Nice Weather Ahead:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming north northeast between 10 and 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. North northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. South southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. South southwest wind between 15 and 20 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. North northwest wind between 15 and 20 mph.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North northeast wind between 15 and 20 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 60.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 60.

It's About to Get Better !!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

I'll keep this brief. Hazardous roads are the rule through much of the day.

The temperature, which dropped to 12 this morning in Abilene, should warm past freezing late morning or around noon which starts our thawing process.

Most of the thawing will take place through the middle of the afternoon.

There could be some patchy ice tonight and Thursday morning as temperatues fall once again below freezing. We could see temperatures from 20-28 across the area Thursday morning.

I'm not expecting any more moisture, in any form, through the next seven days.

This weekend, temperatures will warm back to the low 60's with mostly sunny skies.

Be safe out there !!! Delay any travel, if possible, until Wednesday afternoon.

Hazardous Morning, Improving Afternoon:

Good Morning from KRBC Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Another short update this morning as I am finishing up my forecast package for the newscast this morning and preparing for special extended coverage of the event this morning on KRBC.

* Top Story: Winter storm event has come to an end across the Big Country, Heartland and Northern Concho Valley. All the precipitation has moved into central Texas and out of our area. As I blog this a little after 3:00 AM, the sky conditions are clear generally across the areas west of US 277. The clearing line will continue to move eastward this morning. Advisories still out for the area but should be dropped soon with the storm system having already passed us.

* Temperatures have dropped well into the teens this morning. At this hour, Abilene sits at 17°, while Snyder sits at 16°, Sweetwater sits at 19° and 21° at Breckenridge, Brownwood and Comanche. Areas that are clearing out could drop a few more degrees before daybreak.

* Icy conditions will stick around during the morning but as we warm up we should begin to see the icy melt. Daytime highs will climb to near 50 in many spots by afternoon. Expect a southwest wind to help warm us up as well today.

* Big Country Travel Alert: Road conditons this morning across the area are very hazardous. There is much more ice, not to mention sleet pellets on the roads so travel is dangerous. As we stated, conditions are a little worse this morning out there so be careful and if you must travel don't be in a rush and take your time.

* KRBC News will air a special 5 hour edition of West Texas Today starting this morning at 5:00 AM. We'll have team coverage of the travel hazards, as well as a wrap-up of the icy mess from this storm system. The newscast will be anchored by Stephanie, Downing, Randy & I along with our reporters live in the field. Be sure to join us for the latest information. Current business and school closings/delays can be found on bigcountryhomepage.com.

Stay safe and have a pleasant Wednesday...

Moisture Ends Tonight - Icy Wednesday Morning

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

As of 9:30pm Tuesday night, the moisture was decreasing from west to east across the Big Country. We were still receiving light sleet and even some snowflakes at KRBC but westward toward Sweetwater and Snyder, the precipitation had ended. It is likely that the sleet will continue across the area from San Angelo to Coleman to Brownwood into the early morning hours of Wednesday but end well before sunrise.

Speaking of sunrise, we may actually get to see it, unless low clouds build back in due to the moisture. Fog is also possible tonight.

The main issue, obviously, will be the icy roads and the question of when thawing begins.

At this time, it looks like we should climb back above freezing between 9am and 11am Wednesday, and by late afternoon, the roads will be drying. Travel will be at its worst through 10am, then improve rapidly afterwards.

Expect temperatures near 50 in the sunshine Wednesday afternoon, but also expect another plunge to near 22 Wednesday night.

Dry weather is on tap Thursday through the weekend as temperatures slowly get back into the low 60's for the weekend.

Winter Storm Warning for Taylor & Area Counties

FISHER-NOLAN-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD-TAYLOR-
CALLAHAN-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROTAN...ROBY...SWEETWATER...HASKELL...
THROCKMORTON...WOODSON...STAMFORD...ANSON...HAMLIN...ALBANY...
ABILENE...CLYDE...BAIRD...CROSS PLAINS
1117 AM CST TUE JAN 27 2009

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS UPGRADED THE
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY TO A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE CONTINUE ACROSS
MUCH OF THE BIG COUNTRY...WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING IN THE LOW
TO MID 20S.

LATER THIS EVENING...SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SLEET ARE
POSSIBLE AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES EAST ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS. SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND ONE HALF INCH CAN
BE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

TRAVEL CONDITIONS ON AREA ROADS...BRIDGES...AND OVERPASSES WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS. PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL WILL END BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY...HOWEVER ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES MAY STILL BE SLICK UNTIL TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL
VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Winter Weather Getting Worse

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ..

We have a variety of Winter Weather Warnings across the area but all relate to one word - ICE.

Travel will be hazardous through at least the middle of the day Wednesday. There is another disturbance coming out of the southwest which will cross our area from late this afternoon through tonight. That should cause a mix of sleet/freezing rain and even some snow. I wouldn't be surprised to hear a few rumbles of thunder too.

Bottom line - temperatures well below freezing in the low 20's tonight and probably won't get above freezing until Wednesday afternoon. More precipitation equals more ice and worsening conditions.

Take the necessary precautions - plan ahead - avoid travel is possible.

Randy

Morning Weather Update:

*** Freezing Rain Advisory in effect for Taylor, Nolan, Callahan, Jones, Shackelford, Fisher, Haskell, Throckmorton, Coke, Runnels, Coleman, and Brown County until 9:00 AM on Wednesday ***

*** Ice Storm Warning in effect for Stephens, Eastland and Comanche County until 6:00 AM on Tuesday ***

*** Winter Storm Warning in effect for Stephens, Eastland and Comanche County until 6:00 AM on Wednesday ***

*** Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Scurry and Mitchell County until 6:00 PM on Tuesday ***

*** Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Stonewall, King, Kent and Knox County until 12:00 PM on Tuesday ***

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Weather a little active right now so will let the graphics cover the update here. Complete forecast and breaking news and weather information coming up on West Texas Today this morning. Also breaking news and weather coverage as warranted and online always at bigcountryhomepage.com

Stay safe and have a good Tuesday...

Wintry Weather Mess Expected

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

As of 9:30pm Monday night, mainly light precipitation was falling across the Big Country with a small batch of freezing rain across portions of Jones, Haskell, Shackelford and Throckmorton counties.

There are several "players" involved in our forecast. First, the cold air is in place. Temperatures aren't expected to warm above freezing until around mid-day Wednesday. Any precipitation which falls will stick on surfaces, mainly vehicles and grass first, then bridges and overpasses, then roadways. Bridges would be my first concern for your Tuesday morning commute.

