Cooler Today, Warmth Returns Tomorrow:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* The cold front pushed through the Big Country yesterday evening and has brought the cooler air for today into the area. There were actually some strong storms to form on the front, but those storms developed between our eastern counties and Fort Worth and never affected our area.

* Cooler weather ahead today for your Tuesday with highs only into the 60s with the chilly start in the morning. We will recover quickly with another warm-up by Wednesday with highs back up into the the low 80s before another strong cold front arrives on Thursday bringing us back into the lower 60s for highs on Thursday.

* Fire Threat: No advisories in effect for the today, but most of the area has been placed under a Fire Weather Watch for Wednesday as we expect gusty south and southwest winds ahead of the cold front that arrives on Thursday.

* Rain Chances: The GFS forecast model is still the only one that is pointing at some rain chances along the cold front Thursday. I still have a small chance (20%) into the forecast package for Thursday based on that trent. Areas north of Interstate 20 will see that chance only, if we see anything at all with the front.

* Weekend: So far looks nice with highs near 80 on Saturday but a cold front comes in late Saturday and will cool us back into the upper 60s on Sunday. For right now it looks like things will be dry with mostly sunny conditions.

* Twitter: Remember you can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. You can also check on news updates via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter site.

Have a great Tuesday...

Weather Can't Make Up Its Mind !!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Our weather woes this week will be lack of rain, daily wind, and persistent high wildfire danger. In contrast, the Dakota's are facing another blizzard today on top of the cold and flooding.

The low pressure area causing the blizzard will send a dry cold front our way one tonight and another one Wednesday night. Each time, not enough moisture will be present to cause any rain.

Thursday a fast moving low from the northwest drops over us and may bring enough moisture to give at least the northern counties a little slight chance for a shower, that's about it.

Mainly windy and dry for our area this week with temperature flucuations. I'm getting plenty of questions about when the next rain is going to be. It isn't looking good.

In putting together a weather program for a presentation tonight to the Master Naturalist program in Taylor County, I went to the Climate Prediction Center specialists for their latest update. Their assessment is for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for the rest of the spring and summer in our area. NOT good news. That isn't to say we won't get a periodical storm system to make it rain, but it is saying the natural TREND is to return to the same pattern we've been in.

Shown above is the assessment for the next 10 days - severe drought continues in our area.

Wished I had better news.

Windy & Warm Monday:

*** NWS San Angelo: Red Flag Warning from 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM for Taylor, Nolan, Fisher, Callahan, Jones, Haskell, Shackelford & Throckmorton County ***

*** NWS San Angelo: Lake Wind Advisory from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM for Brown, Runnels, Coleman, Taylor, Nolan, Fisher, Callahan, Jones, Haskell, Shackelford & Throckmorton County ***

*** NWS Fort Worth: Red Flag Warning from 12:00 PM until 7:00 PM for Eastland, Stephens and Comanche County ***

*** NWS San Angelo: Red Flag Warning from 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM for Mitchell and Scurry County ***

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* The winds have been with us all weekend and they'll be with us as we start a new week today. Advisories are up because of the southwest winds today, not to mention the dry condtions and warm temperatures. Mostly sunny today with highs in the middle 80s across the board. Tonight it will be colder thanks to a cold front with lows in the lower 40s.

* The cold front will push into the Big Country late this evening and should clear the area just after midnight bringing cooler weather for your Tuesday with highs only into the 60s with the chilly start in the morning. We will recover quickly with another warm-up by Wednesday with highs back up into the the low 80s before another strong cold front arrives late Wednesday/eartly Thursday bringing us back into the
60s on Thursday. Point here is temperatures are up and down all week. Another front is due into the weekend.

* Rain Chances: The GFS forecast model is the only one that is pointing at some rain chances along the cold front Thursday. I've added a small chance (20%) into the forecast package for Thursday based on that trent. Will monitor to see if the chance stays with us the next couple of days.

