Cold Remains But Warmth Returns This Weekend:

Good Morning from KRBC Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* The clouds that returned overnight are somewhat of a saving grace for the area this morning. The cloud deck over us has kept the temperatures from dropping into the lower teens as forecasted across the area. The clouds are coming off of a disturbance that is moving through the Permian Basin and Trans-Pecos area this morning bringing some light snow over that way. I still think we should average this morning with lows between 15-20° across the area.

* A cold start to our Friday will see us warming up into the upper 20s across the area this afternoon. I think 25-30 is a good average for the afternoon highs across the area. There might be a stray snow flurry early this morning in the western counties but no big deal as we will see gradual clearing as we progress into the day. Winds will be lighter out of the north but wind chill values should range between -5-10° this morning and from 10-20° for this afternoon. With a mostly clear sky overnight and much lighter wind, expect major radiational cooling for the area. Overnight lows will range will hover in the range of 8-13° across the area. I think our colder areas like Snyder, Brownwood, Dyess AFB and others could dip into those upper single digits early on Saturday morning. Wind chill tonight will range from 0-10° but we're only expecting a light southeast wind.

* Weekend: Extremely cold start Saturday morning but a little warmer as highs climb into the upper 30s on Saturday afternoon under a mostly sunny sky. Overnight lows will be in the upper teens. We are still mostly sunny on Sunday but warmer with highs in the middle and upper 40s and dropping into the upper 20s for Sunday night.

* Next Week: Much warmer and more seasonal with highs back into the lower to middle 50s and overnight lows into the 30s. We will see middle and upper 50s for the midweek time period. Expect a partly cloudy sky with increasing clouds and a slight chance for rain come Thursday. Model runs this morning show the pattern milder overall for next week with most of the cold air having retreated back northward.

* The Winter Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center indicates a moderate El Niño pattern will bring West Central Texas a wetter pattern here in the winter months. Increased wintry precipitation is possible depending on temperature trends. Equal chances of above or below normal temperatures remain possible for the area.

* Drought Information: For the latest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time. We're starting to see some light drought conditions returning to the far western counties.

* Join us for the latest news and weather updates in the mornings for Abilene & the Big Country on KRBC's Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues in the afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. on KRBC.

* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.

Have a great weekend...

Not Finished With the Cold Quite Yet

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ....

Still more cold to deal with through Saturday, but we'll see slow improvement along the way.

For Friday morning, I'm leaving cloudiness and some light snow flurries in the forecast, nothing major though.

Friday afternoon, clearing skies as high pressure builds in.

That same high pressure will give us our coldest night on Friday night when lows dip to near 10.

Saturday we get back above freezing with my forecast high at 38.

Upper teens again Saturday night before rising into the mid to upper 40's on Sunday.

The severe cold is gone and temperatures become much improved for much of next week.

We have a slight chance for rain toward the middle of next week.

KRBC Weather Alert: Extreme Cold

From the KRBC Weather Lab & Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Roads are icy this morning across the area thanks to freezing drizzle and some fog in the region. There have been reports of several accidents across the Big Country due to icy on roads and bridges. Please use extreme caution if you are out driving today across the area. Temperatures will remain below freezing until Saturday so this ice could stick around with us.

* The Arctic cold front swept across the Big Country late night now leaving us with the coldest air of the season across West Central Texas. Cloudy and some drizzle start the day but we should see some of the clouds break up into midday and the afternoon. A very cold day with highs ranging between 23-27° across the area. Winds will be north at 20-30 mph, producing wind chill values from 5-15° today.

* A very cold night ahead with a partly cloudy sky and lows ranging 8-13° for the area. Winds will be northerly tonight 15-25 mph, producing a wind chill of -10 to 10° for us. Because of the extreme wind chills the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory for areas north of Interstate 20 for now. That doesn't mean areas south of I-20 will not see dangerous wind chills.

* A extremely cold start Friday will only see high temperatures warming again into the middle 20s across the area. Wind chills will range between -10 to 10° early then range between 5-15° later in the day. A disturbance will work out of New Mexico and into Texas. This system is forecasted to bring some flurries or even some very light snow to our area. Again anything that falls will stick as cold as it is, but overall I don't see there being any accumulation issues. the best chances of seeing that snow look to be west of Abilene across the western counties of the viewing area.

* Weekend: Cold start Saturday morning but a little warmer as highs climb into the upper 30s on Saturday afternoon under a mostly sunny sky. Overnight lows will be in the upper teens. We are still mostly sunny on Sunday but warmer with highs in the middle 40s and dropping into the upper 20s for Sunday night.

* Next Week: Much warmer with highs back into the lower to middle 50s on Monday and into the middle of next week with a mostly sunny to partly cloudy sky. Models are developing a rain chance for the eastern counties on Wednesday and temperatutes should be warm enough for this to be all rain. This data could change so stay tuned.