Southwest flow (Pacific moisture) is set up and will keep our light moisture falling most of the time. What looks like will happen is an disturbance, coming out of the southwest, will approach our area Tuesday afternoon and pass overhead Tuesday night. As that happens, you can anticipate an increase in precipitation Tuesday afternoon but especially Tuesday night. Not only will freezing rain be possible, but expect some sleet to possiby mix in. All this equals an icy scenario through the middle of the day Wednesday.

After Wednesday morning, we should see a rapid improvement in our weather.

Bottom line - we'll continue to experience light freezing precipitation Monday night and Tuesday but amounts and strength of precipitation should increase Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night before ending Wednesday morning. Therefore, the Wednesday morning commute may be worse than the Tuesday morning commute.

Check here often on Bigcountryhomepage.com for updates.

Drive safely !!

Randy Turner

Breaking News - Freezing Rain Advisory Issued

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
152 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

...FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON...USHERING IN A SHALLOW COLD AIR MASS ACROSS
ALL OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS ALSO DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES AND IS FORECAST TO PUSH EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BRING INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS SAME TIME...WARM...MOIST AIR WILL SURGE NORTH OVER THE SHALLOW COLD AIR ALREADY IN PLACE...CAUSING ANY RAINFALL TO FREEZE AS IT FALLS INTO THE COLD AIR NEAR THE SURFACE.

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TUESDAY TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A FREEZING
RAIN ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM TUESDAY TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY.

AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING. ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT...WITH AMOUNTS
OF GENERALLY LESS THAN ONE TENTH OF AN INCH...MAINLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. SOME ROADS ACROSS THE NORTHERN BIG COUNTRY MAY ALSO SEE SOME ICE ACCUMULATIONS AS TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE MID 20S.

ADDITIONAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING AS AREAS OF FREEZING RAIN BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO TENTHS OF A INCH ARE POSSIBLE...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS EXPECTED ACROSS EASTERN
SECTIONS OF THE BIG COUNTRY. TRAVEL CONDITIONS ON AREA
ROADS...BRIDGES...AND OVERPASSES WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS WITH
TEMPERATURES TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE LOW TO MID 20S.

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR
FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Breaking News - Freezing Drizzle Developing

From the NWS/San Angelo:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
149 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

...FREEZING DRIZZLE NOW DEVELOPING ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY...

TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY...MAINLY NORTH AND WEST OF
ABILENE...HAVE NOW DROPPED INTO THE UPPER 20S TO NEAR THE 30
DEGREE MARK. A LARGER AREA OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP...AND WITH TEMPERATURES CONTINUING TO SLOWLY FALL...ICY
SPOTS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP ON AREA ROADWAYS. FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE AFTERNOON...THESE ICY SPOTS WILL MAINLY BE CONFINED TO
ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES...AND MAINLY FROM
SWEETWATER TO ROBY...ANSON...AND HASKELL. HOWEVER...BY
SUNSET...ICY SPOTS MAY BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND REACH INTO THE
ABILENE AREA AS WELL.

CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN TRAVELING ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY.

Special Weather Statement - Freezing Rain Threat

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
931 AM CST MON JAN 26 2009

...FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

A STRONG COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS THIS MORNING...AND WILL USHER IN A SHALLOW COLD AIR MASS
INTO MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES ARE
ALREADY IN THE UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S ACROSS MUCH OF THE BIG
COUNTRY...AND TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE CONCHO VALLEY AND HEARTLAND
ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE 30S THIS AFTERNOON. AN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH IS ALSO DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES...AND
WILL BRING INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AS THE SHALLOW COLD AIR
CONTINUES TO FILTER IN...WARMER...MOIST AIR WILL SURGE NORTH OVER
THE COLD AIR...CAUSING ANY RAINFALL THAT DOES DEVELOP TO FREEZE AS
IT FALLS INTO THE COLD AIR NEAR THE SURFACE.

AT THIS TIME...THERE ARE STILL SOME UNCERTAINTIES IN REGARD TO THE
LOCATION OF THE COLDEST AIR...AND THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE
TO PRODUCE PRECIPITATION. THE CURRENT FORECAST HAS THE SUBFREEZING
TEMPERATURES GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF AN ELDORADO TO SAN SABA LINE TUESDAY MORNING...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 20S ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY...AND IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S ACROSS THE CONCHO VALLEY
AND HEARTLAND.

THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN UNITED
STATES TUESDAY AFTERNOON...CAUSING THE SHALLOW COLD AIR TO SAG
FURTHER SOUTH INTO SOUTHERN TEXAS. THIS WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES
ALONG THE INTERSTATE 10 CORRIDOR TO ALSO DROP INTO THE LOW 30S. AS A
RESULT...THE FREEZING LINE WILL PUSH FURTHER SOUTH TUESDAY NIGHT
INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND WILL BE LOCATED GENERALLY SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 10. FROZEN PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH ANY
PRECIPITATION THAT DOES FORM.

AREA RESIDENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE TRAVEL HAZARDS
STARTING MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS AREA ROADS MAY
BECOME SLIPPERY...ESPECIALLY BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. STAY TUNED
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL MEDIA...AND INTERNET SOURCES FOR THE
LATEST FORECASTS.


*** Scan down the blog for the morning blog discussion ***

Freezing Rain Threat:

*** Freezing Rain Advisory for Eastland , Stephens & Comanche County from 6:00 PM This Evening until 6:00 AM Tuesday Morning.***

*** Winter Storm Watch for Eastland , Stephens & Comanche County from 6:00 AM Tuesday Morning until 6:00 PM Tuesday Evening.***

*** Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Knox County until 12:00 PM Tuesday ***

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Going to keep this short and focus on the main forecast event for the next 48 hours. An Arctic cold front continues to move through the Big Country this morning bringing cold weather into the area. Moisture is moving in from the south and southeast along a semi-warm front. This moisture and the warmer air will get lifted over the cold air mass. Areas of light rain will develop during the day today. By the late afternoon and early evening, areas of light freezing rain will develop. This threat will last into the night tonight.

* Temperatures will hover around freezing during the day on Tuesday with the threat of freezing rain possible all during the day and into Tuesday night. Tuesday night the temperatures will drop back into the middle 20s. The winter weather threat will come to an end on by the time we get into Wednesday morning.

* Ice accumulations will be possible on bridges and overpasses. A few hundreths of an inch of rain canm create a 1/4" of ice. Remember the event event we dealt with back earlier in the month. Those same concerns will be possible for the roadway.

* Stay tuned to KRBC News and bigcountryhomepage.com throughout the day as this event unfolds and new information comes into the news and weather departments.

Winter Weather Possible by Tuesday

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Ready for more winter weather? The forecast is getting more interesting all the time.

First, the long advertised rain stays in the forecast from Monday night through Wednesday.

