Warm For Now...Much Colder Temps On The Horizon

From Chief Meteorologist Brandon Rector...

It was another cold start for the Big Country today as temperatures were in the mid 30s this morning. We warmed up nicely this afternoon with highs in the low to mid 70s. The above average temperatures were due to sustained south-southwesterly winds of 20 to 30 mph and higher gusts.

Near record warmth is expected tomorrow. Highs should be in the upper 70s to low 80s. The record high for December 7th at Abilene Regional Airport is 81 set back in 1966. Winds will be from the south tomorrow at 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts.

On Saturday, it will be a little cooler thanks to mostly cloudy skies. Highs look to be in the mid to upper 70s. There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday night as some upper level disturbances move across the region.

These upper level disturbances will be thanks to an upper level trough that is expected to dig into the western part of the country. A low should develop in this trough and make its way slowly towards us this weekend and early next week. The trough is not expected to completely pass us by until Wednesday afternoon. With sufficient moisture in place, we have a good chance for precipitation Sunday through Tuesday. The chance is 40% for the second half of the weekend and 50% for the first two days next week. A cold front is expected to move through the area early Sunday. This will bring much colder temperatures to the region. Highs on Sunday should be in the mid to upper 50s and that will likely occur in the morning with temperatures dropping through the day once the front passes your location. Highs for Monday through Wednesday look to be in the upper 30s to low 40s. Lows Sunday night through Tuesday night should be in the upper 20s to low 30s. This means that we could see rain change to freezing rain and/or sleet overnight into the morning hours and then change back to rain during the day.

This is how the situation looks for now. Things could change as we get closer to this time period. The type and amount of the precipitation we see is going to depend heavily on the exact track and strength of the upper level trough and low. The precipitation type is also going to depend on the cold air behind the front. If it isn't cold enough then we won't have to worry about frozen precipitation. As always, we will be keeping a close eye on this next possible round of wintry precipitation. Stay tuned to KRBC for further weather updates.

Have a fantastic Friday!