Frigid weather pushing in as the calendar changes
FROM STAFF REPORTS
BURNET — It looks as if 2017 wants to go out with cold and wet weather, but all is not lost for those seeking a bit of sun before 2018 rolls around.
But before the new year, we can expect a damp and cold midweek as a cold front pushes through the Highland Lakes on Tuesday, Dec. 26. The front, which mixed it up a bit with some moisture-ladened Gulf air, brought chances of rain with it. The chances of light precipitation (the National Weather Service isn’t expecting any major rain events or downpours) remains through early Thursday morning.
Though temperatures clawed their way to the upper 40s by late afternoon Tuesday, they will battle to even reach the upper 30s on Wednesday. The NWS anticipates a high on Wednesday of only 39 degrees, but with windchill chiming in, it will feel like it’s closer to the lower 30s.
By Thursday, the sun should pop through the clouds a bit but it will likely remain mostly cloudy. However, temperatures will cap out in the upper 40s before dropping back into the upper 30s during the night. On Friday, we can expect highs in the lower 50s with mostly cloudy skies.
The weekend and New Year’s Day look like a mixed bag. On Friday, winds will begin shifting out of the south, which will push temperatures back into the mid-50s but also usher in a 20 percent chance of rain with a mix of partly sunny skies. But another cold front looks to enter the picture Sunday (New Year’s Eve), and we’ll experience a a high of 46 degrees around 3 a.m. (yes, that’s correct) on Dec. 31 before the winds pick up from the north once again, pushing temperatures down while windchill picks up.
During the day on New Year’s Eve, temperatures will hug the 40-degree mark before dropping into the upper 20s just after you ring in 2018.
Mostly sunny skies should return New Year’s Day, but the NWS anticipates a high of 40 degrees on Monday, Jan. 1. So if you’re planning on attending one of the First Day Hikes at one of the state parks, be sure to dress appropriately (in layers if possible).
editor@thepicayune.com