Secondly, there is going to be a slow push of Arctic air arriving late day Monday and lingering through Wednesday. Temperatures are forecast to be in the upper 20's Tuesday morning and stay in the low to mid 30's Tuesday and the middle 20's Tuesday night. Any rain which falls could possibly freeze to surfaces, especially Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
We're still looking at light rain totals but if it's freezing rain, we could experience some travel trouble Tuesday into Wednesday.

Be sure to check our news and weather pages on Bigcountryhomepage.com for the latest advisories and updates. Here is my forecast for the Abilene area:

Sunday Night: Increasing clouds, low near 42. Southeast and east wind 5 to 10.

Monday: Turning mostly cloudy with a slight 20% chance of rain late in the day. High near 50. southeast wind 5 to 15 shifting north during the day as a cold front oozes slowly through the area.

Monday Night: Cloudy and turning colder, low near 28. A 30% chance for rain, possibly light freezing rain.

Tuesday: Cloudy and cold, highs low 30's, may not get above freezing, 30% chance for light rain and light freezing rain.

Tuesday Night: Icy conditions possible with light freezing rain, low in the middle 20's, 30% chance for rain.

Wednesday: Continued mostly cloudy and cold with 30% chance of light freezing rain in the morning, followed by decreasing chance of rain in the afternoon. High upper 40's.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, low 35.

Thursday: Partly cloudy, middle 50's, cold front late day.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, upper 20's.

Friday: Mostly sunny, mid 50's.

Saturday: Partly cloudy, near 60 with another cold front late.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, middle 50's.

Freezing Rain Potential Monday Night through Wednesday Morning

The following statement was issued Sunday afternoon by the National Weather Service in San Angelo ....

...FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH INTO THE REGION...USHERING IN
A SHALLOW COLD AIR MASS INTO PORTIONS OF TEXAS MONDAY AFTERNOON.
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE 20S AND 30S LATE MONDAY
INTO TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS.

AT THE SAME TIME...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES...BRINGING INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

AS THE SHALLOW COLD AIR CONTINUES TO FILTER IN...WARMER...MOIST AIR WILL SURGE NORTH OVER THE COLD AIR...CAUSING ANY RAINFALL THAT DOES DEVELOP TO POSSIBLY FREEZE AS IT FALLS INTO THE COLD AIR NEAR THE SURFACE.
AT THIS TIME...THERE ARE STILL UNCERTAINTIES IN REGARD TO THE
LOCATION OF THE COLDEST AIR...AND THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE
TO PRODUCE PRECIPITATION. THE CURRENT FORECAST HAS THE SUBFREEZING
TEMPERATURES GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A SAN ANGELO TO
BROWNWOOD LINE TUESDAY MORNING...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 20S
ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY...AND IN THE LOW 30S ACROSS THE CONCHO
VALLEY AND HEARTLAND.

AREA RESIDENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE TRAVEL HAZARDS
MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY ON AREA ROADS...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND
OVERPASSES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL MEDIA...AND
INTERNET SOURCES FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Changes Are Coming:

* Here is the lastest drought information for the area *

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* For the latest information on the fire in Jones County, please visit the main page or the KRBC News page on bigcountryhomepage.com Stephanie has just informed me that fire is 100% contained which is great news. As Randy mentioned on here yesterday, a big thank you from myself as well to all the volunteer fire departments from across the area who have been working day and night since lunchtime yesterday fighting the fire in Jones County.

* Another very warm day across the Big Country today with highs climbing into the upper 70s with a few low 80s across the areas south of I-20. The cold front will move into the northern counties by early afternoon and will be near the I-20 corridor by the drive home in the afternoon (5-6PM). Sharp cool down expected as lows tonight drop near freezing and highs on Saturday only in the middle to upper
40s.

* Fire Weather: There are no active fire weather advisories for the Big Country but having said that, it will be warm and windy today so elevated fire weather concerns will continue for the day today. Winds will shift from the southwest to north as the front comes in today and we're expecting winds between 15 to 25 mph.

* Rain Chances: Rain chances still being showing up on the forecast model runs this morning for Monday and Tuesday. Don't expect a good soaking rain as this is just a small rain chance but with moderate and severe drought in place, we'll take what we can get.

Have a great Thursday!

Beautiful Sunset Picture

We want to thank Shannon Middlebrook from Anson who always has a camera handy to find those "picture perfect" shots - like this one of a Thursday sunset.

Latest Drought Monitor

Yes - It's Has Really Been That Dry !!!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Did you know that the City of Abilene has only had two-tenths (.20) of an inch of rain since November 1, 2008?

In September, Abilene measured 2.51 inches. October was wet with 3.15 inches but the following tells the story of the Big Country drought in the winte of 08/09:

November - .11 - (4 days of light rain)
December - .01 - (2 days of light rain)
January - .08 so far - (1 day of light rain)

Least there is rain in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday - keep on hoping !!!!

Have You Hugged a Volunteer Fireman Today?

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Before I get to weather, I wanted to send out kudo's to all the volunteer firemen who spring into action at a moments notice and put their life on the line. We saw that first hand Thursday with the big fire near Hawley and it is a scenario repeated time and time again. These folks love their communities and are to be commended for their hard work. And if you have a little extra money burning a hole in your pocket, your volunteer department can always use the funds to keep the equipment repaired.

Speaking of fires, the wildfire danger isn't going to get any better Friday or Saturday. It should improve a little by Sunday as more moisture returns to the area. I'm still forecasting rain for Monday and Tuesday which will ease the situation even more.

The weather pattern is going through a change right now, which is good news for us because we stand a better chance to see weather systems come our way from the southwest and, hopefully, produce rain.

Friday is another warm and windy day, followed by a strong cold front around sunset or so..

Saturday high temperatures will likely not get out of the 40's and, combined with northeast wind, there will be a chill in the air all day.

Sunday, temperatures warm up a little more, clouds increase and low level moisture makes a return, something we haven't seen in quite a while.

Monday should be a cloudy day with scattered showers around the area, hit and miss, amounts probably won't be much. Another cold front should arrive late Monday or Monday night. I'll carry that rain chance over to the Tuesday forecast before the system exits stage right.

Temperatures look like this:
Friday - mid 70's. Friday night - low 30's. Saturday - upper 40's. Saturday night - upper 20's.
Sunday - near 60. Monday and Tuesday - upper 50's.

Remember, most of the counties in the KRBC viewing area are under a Burn Ban so please be careful out there. Take care !! Randy

Breaking News: Jones County Fire Warning Update (5:43 PM)

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FIRE WARNING
JONES COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
542 PM CST THU JAN 22 2009

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE JONES
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

AT 5:30 PM...A LARGE WILDFIRE CONTINUES APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES EAST OF
HAWLEY AND WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST. RESIDENTS IN THE FOLLOWING
AREA SHOULD EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IMMEDIATELY.