* The Winter Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center indicates a moderate El Niño pattern will bring West Central Texas a wetter pattern here in the winter months. Increased wintry precipitation is possible depending on temperature trends. Equal chances of above or below normal temperatures remain possible for the area.

* Drought Information: For the latest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time. We're starting to see some light drought conditions returning to the far western counties.

* Join us for the latest news and weather updates in the mornings for Abilene & the Big Country on KRBC's Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues in the afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. on KRBC.

* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.

Enjoy your Thursday...

It's Here !!!!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ....

The highly advertised Arctic cold front shifted the winds around in Abilene at 7:45pm tonight (Wednesday). Now, we suffer through three days of temperatures that will be 30 degrees below normal for this time of year.

Clouds were quickly building into the area from the north. The clouds may produce some very light drizzle, or mist, and fog, which will freeze on contact with all surfaces - sidewalks and roads - going into Thursday. Prepare for icy travel and be extra safe when driving the roads Thursday.

I'm still hanging with snow flurries on Friday from Abilene westward as a minor system comes out of New Mexico, into West Central Texas. No significant accumulations are likely, it looks pretty weak.

TEMPERATURES - around 20 Wednesday, and not much more than that Thursday.
Thursday night middle teens, Friday mid 20's, Friday night near 10, Saturday 32 or a little above.

WIND CHILL - the temperature will feel like zero to 10 degrees outside on Thursday and will feel like 5 to 15 degrees outside on Friday.

Sunday is the first day we climb into the 40's then near 50 on Monday.

Bundle Up! Check on your neighbors (especially the elderly) and make sure they have ample heat and water - let's take care of each other !

Randy

Mild Today, Arctic Blast Arrives Tonight:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Not quite so cold this morning at the time of this blog update but still temperatures ranging from between 30-35° with a clear sky over the area. Clouds will slowly begin to return later today ahead of our very strong Arctic cold front. Highs will be very mild today ranging between 55-60° across the Big Country, Heartland & Northern Concho Valley. Winds will be breezy out of the south. Enjoy the warmth today because we are heading into the deep freeze come tonight!

* The Arctic cold front will sweep across the Big Country late this evening and overnight. Expect a cloudy night with overnight lows dropping into the lower to middle 20s, with a few spots in the upper teens. Winds will be gusting out of the north between 20-30 miles per hour overnight which will send wind chill readings into the single digits and lower teens. Areas of freezing drizzle and fog, not to mention a few snow flurries will be possible overnight. No matter what form it falls it will stick so be extremely careful if you must be on the roadways overnight.

* Thursday will be cloudy in the morning with some lingering freezing drizzle, fog and some snow flurries. Again anything that falls will stick, so be extremely careful on the roads. Clouds will thin out some but I still feel we'll remain mostly cloudy. Very cold with highs only in the lower to middle 20s across the area. Wind chill readings will remain between the single digits and lower teens thanks to the north wind still ranging between 20-30 miles per hour. Mostly cloudy Thursday night with overnight lows in the lower teens. I think 10-15 is a good average but I would not be surprised to see some colder spots in the upper single digits.

* A extremely cold start Friday will only see high temperatures warming again into the middle 20s across the area. Wind chills will range between 0-10° as we're still seeing a northerly wind, not as strong as Thursday but still enough to add that "bite" to the air. A disturbance will work out of New Mexico and into Texas. This system is forecasted to bring some flurries or even some very light snow to our area. Again anything that falls will stick as cold as it is, but overall I don't see there being any accumulation issues. Having said that new forecast data could change that. That disturbance moves on through then we see what looks to be the coldest night on Friday night with a mostly clear sky and overnight lows in the very low teens and I do expect several areas to be in the upper single digits.

* Weekend: Cold start Saturday morning but a little warmer as highs climb into the upper 30s on Saturday afternoon under a mostly sunny sky. Overnight lows will be in the upper teens. We are still mostly sunny on Sunday but warmer with highs in the upper 40s and dropping into the upper 20s for Sunday night.

* Next Week: Much warmer with highs back into the lower 50s on Monday but clouds increase. Models bring another system into the area on Tuesday with some cooler air. Precipitation is forecasted with this system so I've included a slight chance for the area. Remains to be seem if it's a cold rain or something wintry in the precipitation area.

* The Winter Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center indicates a moderate El Niño pattern will bring West Central Texas a wetter pattern here in the winter months. Increased wintry precipitation is possible depending on temperature trends. Equal chances of above or below normal temperatures remain possible for the area.

* Drought Information: For the latest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time. We're starting to see some light drought conditions returning to the far western counties.

* Join us for the latest news and weather updates in the mornings for Abilene & the Big Country on KRBC's Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues in the afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. on KRBC.

* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.

Enjoy your Wednesday...

