaving mostly sunny conditions and a high near 84°F Wednesday afternoon. West-northwest winds will gust to around 20 mph later in the day, then flip to the north and strengthen overnight to 10 to 15 mph with gusts near 30 mph, knocking lows down into the mid-40s by Thursday morning.
Weekend Trend: Warm, Dry, Then A Late Cool-Down
A warming pattern returns Friday into the weekend, with highs climbing into the 80s and even near 90 to 91°F by Sunday. A stronger cold front is expected Sunday night into Monday and should cool the region back into the 60s Monday. That boundary could also raise elevated fire-weather concerns next week; see our weeklong pattern for more on how the setup evolves.
How To Prepare
If you have morning errands or an early commute, allow extra travel time and watch for brief flooding on low-lying streets. Avoid driving through standing water, secure loose outdoor items and keep phone alerts on until the storms clear.