* Twitter: Remember you can follow us on twitter anytime for quick weather updates by visiting the KRBC Weather Twitter. You can also check on news updates via twitter also by visiting the Big Country Homepage Twitter site.

Enjoy your Monday...

Wind Issues Persist

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

It seems we just can't get a break from the dry and windy weather.

First - the advisories. A Lake Wind Advisory will be in effect all night Sunday night for gusty south wind 20 to 30.

A Fire Weather Watch will be in effect Monday, simply saying that gusty southwest and west wind along with dry air will increase the potential for wildfires to start and spread.

The main storm track stays well to our north, across the Central Plains. That means we'll see some cold fronts this week, but they come to rapidly for Gulf moisture to rebuild in our area for the possibility of rain. We end up with dry fronts and lots of wind.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear and windy, low of 56. South wind 20 to 30. Lake Wind Advisory.

Monday: Mostly sunny, continued very windy and dry. High of 82. Southwest and west wind 25 to 35.

Winter Weather Makes A Return:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Cold front continues to move south into the Big Country this morning and will bring in much colder air today. We hit a high of 83 yesterday and by this afternoon, some areas will be in the upper 30s with others in the low 40s with some light snow.

* Temperatures: Highs will be reached this morning. As of 4:00 AM, Abilene was sitting at 61° while other spots were in the upper 50s. By lunchtime the front should be well into the area and temperatures drop quickly into the middle and upper 40s. By afternoon we should be in the lower 40s with a few spots in the upper 30s. Tonight we all will see a freeze with lows between 30-33° and a cold northwest wind.

* Winds: Wind Advisory in effect today for the northwest winds that will gust between 20-35 miles per hour all day and tonight bringing in the blast of colder air into West Central Texas.

* Snow: Our futurecast model keeps snow today and this afternoon along and north of Interstate 20. We're not expecting a blizzard like up toward Amarillo but there will be some snow showers today across the northern half of the area. The precipitation should start as a light cold rain/drizzle and eventually turn over into light snow later in the day. No accumulation is expect and we don't see any travel problems. Now having said no accumulation, there could be a little on grassy spots across the far Northern Big Country, we'll say north of US 380.

* Weekend: Cool day Saturday after starting out at freezing, we'll warm to near 54 in most areas. Clouds will be on the decrease. Another chilly night Saturday night with lows in the middle 30s. Sunday we should be back in the lower 70s.

* Twitter: If you are a twitter user, you can follow our news and weather departments via our twitter accounts. Our weather twitter site is http://www.twitter.com/krbcwx and our KRBC/BigCountryHomepage site is http://www.twitter.com/bigcountryhome

Have a great weekend...

Brrrrr is Back !!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

So, tired of the warm weather? Well don't worry, winter is just around the corner, at least for two days.

Wow is a good word to describe what's coming our way. A strong cold front should arrive in Abilene about sunrise Friday morning, if not a little before. Here is what to plan on Friday.

1. Winds gusting between 25 and 35. Wind chills in the 30's throughout the day.

2. Temperatures starting the day in the upper 40's but slowly falling to about 40 late in the day.

3. Precipitation should be light rain to start, but change to light snow during the day into the evening.

4. Accumulations likely light. Snow favored in areas along and north of Interstate 20. Farther north you go toward Haskell, Aspermont and Knox City, a little more snow around 1 inch.

5. Road conditions should be good in our area, not expecting them to freeze, but be wet from the moisture.

6. Travel plans toward Lubbock? Get the latest weather before you go as they look for much more in the way of snow. Lubbock to Amarillo? It gets worse with possible blizzard conditions in the northern Texas Panhandle.

7. Monitor bigcountryhomepage.com through the day - we also Twitter with krbcwx.

8. Possible freeze Friday night at 32-35.

9. Highs Saturday around 50-55. Clearing Saturday but still very windy.

10. Around 70 by Sunday with no more rain in the forecast through the middle of next week.

Warm Today, Cold Blast Tomorrow:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* In the wake of yesterday's storms, we're dealing with areas of patchy fog to the east of Abilene this morning, especially from about Brownwood to Eastland to Breckenridge. NWS/Fort Worth has a Dense Fog Advisory out for our eastern counties this morning.