Brief Mild Spell Then Major Arctic Cold Blast:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Another cold winter morning across the Big Country, Heartland and the Northern Concho Valley this morning with temperatures in the upper teens and lower to middle 20s. We also have a little patchy fog in a few locations as well, otherwise things are clear and quiet this morning. Expect a mostly sunny day ahead with temperatures warmer and milder into the upper 40s and lower 50s with a southerly breeze. I think 48-53 is a good temperature spread for the area. The southernly breeze will help keep the numbers up tonight into the lower and middle 30s. Another nice and mild day on Wednesday with highs in the lower to middle 50s and a southwest breeze.

* The coldest air of the season is expect across the Big Country, Heartland and the Northern Concho Valley starting Wednesday night as an Arctic cold front arrives in the region. Very strong north winds behind the cold front will bring wind chills into the single digits and low teens Thursday morning as temperatures fall into the lower to mid 20s. An extended period of very cold and below freezing temperatures is expected across the area well into Saturday morning. Highs are expected to remain below freezing Thursday and drop into the lower and mid teens Thursday night. Temperatures will stay well below freezing into the middle 20s on Friday before falling into lower to middle teens again Saturday morning. Widespread wintry precipitation is not expected. However a few areas may see light freezing drizzle/fog or snow flurries Wednesday night and Thursday morning. No accumulation is expected at the moment but the forecast could change with new data so stay tuned to KBRC.

* The Winter Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center indicates a moderate El Niño pattern will bring West Central Texas a wetter pattern here in the winter months. Increased wintry precipitation is possible depending on temperature trends. Equal chances of above or below normal temperatures remain possible for the area.

* Drought Information: For the lastest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time. We're starting to see some light drought conditions returning to the far western counties.

* Join us for the latest news and weather updates in the mornings for Abilene & the Big Country on KRBC's Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues in the afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. on KRBC.

* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.

Have a nice Tuesday...

Brutally Cold Starting Wednesday Night

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner .....

From time to time, a large and very powerful airmass breaks loose from its home near the Arctic and heads south. One such airmass has the Big Country in the crosshairs this week, beginning Wednesday night. Here is what to expect..

* Cold front arrival - Wednesday evening into Wednesday night
* North wind - 20 to 30mph with gusts
* Temperatures - drop to near 20 by Thursday morning ... warm little or none during the day Thursday. Remain below freezing until Saturday afternoon, perhaps not until Sunday.
* Precipitation - in the cold air Wednesday night and Thursday, light mist, or fog, or drizzle - all of which will stick on contact to surfaces, since temperatures are so cold.
* Another system on Friday - coming out of New Mexico, this one could spread some light snow across the area Friday.

DANGERS - bursting pipes, wind chills near zero Thursday, possible icy roads Thursday and Friday.

PREPARATIONS - properly insulate pipes, cover outdoor faucets, drain water hoses, make sure vehicle radiators are protected to zero or below, properly inflate your tires, stock up on food and water for a couple of days in case roads become hazardous, make sure heating systems are in proper working order.

This will likely be a changing weather scenario with winter weather watchings and warnings possible at mid-week. Monitor this blog, bigcountryhomepage.com and, of course, on KRBC TV.

By the way, watch the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles battle Saturday night on KRBC !!

Randy

Cool Today, Milder Tomorrow, Cold Blast Midweek:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Patchy fog and low clouds out there this morning across the Big Country, Heartland and the Northern Concho Valley. Temperatures are well into the 20s this morning so don't be surprised to see some freezing fog in spots. The fog and low clouds will lift by the middle of the morning. Expect a partly cloudy day but still cool with afternoon highs ranging from the upper 30s into the lower 40s. A few clouds will still be in place tonight but another cold night ahead with lows in the lower to middle 20s. A northeast wind will shift southeast by this evening. A little midler for Tueday and Wednesday with highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s under a mostly sunny to partly cloudy sky.

* The coldest air of the season is expect across the Big Country, Heartland and the Northern Concho Valley for late week and into the early weekend. An Arctic cold front will move into West Central Texas by late Wednesday night and into early Thursday. Very strong north winds behind the cold front will bring wind chills into the single digits and low teens Thursday morning as temperatures fall into the lower to mid 20s. An extended period of very cold temperatures into Saturday Morning. Highs are expected to remain below freezing Thursday and drop into the lower and mid teens ThursdayNight. Temperatures will struggle to rise above freezing on Friday before falling into mid teens again Saturday morning. Widespread wintry precipitation is not expected. However a few areas may see light freezing drizzle or snow flurries Wednesday ight. No accumulation is expected at the moment but the forecast could change with new data so stay tuned to KBRC.

* The Winter Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center indicates a moderate El Niño pattern will bring West Central Texas a wetter pattern here in the winter months. Increased wintry precipitation is possible depending on temperature trends. Equal chances of above or below normal temperatures remain possible for the area.