THE AREA IS DEFINED FROM F.M. 1082 NORTH TO U.S. HIGHWAY 180 AND
FROM F.M. 1226 EAST TO F.M. 600.

PERSONS IN AND NEAR NUGENT AND THE NORTHERN END OF LAKE FORT
PHANTOM HILL SHOULD BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE.

Breaking News: Jones County Fire Warning Update (3:32PM)

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FIRE WARNING
JONES COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
331 PM CST THU JAN 22 2009

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE JONES
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

AT 320 PM...A LARGE WILDFIRE CONTINUES APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES EAST
OF HAWLEY AND WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST. RESIDENTS IN THE
FOLLOWING AREA SHOULD EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IMMEDIATELY.

THE AREA IS DEFINED FROM F.M. 1082 NORTH TO U.S. HIGHWAY 180 AND
FROM F.M. 1226 EAST TO F.M. 600.

PERSONS IN AND NEAR NUGENT AND THE NORTHERN END OF LAKE FORT
PHANTOM HILL SHOULD BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE.

$$

LACY

Breaking News: Jones County Fire Warning Update (2:03 PM)

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FIRE WARNING
JONES COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
200 PM CST THU JAN 22 2009

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE JONES
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

AT 155 PM...A LARGE WILDFIRE CONTINUES APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES EAST OF HAWLEY
JUST NORTH OF F.M. 1226 AND WAS HEADED NORTH TOWARD F.M. 3326. ALL
RESIDENTS IN THE PATH OF THIS FIRE SHOULD EVACUATE THEIR HOMES
IMMEDIATELY.

PERSONS IN FUNSTON SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND
PREPARE FOR EVACUATION IF NECESSARY.

$$

LACY

* KRBC News continues live coverage of this breaking news event on our website at bigcountryhomepage.com and on television.

Breaking News: Major Grass Fire In Jones County

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FIRE WARNING
JONES COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
139 PM CST THU JAN 22 2009

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE JONES
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

WILDFIRE IS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF HAWLEY JUST NORTH OF F.M. 1226
HEADED NORTH TOWARD F.M. 3326. ALL RESIDENTS IN THE PATH OF THIS
FIRE SHOULD EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IMMEDIATELY.

$$

LACY


* KRBC is streaming our tower cam live on our website at bigcountryhomepage.com

Spring In Winter:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* As I stated yesterday morning here on the 'blog we are suppose to be in the middle of winter here across the area and today it will seem as if we are in the middle of spring. We are anticipating highs today into the lower 80s. The normal high should be about 55° for this month. Still warm on Friday middle and upper 70s but we do have ahead as we go into the weekend and early next week.

* Our next cold front still on pace to arrive in the Big Country Friday evening and cool daytime highs into the middel 40s only for Saturday and highs Sunday in the middle to upper 50s.

* Rain Chances: Rain chances still being showing up on the forecast model runs this morning for Monday and Tuesday. Don't expect a good soaking rain as this is just a small rain chance but with moderate and severe drought in place, we'll take what we can get.

Have a great Thursday!

Details on the Next Seven Days

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

About a week ago, I put January 25th as a rain day for our area. Now that we're getting closer, I wanted to update you on how things are shaking out.

First - our upper level high pressure ridge, which has been a moisture killer for months, is slowly but surely meeting its demise. By Saturday, it pretty well flattens out and allows a different upper air wind flow from the west.

Secondly - temperatures will be very warm Thursday and Friday, prior to the arrival of a cold front Friday evening or Friday night. Temperatures will be much cooler this weekend with highs only around 50.

Thirdly - It will be nice just to see some clouds again. You'll see a few high cirrus clouds approaching out of the west Thursday afternoon. Once their here, they'll hang around through the middle of next week.

Now to the rain - as I mentioned before, don't expect a lot. This isn't a tank filler, drought ender. It's light with amounts of a tenth to a quarter inch possible, key word possible. The upper level flow that is setting up simply puts us into a better position to have Gulf moisture back in play. There is also a question of a cold front coming our way Monday, how far south it gets will have a lot to say about how much moisture it can create. We need it south of us, for overrunning to set up (warm air over the cold) so hope the front moves down into the Hill Country to help us out.

Hey, at least there is some rain in the forecast, let's hope it works out !!!!

Wednesday Night: Clear and cool, low near 42. Southwest wind 5 to 15.

Thursday: Sunny and warm, increasing clouds late, high near 82.
Southwest wind 10 to 20. Fire danger increases.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, low of 55. Southwest wind 10 to 15.

Friday: Partly cloudy and windy, high near 80. West wind 15 to 25.

Friday Night: A cold front arrives, partly cloudy, low near 35. North wind 10 to 20.

Saturday: Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy and cool, high upper 40's.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy, low near 34.

Sunday: Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy, high in the low to mid 50's, temperatures depends on amount of cloud cover.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with some light rain possible, low near 39.

Monday: Partly to mostly cloudy with a 20% chance for rain. Highs in the 50's.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a 20% chance for rain. High near 60.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance for rain, high near 60.

Feeling More Like Spring Than Winter:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* We are suppose to be in the dead of winter here across the area and today it will seem as if we are in the middle of spring. After a cool day yesterday, a warming trend begins today as we head toward the end of the week with highs well into the middle and upper 70s today, and highs near 80° for Thursday. Still warm on Friday with 70s but then changes will take place.

* Our next cold front has slowed down a bit and is now expected to sweep through the area late Friday and into he weekend. Highs over the weekend will only be in the 50s.

* Rain Chances: The morning runs of the models are going a bit more wetter for early next week so I am going to introduce a slight rain chance for Monday and Tuesday of next week in this mornings forecast package for our area. I really hope we get it because we really need it. If you saw our report I filed for the newscast last night, the U.S. Drought Monitor has now classified the Abilene, Coleman and Brownwood areas in "severe" stage drought while the rest of our area is now in "moderate" drought stages.

Enjoy Your Wednesday...

Warm Through Friday, Then Colder

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above normal will be the "norm" through Friday after which we'll see a cooling trend through early next week.

Wednesday near 72, Thursday near 78 and windy with a fire danger, Friday near 70. Highs Saturday through Monday should range 50 to 55 daily, lows in the 30's. One forecast model brings some even colder air for a brief visit next Tuesday, but the jury is still waaaaayyyyy out on that.

I'm stubborn and hard-headed, still sticking with a slight chance of hit and miss showers Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Look for two cold fronts in the next seven days - one is late Friday, the next one on Monday.

Thanks for reading, appreciate you for checking out our website and, of course, watching KRBC.

Randy

A Bit Cooler Today:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...