* Today: Very windy and warm conditions are expected today across the area with highs well into the middle and even a few upper 80s with gusty south to southwest winds. We should see mostly sunny conditions during the day with clouds increasing tonight ahead of the next front. Lows tonight in the middle 40s.

* A strong front is due in early Friday morning and will bring quite a drastic chance to the forecast with highs only in the 50s early before temperatures drop through the day. Models are indicating a blizzard across the Panhandle and South Plains of Texas on Friday. Our futurecast model is trying to bring some of the winter precipitation into our northwestern counties. I am going to keep a 20% chance for some light precipitation for tomorrow for areas north of I-20 (light cold rain) while I'll go ahead and mention some mix with light snow flurries or light snow north of US 380. We expect to have a freeze Saturday morning for all the area.

* Twitter: Just a reminder that if your a "Twitterer" you can follow our news and weather updates on the site! Our Weather Site: http://www.twitter.com/krbcwx and the news site is http://www.twitter.com/bigcountryhome

Have a great Thursday...

Strong To Severe Storms This Afternoon:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* The cold front that moved through yesterday will lift back north today a warm front. A strong upper level storm system will move in tomorrow evening. The dryline will also mix into the area. The point here is all these ingredients will spell out a better chance for thunderstorms. The dymanics look a better with this system. In fact, the SPC has 2/3rds of the viewing area outlined in a "slight" risk for severe storms this afternoon. I think the threat will roughly be from about San Angelo to Sweetwater to Roby to Jayton and all points east. The better chance of severe storms will be across the eastern and southeast counties.

* A strong front is due in by Friday and will bring quite a drastic chance to the forecast with highs only in the 50s on Friday and we'll probably have a light freeze Saturday morning. Models are indicating a blizzard across the Panhandle and South Plains of Texas on Friday. Our futurecast model is trying to bring some of the winter precipitation into our northwestern counties.

* Twitter: Just wanted to let you know if your a twitter, you can follow our news and weather on the site! Our Weather Site: http://www.twitter.com/krbcwx and the news site is http://www.twitter.com/bigcountryhome

Have a good Wednesday...

Storms Possible Again Wednesday

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

After the Monday night system produced more heartaches than rain, we'll reload and try again on Wednesday. The cold front which moved through Tuesday will stall and return to the north as a warm front on Wednesday. The front brings more moisture and instability back to the KRBC viewing area which is why there is a 30 percent chance for thunderstorms in the forecast in Abilene on Wednesday.

If you live south and east of Abilene, you'll have a better chance for thunderstorms. Some storms Wednesday may become severe, which is why the Storm Prediction Center has placed our area under a Slight Risk for severe weather.

Once the storm chance is over by Wednesday night, get ready for the west wind to howl on Thursday. But a warm west wind will also push the temperatures into the 80's.

Don't get use to the warmth because another cold front early Friday will keep highs in the 50's on Friday !!! Friday night, I'm forecasting a low of 34 but some areas across the northern Big Country could flirt with a freeze, so take care of tender vegetation. The front on Friday will bring mainly our northern counties a slight chance for rain.

A warming trend begins Saturday and continues with dry weather into early next week.

Better Chance For Rain & Storms Wednesday:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Cold front continues to move through the Big Country this morning and could still fire off a stray thundestorm, mainly east of Abilene. Otherwise we missed out on the storm chances as the best dynamics stayed well to our north. Mostly sunny weather will dominate the rest of the day with highs in the middle 70s and lows tonight into the middle to upper 40s.

* The above mentioned front will stall across the central and southern areas of the state tonight and will slowly lift back northward as a warm front on Wednesday. A strong upper level storm system will move in tomorrow evening. The dryline will also mix into the area. The point here is all these ingredients will spell out a better chance for thunderstorms. The dymanics look a better with this system. In fact, the SPC has 2/3rds of the viewing area outlined in a "slight" risk for severe storms tomorrow afternoon and evening.

