Below Average Temperatures This Week

From Meteorologist Brandon Rector...

It was a cold start to the day with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. There might have been a little bit of patchy frost out there. In fact, most of the Big Country was under a Frost Advisory until 10 a.m. this morning. It will be nice, but still cool today with highs in the low to mid 60s. So, if you are going to be out at Shotwell Stadium to get tickets for the crosstown showdown between Abilene High and Cooper today, you'll probably want to have a coat.

It will be chilly again tonight with lows in the upper 30s to low 40s across most of the area. However, if you are in Brown, Coke, Coleman, or Runnels county, you may be colder. A Frost Advisory is already in effect for those counties Tuesday morning from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. If you have any sensitive plants, you'll probably want to bring those in or cover them tonight. You might want to bring the pets in too since it will be chilly.

Warmer temperatures should arrive Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the low 70s. Mostly sunny skies are expected on both of those days as well. An upper level disturbance may arrive Wednesday night or Thursday, so there is a 20% chance of showers right now during that time period. That system should clear out by Friday. If it does, then we will likely see another dry Friday night for all the area football games.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Wilma made landfall at 6:30 a.m. EDT near Cape Romano, Florida. This is about 20 miles west of Everglades City, Florida. Wilma was a strong Category 3 with winds of 125 mph when it made landfall. Here is the 11 a.m. EDT advisory:

...LARGE EYE OF WILMA OVER PALM BEACH AND MARTIN COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA......HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ON BACK SIDE OF EYE MOVING INTO METROPOLITAN AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA......
REMAIN INDOORS...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS... INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY... ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD... AND ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM TITUSVILLE SOUTHWARD... INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST NORTH OF LONGBOAT KEY TO STEINHATCHEE RIVER... AND ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST NORTH OF TITUSVILLE TO ST. AUGUSTINE.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF CIUDAD DE LA HABANA...LA HABANA...AND PINAR DEL RIO.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLE OF YOUTH.
A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCE OF MATANZAS. THESE WARNINGS AND WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED LATER TODAY.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS...INCLUDING THE ABACOS...ANDROS ISLAND...BERRY ISLANDS...BIMINI...ELEUTHERA...GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND...AND NEW PROVIDENCE.
AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 80.0 WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES... 25 KM... NORTH-NORTHEAST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA.
WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 25 MPH...41 KM/HR. A CONTINUED INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
ON THIS TRACK THE LARGE EYE WILL EMERGE OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA AND MOVE INTO THE ATLANTIC LATER TODAY. HOWEVER...WILMA IS A LARGE HURRICANE AND THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE EYEWALL EXTEND WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER.
PERSONS ARE URGED NOT TO VENTURE OUTDOORS DURING THE RELATIVE CALM OF THE EYE BECAUSE WINDS WILL SOON INCREASE QUITE RAPIDLY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.
WIND SPEEDS ABOUT ONE CATEGORY STRONGER COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS.
SOME CONTINUED GRADUALWEAKENING IS LIKELY AS WILMA EMERGES OFF THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 100 MILES...160 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES...415 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 956 MB...28.23 INCHES.
STORM SURGE SHOULD BE DECREASING ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA COAST...THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.
STORM SURGE FLOODING SHOULD BEGIN TO DECREASE IN UPPER FLORIDA BAY LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING.
AS WILMA EXITS FLORIDA...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET IS STILL POSSIBLE ALONG THE PALM BEACH...MARTIN...AND ST. LUCIE SHORELINES TO THE NORTH OF THE STORM TRACK.
STORM SURGE OF 5 TO 8 FEET IS STILL POSSIBLE IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE.
WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA...WITH MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
WESTERN CUBA MAY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER LOCALIZED AREAS.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERNFLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY.

Also, according to the National Hurricane Center as of 11 a.m. EDT, Tropical Depression Alpha has sustained winds of 35 mph and was moving north at 20 mph. It's currently about 630 miles southwest of Bermuda. Alpha is expected to eventually be absorbed by the much larger Hurricane Wilma within the next 24 hours.

We'll continue to keep you updated on the latest.

Have a magnificent Monday!