* A cold front worked through the area and has brought some slightly cooler weather to the area with daytime highs today dropping back into the upper 50s and lower 60s across the Big Country. Normal high temperatures for the area this time of year should be in the middle 50s. Tonight will be clear and cool with lows in the upper
30s.

* Another warming trend with begin for tomorrowand Thursday with middle and upper
70s back in the picture. Another cold front sweeps through the area late Thursday night cooling us down for Friday and into the weekend. Highs over the weekend will be in the 50s.

*Any Rain? Forecast model runs this morning continue to keep the best rain chances the next seven days to our north across Texoma and Southwest Oklahoma and to the east toward the Dallas-Fort Worth and Ark-La-Tex area. Again, I keeping my forecast package dry into the weekend but will continue to monitor for any changes.

Have a great Tuesday...

Warmer Through End of the Week

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ..

Tuesday should turn out to be the "coolest" day of the work week, even though 61 isn't all that cool. Aloft, high pressure dominates through Wednesday, but the high begins to break down by Thursday.

The high gives way to low pressure which is better for our dry conditions because it gives us a little, not a lot, but a little hope for showers Sunday into Monday.

You'll probably first notice a change in the weather Thursday as clouds increase from the west and southwest. Temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees above normal Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Saturday it's possible to see isolated showers but another low swinging through Sunday into Monday is what I'm hoping will create at least a few showers, and they won't be very heavy where they happen.

Tonight: Clear and 34. North wind 5 to 10.

Tuesday: Sunny, low 60's. North wind 10 to 15.

Tuesday Night: Clear and 38. West wind 5 to 15.

Wednesday: Sunny and warm, low 70's.

Wednesday Night: Clear and cool, low 40's.

Thursday: Turning partly cloudy, high near 75.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, mild, mid 50's.

Friday: Partly cloudy, low 70's.

Friday Night: Cold front, low 40's.

Saturday: Partly cloudy, near 60.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, 20% chance for light showers, high 55.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, 20% chance for light showers, high near 60.

Spring Like Weather Today:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

** Red Flag Warning in effect for areas along and east of U.S. Highway 277 from
11:00 AM until 6:00 PM. (See map graphic above for affected counties) Elevated Fire Weather Threat Today **

* A very warm and breezy Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday across the Big Country with a rather mild start this morning with temperatures mainly in the 40s with a few low 50s in some spots. Daytime highs will climb today into the low and middle 70s with very breezy conditions.

* A cold front will work into the area this evening bringing some slightly cooler weather to the area with daytime highs tomorrow dropping back into the upper 50s (which is still above normal for this time of year after bringing us a cool night tonight with lows in the middle 30s.

* Looking Ahead: Another warming trend with begin for the middle and into the end of the week with 70s back in the picture before another cold front sweeps in Thursday night cooling us down for Friday and into the weekend. Forecast models this past weekend have been hinting a bit at a slight rain chance over the weekend. The forecast model runs this morning seem to be backing off and taking the rain chances a bit more northward so I am not going to include a rain chance in my forecast package. Of course this could change the closer we get to the period and new model runs.

Enjoy your Monday...

Sticking With My Rain Forecast`

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Those of you who read this blog are probably aware that I went on record in the middle of last week and put rain in the forecast for January 25th.

As of this writing, Sunday January 18, my thought process hasn't changed, I'm sticking with a chance for rain this coming weekend.

The upper level pattern will slowly change toward the end of the coming week, allowing some upper level disturbances to come our way from the southwest and allow more moisture from the Gulf to return to our area. We haven't seen that much of the winter due to our persistent high pressure dome in the Rockies which has sent dry cold fronts through here on a regular bases.

First things first. It's just going to be dry as a bone through Friday with above normal temperatures. I think we'll see clouds increasing around here Friday night into Saturday and may even have a few showers Saturday but Sunday the 25th has been my date of choice all along and even into Monday.

It likely won't be a lot, but at least it's trying to rain again.

Sunday night: Clear and 37. Northwest and west wind 5 to 15.

Monday: Sunny and 69. Northwest wind 10 to 20.

Monday Night: Clear and 37.

Tuesday: Sunny and 60.

Wednesday: Sunny and 70.

Thursday: Partly cloudy and 75, then a cold front late day.

Friday: Partly cloudy, middle 50's.

Saturday and Sunday: Mostly cloudy, middle 50's, slight 20% chance for rain.

Nice Weekend Weather:

Good Afternoon from KRBC Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* A weak cold front will move through the Big Country this evening but not much change is expected with the front other than our winds shifting out the northwest for tonight and tomorrow. This front originated across the Pacific Ocean and not from the Arctic, so no major cold weather or a cool down anticipated.

* Weather has been terrific today with plenty of sunshine and most spots topping out with highs today in the lower 60s. Clear and cool conditions expected tonight with lows in the middle 30s. Sunday also looks very nice with highs in the middle and a few upper 60s but it will be breezy with northwesterly winds. Clear conditions will remain dominate for the forecast.

* The Week Ahead: Weather looks very nice and warm for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday with ample sunshine and highs near 70 in many spots. Weather looks nice for this week ahead and very warm with highs in the 60s and 70s. Next major cold front is expected on Thursday but again this front not too strong so only a slight cool down. There is still not rain chances anticipated for the next seven days.

Enjoy Your Saturday Night & Sunday...

Warming Up This Weekend:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...


* The cloud deck this morning across West Central Texas has kept temperatures from dropping as cold as we had forecasted yesterday and those clouds will stick around most of the day today so look for highs only in the upper 40s. Winds will turn southerly and thus we will be a bit warmer as the cold air mass will be somewhat erroded.

* Over the weekend look for a warming trend over the weekend with highs climbing back into the upper 50s to middle 60s across the Big Country. No rain chances over the weekend as dry air remains in place for the area. A cold front will move through overnight Saturday, but it is not that strong and will only cool daytime highs a couple of degrees.

* Down The Road: Forecast models this morning are showing a break down in the overall pattern and a nice warming trend for next week with highs into the 70s by the middle part of the week but still no rain chances. As Randy mentions in his blog below, the forecast models are hinting at maybe a rain chance out toward the end of the GFS 14-Day model run but we have to take that with a grain of salt. After all, this far out in the forecast models is out in "voodoo" land.

Have a wonferful weekend!

Out on a Limb !!!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ....

Do I dare mention rain in the extended forecast? Yes, I dare.

As I wrote in a recent blog, the high pressure ridge and associated dry weather pattern will last through the middle of next week. Nothing has changed as far as that is concerned. We stay dry.

The high moves east and it allows low pressure areas to develop over the southwest U.S. again. As I mentioned before, this does not guarantee rain, but it does represent a pattern change to give us more hope.