* A strong front is due in by Friday and will bring quite a drastic chance to the forecast with highs only in the 50s on Friday and Saturday. Lows at night Friday night and Saturday morning could be flirting near freezing.

* Twitter: Just wanted to let you know if your a twitter, you can follow our news and weather on the site! Our Weather Site: http://www.twitter.com/krbcwx and the news site is http://www.twitter.com/bigcountryhome

Have a nice Tuesday...

T-Storm Potential Tonight

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

The center of a big storm system was swirling in central Nebraska this afternoon. The main instability created by this system will remain north, but I'm still looking for thunderstorms to develop late tonight and into the early morning hours Tuesday.

The southern edge of a jet stream, an eastward advancing dry line and an eastward advancing cold front will help create instability in our area tonight, giving us the potential for storms. The areas favored to see storms are north of I-20 initially, then Abilene eastward. The western Big Country counties have less of a chance.

Tuesday morning, after any leftover storms move east, we'll get back to partly cloudy to sunny conditions. With a northwest wind 5 to 15, temperatures should warm to the middle 70's.

Wednesday brings an interesting scenario as another upper disturbance moves rapidly through the area which gives us another slight chance for thunderstorms.

Another cold front on Friday will bring a slight chance for storms once again.

Check out our 7-day forecast graphics on this page along with our forecast pages for today, tonight and tomorrow and the current conditions.

Be sure to Twitter with us!!!

http://twitter.com/bigcountryhome

http://twitter.com/krbcwx

Have a great day !

Randy

Windy Today, Storms Tonight:

*** NWS/San Angelo: Lake Wind Advisory until 8:00 PM for Taylor, Nolan, Callahan, Jones, Fisher, Shackelford, Haskell and Throckmorton County ***

*** NWS/Fort Worth: Wind Advisory until 8:00 PM for Stephens, Eastland and Comanche County ***

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* Winds are howling out there this morning across the area. As I blog this around 4:30 AM, Abilene Regional Airport reports a sustained wind of 31 mph. Windy conditions will continue across the area today and into the evening. There are some clouds south of Interstate 20 today but many of us will start out with clear conditions, only to see clouds return into the day. Highs today should be near 80.

* A dryline will creep into the area late this afternoon and a cold front tonight. Showers and thunderstorms will develop on this feature late night (mainly between midnight and daybreak) and move off to the east. There is a slight chance a few storms could be strong to severe but the best severe weather dynamics will be well to our north in Oklahoma.

* Outlook: Cooler this week with highs in the 60s and 70s and overnight lows in the 50s, then 40s and some upper 30s. There is another slight chance for rain on Wednesday and Friday.

Enjoy your Monday...

Looking for T-Storms Monday Night

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

A sure sign of Spring is the March wind. It usually is related to advancing storm systems and in our case right now, a BIG advancing storm.

As of Sunday night, a vigorous area of low pressure was advancing east from the Pacific Northwest to the Central Plains. All the pressure changes in the atmosphere are driving our south wind to speeds of over 30mph at times. NO CHANGE to the gusty wind through Monday as Lake Wind Advisories remain in effect.

STORMY WEATHER is possible Monday night between sunset and sunrise (most likely after 10pm) as the dry line, followed by a cold front, move through the area. We are on the southern edge of a slight risk for severe weather in the Big Country, hail, high winds, isolated tornadoes possible. Hey, it's Spring in West Central Texas, make sure you are prepared.

Once the storms move east Tuesday morning, we'll see tranquil weather through Thursday, before the next cold front arrives by early Friday to bring us another slight chance for rain.

Watch for updates on this site, and www.bigcountryhomepage.com.