* Drought Information: For the lastest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time. We're starting to see some light drought conditions returning to the far western counties.

* Join us for the latest news and weather updates in the mornings for Abilene & the Big Country on KRBC's Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues in the afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. on KRBC.

* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.

Enjoy your Monday...

Nice Weather to Begin 2010

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner .... 3:45 Friday Update

New Year's Day was very nice as temperatures snuck past 50 in Abilene with sunny skies and light wind.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday will be partly cloudy with highs also in the low 50's.

A cold front drops into the area by Sunday morning, so highs Sunday will be in the low to mid 40's.

Skies will range from mostly sunny to partly cloudy this weekend and no precipitation is expected.

Dry weather continues Monday with highs in the upper 40's.

The warmest day of the week looks to be Tuesday with highs in the low to mid 50's.

LOOK OUT FOR THE ARCTIC EXPRESS .....

Changes begin Wednesday as what looks like the coldest airmass of the season drops out of the Arctic, straight down the front range of the Rockies and right into the Big Country. The forecast highs and lows are tough to pinpoint as of this writing, but for now I'm going with a high around 40 on Wednesday but only around 32 on Thursday. We could easily see temperatures in the teens this time around so use this weekend and early next week to make sure all pipes are properly insulated and livestock have an extra supply of food supplements to get through the cold Thursday through next weekend.

Check back for updates and have a great weekend !!

Randy

One Last Snow in 2009 - Interesting Beginning to January

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner .... 3:30pm Thursday, 12/31/2009

Winter had one more trick with a minor system bringing some light snow today to mainly the northern Big Country. The snow should be gone for the revelers and after midnight, skies clear to ring in the New Year.

New Year's Day looks nice with sunshine and highs around 52. Wind returns to the southwest and south at 5 to 10.

Saturday, a few clouds move in from the north during the day, with highs near 54.

Sunday, another cold front arrives, not expecting moisture with it, highs around 48.

Monday we get a secondary surge of cold, keeping highs Monday in the low 40's.

A first glance at the weather for this time next week, Thursday, January 7, shows a strong surge of cold air, our coldest of the season, coming into the Big Country. Stay tuned as we track this Arctic outbreak daily on KRBC and on bigcountryhomepage.com.

Happy New Year Everyone !!!

Randy

Interesting End To 2009, Nice Weather Brings in 2010:

Good Morning from KRBC Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* A cold front is arriving into the Big Country this morning and will progress south as we head through the day. A little minor disturbance will drift across the far northern counties with the front in the morning and will produce the chance for a light rain/snow mix generally north of Interstate 20 with the best chance chances across the far northern counties (we're talking about areas north of U.S. 380) of the Big Country. The majority of us will see the winds shift to the north with a mostly cloudy sky and cooler air arriving in the area. Highs will be in the middle 40s early but I suspect we'll drop into the 30s across the far northern counties and lower 40s by the afternoon as the cooler air drops into the region.

* Welcoming in 2010: New Year's Eve weather should be partly cloudy with lows in the middle 20s with the cooler air thanks to the front. Enjoy the full (blue) moon! New Year's Day will be nice with a mostly sunny sky and highs in the lower 50s. About the same deal for Saturday but highs will be in the middle 50s. By Sunday a cold front will cool us back down into the middle40s for highs.

* Next Week: Models show some cooler air trying to work toward West Central Texas and have been going back and forth on precipitation chances for the middle of next week. The runs this morningis still looking dry exept for Thursday, but the model keeps most of the moisture just to our east and northeast. Again this morning I don't have any precipitation chances in my forecast package for next week. Of course this could change as we get in new data.

* Blue Moon For New Year's Eve: (MSNBC) Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue — the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown. A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month — a blue moon — occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.

* Program Note: KRBC's Abilene Today and Abilene Midday will not be seen on Friday morning. From all of us on the morning crew we would like to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year's with your family!

* The Winter Outlook: The Climate Prediction Center indicates a moderate El Niño pattern will continue to bring West Central Texas a wetter pattern here in the winter months. Increased wintry precipitation is possible depending on temperature trends. Equal chances of above or below normal temperatures remain possible for the area.

* Drought Information: For the lastest drought information for the state of Texas please visit the U.S Drought Monitor website by clicking here. The data is updated by the government every Thursday morning around 7:30 AM local time.

* Join us for the latest news and weather updates in the mornings for Abilene & the Big Country on KRBC's Abilene Today at 6:00 A.M. and on Abilene Midday at 11:30 A.M. Our news and weather coverage continues in the afternoon at 5:00 and tonight 6:00 and 10:00 P.M. on KRBC.

* KRBC on Twitter: You can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates, especially during severe weather and winter weather events affecting the Big Country by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. News updates from KRBC and our website BigCountryHomepage.Com are available via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter.

Have a Safe & Happy New Year's...