For the second day in a row, one of my long range forecast models is painting rain over our area Sunday, January 25th. You can bet I'll be looking at this a couple times a day for updates - and we'll hope, and pray, and keep our fingers crossed this weather guesser is on to something !!

Tonight: Cold again, around 22. Northeast wind 5 to 10.

Friday: Partly cloudy morning, then thinning clouds, a little warmer, 48. South wind 5 to 15, some higher gusts.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, low of 39. Southwest wind 5 to 10.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, high of 63. Another cold front arrives late day.

Saturday Night: Clear and cold, low of 32.

Sunday: Sunny, high of 58.

Sunday Night: Clear, 35.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday: Mostly sunny and 65.

Monday Night: Clear and 37.

Tuesday: Sunny and warm, 72.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny and warm, 74.

Thursday: Partly cloudy, 70.

Winter Is Back:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Cold front continues to sag southward this morning and will clear the Big Country in the next few hours. Cold air working into the area will bring us a very chilly and wintry day across the KRBC viewing area with many spots holding into the upper
30s for daytime highs. With the northeast winds, it will feel even chillier. Mostly sunny conditions will eventually lead to partly cloudy conditions by afternoon. A cold night tonight with low 20s and I would not be surprised if a few spots dipped into the upper teens but cloud cover will be the main factor on temperatures tonight as clouds are expected to develop and drift in from the south.

* Friday: Still looking cool with highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s with a few clouds in the area. Winds will turn southwesterly and thus we will be a bit warmer as the cold air mass will be somewhat erroded.

* Weekend: Look for a warming trend over the weekend with highs climbing back into the upper 50s and lower 60s across the Big Country. No rain chances over the weekend as dry air remains in place for the area.

* Down The Road: Forecast models this morning are showing a break down in the overall pattern and a nice warming trend for next week with highs into the 70s by the middle part of the week but still no rain chances. We'll have to watch next week for any pattern changes beyond the mentioned. After all, this far out in the forecast models is out in "voodoo" land.

Have a great Thursday!

Cold Thursday, Warmer this Weekend

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ..

You are probably hearing a lot about the cold air which has plunged much of the eastern part of the nation into the proverbial refrigerator. While we get just a smidge of the cold Thursday, it's not any colder than what we've seen so far.

I spent a lot of time Wednesday afternoon studying the upper level pattern and it's not until the middle of next week that the blocking high pressure ridge situated across the Rocky Mountain west breaks down. What that means for us is a steady stream of dry cold fronts every couple of days. In fact, north and northwesterly will be the prominent wind direction around here through early next week.

But that doesn't mean it's going to be cold all the time either. Thursday
will be our coldest day, slight warm-up Friday, back into the 60's Saturday,
slightly cooler Sunday, then 60's for early next week.

The pattern shifts about Wednesday of next week flattens out the high which allows low pressure systems to drop down from the Pacific Northwest into the Four Corners of the southwest U.S. That still isn't the best place to get rain in here (we need them a little farther south, like northern Mexico) but at least we have better hope of seeing moisture work its way back into our area with a pattern change.

The long range models are trying to paint some rain in our area around January 25th or 26th. As I wrote earlier, it's about the only hope we have at this time.

Wednesday Night: Clear early, then increasing clouds late. Low near 27.
Northeast wind 10 to 20.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, high near 38. Northeast wind 10 to 20.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy and cold, low near 24.

Friday: Partly cloudy, high near 50.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, low near 32.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, highs in the low 60's.

Saturday Night: Clear and 32.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, highs upper 50's.

Monday through Wednesday: Mostly sunny, highs in the middle 60's.

Weather Changes Ahead:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Another chilly start this morning with temperatures sitting into the 20s across the Heartland and 30s across the Big Country as I blog this a little after 5AM. A very pleasant day is ahead for the area with ample sunshine and highs in the lower
60s with a southerly wind.

* A cold front will move across the Big Country late this evening and bring in much colder weather for tonight and especially the next few days. Highs on Thursday will struggle to remain in the lower 40s. I would not be surprised if some spots stay in the upper 30s. Cloudy intervals will persist as well for the area. The same deal is in store for Friday, although it will be a bit warmer into the middle and upper 40s.

* Weekend: We will start a slight warming trend over the weekend with highs climbing in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Dry air remains in place so no rain chances for the weekend, not to mention the entire seven day forecast period.

Enjoy your Wednesday...

Nice Wednesday, Then Much Colder

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Thanks for checking out my blog. The temperature roller coaster continues. Wednesday will be warm, around 60, but Thursday is drastically different, only around 38 for your high. Plus, north wind will keep wind chills in the 20's and 30's during the day Thursday, so plan accordingly.

No moisture is expected with the front but we should see more clouds around Thursday. Those clouds help keep us in the 20's Thursday night instead of dropping even colder.

I think by Friday we will see temperatures climb back to the 40's, the 50's by Saturday and the 60's by the first of next week.

Cool Day Ahead:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* A chilly start this morning with temperatures at and below freezing thanks to the cold front that moved across the Big Country late yesterday afternoon. It will be about 10-15 degrees cooler today with highs only in upper 40s and lower
50s across the area.

* An even stronger cold front will move across the area late Wednesday and bring very cold air into the area by Thursday. Looks as though the really cold Arctic air mass will pass well away from us across the Ohio Valley and the Deep South. Another front is due over the weekend but based on the data this morning, doesn't look like it will cool down too much with this front.

* Dry pattern will persist the next seven days in the forecast with no rain chances showing up in the forecast. Fire danger will remain elevated or high with the dry air in place and breezy conditions ahead of the fronts.

Have a great Tuesday...

Here Comes the Cold

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

I guess it comes as no surprise that some cold temperatures are headed our way since the time between now and mid February is typically our coldest weather of the year.

I'm still forecast three fronts, one moving through Abilene as of 4:00pm today (Monday). This front will drop temperatures to the middle 20's by Tuesday morning, so be ready. Also, winds Monday night into Tuesday morning from the north at 15 to 25 will mean wind chills in the teens to begin your day Tuesday.

Temperatures warm close to 50 Tuesday and closer to 60 by Wednesday but (there's always a but in there somewhere) - the strongest cold front of the week arrives Wednesday night. For Thursday, I'm going with the upper 30's as there is still some uncertainty just how much of a glancing blow we'll get from the Arctic outbreak which will engulf much of the eastern half of the nation and the deep south. We should also have more clouds around Thursday into Friday in the cold air. You'll definitely want to plan on bundling up Thursday and Friday.

Temperatures should warm a little for the upcoming weekend.

Numbers
Monday night - Low of 24. North wind 15 to 25. Wind chills in the teens.
Tuesday: Around 50 - lighter winds - chill in the air all day.
Tuesday night: Near 30, clear.
Wednesday: Sunny, upper 50's.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, mid to upper 20's.
Thursday: Partly cloudy, upper 30's.