Take care,

Randy

Dry Weekend Ahead, Rain Chances Next Week:

* Ending the week on a quiet note with just a few clouds now and then and highs into the upper 70s. Over the weekend we'll have cloudy intervals with hgihs in the middle 70s and lows into the upper 50s.

* Rain Chances: The models are still showing some decent rain chances for early next week so I have kept a 30% chance for Monday and a 40% chance for early Tuesday in my forecast package. I'm beginning to think this could be our first setup of the spring for some active weather. It looks as if a squall line could be move through the area late Monday and into early Tuesday. Stay tuned to Nance Burgin and Randy Turner over the weekend for any changes and the latest on the upcoming rain event.

It looks like a squall line could be trying to set up for Monday night so that will bear some watching.

* Spring officially arrives this! The Vernam Equinox will be at 6:44 A.M. our local time. Remember this is West Texas, so Mother Nature's schedule is a bit off as it's seemed like spring since late January!

* KRBC's Weathering The Storm: Thanks for watching our special last night and all your feedback and comments. In case you missed the special we'll have an encore presentation of the 30-minute weather special after our 6:00 newcast Saturday night here on KRBC.

Have a wonderful weekend...

Money Saver Challenge is Over - Thankfully !!

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Each night on KRBC, you see Downing and Kyna report the news, Michelle report the sports and me deliver your daily forecast. However, this week you also saw us do something different called the Money Savers Challenge.

Someone, in their infinite wisdom, decided to challenge the "Team" to buy enough food for five days, but spend only $15 each. So, we all went shopping, together, and bought what we all felt would help us survive those five days.

As for me, I did fine for the first two days, but stubbed my toe with the help of the good people known as the Prime Timers at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. Now I'm not blaming them at all. I'm actually thanking them for having me over to speak to their group, then inviting me to stay for lunch. It's fried chicken at a church, the best kind! Of course I accepted !!
But I did skip the dessert table (and have witnesses to back me up), and made only one trip through the line, really !

But, later that evening, I went right back on the Challenge and the always tasty Ramen noodles. (If I never eat another one, that's ok).

My five-day menu consisted of the aforementioned noodles, eggs, oatmeal for breakfast everyday, chicken leg quarters, some carrots to snack on, lettuce and tomatoes for salad and one large Diet Coke to calm the nerves. You may have seen that I bought a 3-liter bottle. Honestly, it started going flat on day two, and I gave it up in favor of good old water, free from the fountain here at the station with over half of the Diet Coke left in the station fridge for flatten ever further.

I still don't know who started the peanut butter rumor (Dapper) about me satisfying a late night
craving.

Can living on $15 for five days be done? Absolutely.
Did I do it? I'd say 90% of the time.
Would I do it again? Sure. (but not anytime soon)
Would I change the menu? Yes - I'd probably add spaghetti and some type of casserole which can go a long way.

So there you have it. My take on the Money Savers Challenge !!

PLANNING ON MONDAY STORMS

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

Tis the season, for major storm systems and the potential for severe weather. Based on data I looked at this (Thursday) afternoon, this coming Monday and Monday night is shaping up to be a stormy day here in the KRBC viewing area. Now would be a good time to review your severe weather plan and make sure your weather radios are ready to go.

Between now and then, temperatures will be mainly in the 70's during the day and the 50's at night.

The wind will likely be gusty from the south and southeast Friday and Saturday.

Dry weather is forecast Friday but our western viewing area (Snyder and C-City) could see a storm approach from the west late Saturday.

Sunday night, there is also a slight chance for storms across the area but Monday and Monday night look to be stormy over a wide area from here northward into the Plains. We'll keep you posted here on the blog.

A Bit Cooler Today:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* The cold front continues to slip south through the Big Country this morning and will bring in cooler weather for today with highs generally near 70° in most locations. Expect partly to mostly cloudy conditions today. A weak disturbance is sitting over far West Texas this morning and will move across today and could develop a few isolated showers. A few isolated storms could pop up but it looks like the northern counties stand the best chance of that 20% chance in the forecast (mainly areas north of US 380) Cooler tonight with lows in the middle and upper 40s.