Parade of Cold Fronts This Week:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* A cold front will move across the Big Country this afternoon and bring a shot of cooler air to start the week with highs dropping from the 60s into the 50s the next few days. An even stronger cold front will move across the area later this week and bring very cold air into the area by Thursday. Looks as though the really cold Arctic airmass will pass well away from us across the Ohio Valley and the Deep South. It will still be a mild start for the first half of the week and cooling down by late week. (See the 7-Day Forecast on the main KRBC Weather Page)

* Dry pattern will persist the next seven days in the forecast with no rain chances showing up in the forecast. Fire danger will remain elevated or high with the dry air in place and breezy conditions ahead of the fronts.

* Front timing: The first front arrives this afternoon with the second Arctic front arriving late Wednesday night and early Thursday. The third front should arrive in the Big Country on Saturday.

Have a great Monday...

Three Cold Fronts This Week

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner .....

Thanks for checking out the KRBC weather blog. I'm tracking three cold fronts, the first of which arrives late Monday afternoon or early evening here in Abilene, without rain, of course.

The second front, the strongest of the three, arrives Wednesday night and is actually a glancing blow of some very frigid Arctic air which will grip much of the nation east of the Mississippi River late this week. No moisture is expected with this front either.

The third front, not a very strong one, arrives Saturday afternoon or night, again, without moisture.

Temperatures will run close to if not slightly above normal for this time of year Monday through Wednesday. They will be below normal Thursday and Friday, then near normal again for the upcoming weekend.

As for the wind - it will become gusty Monday afternoon and remain gusty Monday night as the cold front blows through. The wind becomes gusty again Wednesday in advance of the next front and will remain gusty Wednesday night into Thursday, out of the northeast.

I wished I had better news concerning rain, or any kind of moisture, but I simply don't at this time.

Sunday Night: Clear and cold, low near 30. Southwest wind 5 to 10.

Monday: Partly cloudy and breezy, high near 62, southwest wind 10 to 20 shifting northerly late day and gusty.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny and cool, high near 55. North wind 10 to 15.

Tuesday Night: Clear, low in the low 30's.

Wednesday: Sunny and 60.

Thursday: Partly cloudy, windy and cold, high 45.

Is Arctic Air on the Way?

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

There is the possibility of a cold Arctic outbreak dropping into the Big Country in about a week, roughly Thursday of next week. It is still too early to say with any certainty how cold it could get, or if moisture will be associated, but I wanted to give you a heads-up that we're following this developing situation and will post updates here and through our webcasts and graphics here on Bigcountryhomepage.com.

Thanks for reading,

Randy

Warm, Then Cold - Winter Doldrums

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ....

Granted, we need rain, and lots of it would help right now, right this moment. Unfortunately, it isn't in the forecast. I had hoped that, perhaps early next week, we could luck into a shower, but that is doubtful.

That being said, the nice, warm, sunny skies were wonderful today and will be again on Friday. Changes loom with the arrival of another cold front Friday night, sunset or a little after. It will drop temperatures 25 to 30 degrees by Saturday.

Thursday Night: Clear and cool, 44. West wind 5 to 10.
Friday: Sunny, breezy and warm. High 77. West wind 10 to 20 with gusts.
Friday Night: Cold front, partly cloudy, low of 37. North wind 20 to 30.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and cold, high near 50. North wind 15 to 25.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear and 28.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, near 60.
Monday: Mostly sunny, near 58.

Feels Like Spring Out There !!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

The normal high temperature for this time of year in Abilene is 55. Thursday and Friday, afternoon highs will be 15 to 20 degrees above normal. But by Saturday, high temperatures will be about 10 degrees below normal.

The parade of cold fronts continues with one due late Friday afternoon or Friday evening then another one during the day next Tuesday.

The chance for rain doesn't look good. I'm keeping a slight mention of rain in the forecast next Tuesday but have my doubts.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy to mostly clear, low near 38. West wind 5 to 10.

Thursdsay: Mostly sunny and 69.

Friday: Mostly sunny and 75. Gusty wind, high fire danger.

Saturday: Mostly sunny and much colder, high 48, gusty north wind, high fire danger.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, mid to upper 50's.

Warmer Days Ahead

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Good evening, thanks for checking out my blog. Temperatures warmed into the middle 50's in the Abilene area Tuesday afternoon, but in the low 60's in the Brownwood area.

Expect middle 60's Wednesday, upper 60's Thursday, middle 70's Friday, then a sudden change to cold weather this weekend.

How cold? I'm forecasting 48 Saturday and 50 Sunday. Wind will be from the north and gusty Saturday so expect wind chills in the 30's Saturday.

It also looks like another upper level low will eventually form around the Baja of California, pretty close to where the last one did which brought us the rain and ice this week. Given the position of the low, I've added a 20% chance for rain to the forecast for Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Don't forget that our weather graphics are available here on the website and are updated twice daily during the week and on the weekend.

Randy

Quiet Weather Today:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* What a difference 24 hours can make as weather is quiet this morning across the area. We are waking up to mostly cloudy conditons, especially over the eastern counties. The clouds will thin up some today and the winds will pick up from the northwest with highs warming into the middle 50s today. Another cold night for us with lows in the lower 30s and even warmer tomorrow with highs in the middle 60s.


* It will remain warm through the end of the week until the next cold front arrives on Friday night and will cool us down for the weekend. There are no rain chances for the area in the the next 7 days.

- Enjoy your Tuesday...

Icy Episode Comes to an End

From the KRBC Weather Lab and Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

First, a note of thanks to the emergency personnel - police, fire, ems, first responders, many who did an excellent job Monday morning responding to the dozens of wrecks caused by the ice and wet weather. Ladies and gentlemen, your work is deeply appreciated.

The system which brought us at least a little precipitation Monday morning will move east of our area Monday night into Tuesday, taking the chance for rain or frozen precipitation with it. We could still see a few showers Monday afternoon and night, but the heaviest is likely over.

Roads should be in pretty good shape Monday night and Tuesday morning but you'll certainly want to slow down as you approach and cross bridges and overpasses as slick spots will likely remain. It would be a good idea to go ahead and plan to leave a little early as you go to work and school Tuesday to allow plenty of travel time.

Three cold fronts are expected this week. The first on Tuesday brings gusty northwest wind, another late Friday and very windy on Friday, then a third next Monday when it will be very windy once again.

It appears we are in for dry weather again through the next seven days.

Monday Night: Cloudy with a 20% chance for light rain which could become freezing rain. Watch for ice on roadways, especially bridges and overpasses. Low near 32. Southwest wind 5 to 10 could actually warm the temperature during the overnight.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, high of 55. Northwest wind 10 to 20.

Tuesday Night: Clear and cold, low of 29.

Wednesday: Sunny and mild, mid 60's.

Wednesday Night: Clear and cold, mid 30's.

Thursday: Sunny and warm, upper 60's.

Friday: Windy, warm, near 70 with a cold front arriving late day.

Saturday: Sunny, cool and windy, high of 50. Wind chills in the 40's.

Sunday: Sunny and cool, high in the low 60's.

Monday: Windy, another cold front, middle 50', mostly sunny.

Winter Weather & Freezing Rain Advisory:

* The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a Winter Weather Advisory until 6PM this evening for Taylor, Nolan, Callahan, Jones, Fisher, Shackelford, Haskell and Throckmorton County. A Freezing Rain Advisory has been issued for Coke, Runnels, Coleman, and Brown County until 6PM.

* The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a Freezing Rain Advisory until 6PM for Eastland, Stephens, Comanche and Mills County.

* The National Weather Service in Lubbock has issued a Winter Weather Advisory until 12PM for Stonewall, King and Kent County.

* Ice accumulations of 0.10" (.20" in some isolated areas) are possible today across the Big Country, Heartland and Northern Concho Valley elevated surfaces like bridges and overpasses.

* Stay tuned to KRBC and BigCountryHomepage.Com for the latest weather information.

KRBC Weather Forecast:

Today:
Periods of Freezing Rain and Sleet
Cloudy & Cold
High: 30-34°
Wind: NW 5-10
Precipitation Chance: 70%

Tonight:
Light Freezing Rain/Sleet Ending Early
Mostly Cloudy & Cold
Lows: 29-32°
Wind: SW 5-10
Precipitation Chance: 20%

Winter Storm Watch in Effect

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Ingredients were coming together Sunday night for an ice storm to cause problems Monday across the KRBC viewing area.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect through the day Monday meaning ice could cause dangerous travel conditions.

The first shower popped up on Triple Doppler radar in Coleman County around 7:00pm Sunday but more widespread rain, freezing rain and sleet is expected to develop in our area as an upper level low approaches from the west. The amounts may be heavy leading to significant icing, but it'll all melt away by Tuesday as temperatures warm considerably.

Here is the National Weather Service statement:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A WINTERSTORM WATCH FOR THE BIG COUNTRY...CONCHO VALLEY...ANDHEARTLAND...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAYAFTERNOON.

RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTHWARDFROM THE CONCHO VALLEY AND HEARTLAND...INTO THE BIG COUNTRY MONDAYMORNING.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANTICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THELATEST FORECASTS.

Watching For Winter Weather Late Sunday/Early Monday:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
318 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2009

FISHER-NOLAN-COKE-RUNNELS-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-
JONES-SHACKELFORD- TAYLOR-CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-

...WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY
AND NORTHERN CONCHO VALLEY...LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...

AFTER A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES DOWN ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO OUR AREA. A
STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE
SOUTHWESTERN STATES AND NORTHERN MEXICO SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...
BEFORE TRACKING TOWARD TEXAS ON MONDAY. ON SUNDAY NIGHT...
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE 20S ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY...AND INTO THE 30S FARTHER SOUTH. THE APPROACH OF THIS
SYSTEM WILL BRING A GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY AND HEARTLAND...LATE
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD...SOME
FREEZING RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA ROUGHLY NORTH OF A
LINE FROM STERLING CITY TO ROBERT LEE TO CROSS PLAINS. A MIX OF
FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET MAY OCCUR IN THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN BIG
COUNTRY. SOME THUNDER WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY.

AT THIS TIME...THERE IS CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH
MOISTURE WILL BE AVAILABLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN CONCHO VALLEY AND
BIG COUNTRY WHEN THE STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES. THIS WILL BE A
CRITICAL FACTOR IN HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION CAN OCCUR ACROSS THAT
AREA...WHERE TEMPERATURES WOULD BE COLD ENOUGH FOR WINTER
PRECIPITATION TO OCCUR.

PEOPLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...ESPECIALLY THE BIG COUNTRY
AND CONCHO VALLEY...ARE ENCOURAGED TO CHECK THE LATEST FORECASTS
AND WEATHER INFORMATION...ON THE POTENTIAL FOR WINTER
PRECIPITATION SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

Changes This Weekend:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Look for very warm weather across the Big Country for today and Saturday as strong southwesterly winds will blow across the area as a trough deepens to our west. Wildfire threat will be elevated over the weekend as well.

* A strong cold front will move across the area early Sunday morning and bring much cooler air into the area for Sunday and Monday. An upper level low pressure center will track in behind the front late Sunday and Monday morning and will squeeze out some light precipitation. Forecast models indicate temperatures will be at or just below freezing Monday morning. It looks as if we could see some light freezing rain or sleet early, followed by just a cold rain during the day on Monday. Of course stay tuned to KRBC over the weekend for all updates on the forecast for early next week.

* Have a great weekend...

Warm Through Saturday, Colder Sunday

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ....

The new year began as the old one ended, dry. Any hopes for moisture rest during an 18-24 hour period beginning Sunday night and ending Monday afternoon.

Temperatures will remain very warm through Saturday. Sunday, an upper level low pressure trof will approach from the west. That pumps moisture in from the Pacific and hopefully can draw some low level moisture from the Gulf. A strong cold front blows in Saturday night and that helps set the stage for the possibility of showers or sleet.

Forecast models are hinting at light precipitation over our area, hit and miss, but they also have the air from two to five thousand feet above ground below freezing. If that's the case, the rain could freeze and become sleet and most likely stay frozen all the way to the ground. So, the forecast has the potential for light showers, possibly mixed with sleet.

At this time, it appears the near-surface temperature will be near 32 Sunday night with highs reaching the low 40's Monday which means any slick stuff would be short lived. I'll monitor this potential for moisture and have updates here on this page. This is our only shot at moisture through the next seven days.

Thursday Night: Clear and cold, low near 35. West wind 5 to 10.
Friday: Mostly sunny with middle 70's. Southwest wind 10 to 15.
Friday Night: Mostly clear and mild, low 50's. Wind increasing from the southwest.
Saturday: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy and windy with an elevated wildfire danger. High near 75. Southwest wind 15 to 25.
Saturday Night: Increasing cloudiness with a low of 37 as a cold front arrives.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy and much colder, high in the low to mid 40's. North wind 10 to 20.
Sunday Night: Cloudy, low near 32 with a 20% chance for showers perhaps mixed with sleet.
Monday: Mostly cloudy and chilly, high in the low 40's with a slight chance for light showers.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, middle 30's.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy, near 60.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, in the low 60's.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, in the middle 60's.