* Rain Chances: Other than the slight chance ttodayacross the northern areas of the Big Country, the models are still showing some decent rain chances for early next week so I have kept a 30% chance for Monday and Tuesday in my forecast package. It looks like a squall line could be trying to set up for Monday night so that will bear some watching.

* Spring will officially arrive tomorrow! The Vernam Equinox will arrive in the northern hemisphere on Friday. The official start of spring will be at 6:44 A.M. our local time.

* KRBC's Weathering The Storm: Don't forget to join us for our 30 minute severe weather special that will air tonight and Saturday at 6:30 on KRBC. You'll get a chance to check out our weather center, not to mention get a little one-on-one with our weather team. Of course we'll talk about the severe weather we face in the Big Country and how you can prepare

Have a great Thursday...

Cold Front Arrives Tonight

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ...

A shift in the wind means temperatures about 20 degrees cooler on Thursday, compared to today. A cold front had made its way into the Lubbock area by late afternoon and will push through Abilene in the early nighttime. You can expect the temperature to be around 50 when you wake up Thursday morning.

Rain is still a big question mark and isn't likely, although a few hit and miss showers are possible, just not likely. This is the case for Thursday and Friday. Don't get your hopes up, it won't be much.

I'll leave a few showers in the forecast for Saturday with a slightly better chance starting Sunday and continuing into Monday and Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday are actually the days when we'll see the best chance for rain.

Temperatures Thursday should range from 60 to 70 around the area with a northeast wind 10 to 20 and cloudy skies.

Friday through Monday will feature lots of clouds, highs in the low 70's, lows in the mid 50's and a daily slight chance for hit and miss showers. Again, not much in the way of rain.

Some Changes Ahead:

Good Morning from Meteorologist Chris Whited...

* One more warm day today before we cool down some across the area. It will be very warm with highs in the middle 80s across the Big Country and plenty of sunshine. Tonight clouds will begin to increase with lows in the 50s. Winds tonight will gradually shift northeast as a front moves into the area.

*The cold front will slip into the Big Country late tonight and should be south of Interstate 20 by daybreak tomorrow. It will be a mostly cloudy and cooler day tomorrow with highs in the middle and upper 60s. There is a slight chance for a storm, mainly north and east of Abilene.

* Rain Chances: Other than the slight chance tomorrrow across the northeastern areas of the Big Country, the models are still showing some rain chances for early next week so I have inserted a 30% chance for Monday and Tuesday in my forecast package.

* Spring: The Vernam Equinox will arrive in the northern hemisphere on Friday. The official start of spring will be at 6:44 A.M. our local time.

* KRBC's Weathering The Storm: Join us for our 30 minute severe weather special that will air tomorrow night and Saturday at 6:30 on KRBC. You'll get a chance to check out our weather center, not to mention get a little one-on-one with our weather team. Of course we'll talk about the severe weather we face in the Big Country and how you can prepare

Have a great Wednesday...

Sun and Warmth Wednesday to be Replaced by Clouds Thursday

From KRBC Chief Meteorologist Randy Turner ....

Greetings from the KRBC Weather Lab. Chris Whited, Nance Burgin and I invite you to join us for our Severe Weather Special at 6:30pm this Thursday and a replay at 6:30pm this Saturday. We will discuss severe weather events in our area, how we track storms, how watches and warnings work and much more. I hope you'll be able to tune in. Better yet, be sure to join our chat and lets talk back and forth as the special airs.

Warm weather again Wednesday but after that, clouds invade and slightly cooler temperatures prevail for a few days. I'll go ahead and include a slight 20 percent chance for rain behind the cold front which pushes in early Thursday. More spotty showers or isolated storms are possible Friday and Saturday.

From a high of 86 Wednesday, we drop to a high of 68 on Thursday then the 70's on Friday through early next week.

At least rain is back in the forecast for early next week. Maybe we'll see some showers off and on as we finish out the month.