Foggy Road Conditions Expected In Austin Region On Sunday

AUSTIN, TX — Forecasters are calling for foggy conditions on Sunday in the Austin area following a rainy Saturday.

The rain that fell in the region all day Saturday tapered off after midnight, but will usher in fog that will make for low visibility. Motorists are urged to give themselves extra time to reach their destinations, using their low beams in negotiating roadways.

Fog was expected to develop after 2 a.m. in the region, according to the National Weather Service. It'll be cloudy with a low around 43 degrees. Winds will be calm, forecasters said. Fog is expected to dissipate by around 10 a.m.

Saturday's rain was a welcome pre-Christmas gift from Mother Nature to area flora and fauna, but dampened activities for human residents. City officials canceled the highly anticipated Trail of Lights holiday event at Zilker Park on Saturday as a result of the relentless rainfall.

"Due to inclement weather and substantial rains in this evening’s forecast, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department is closing Zilker Park this evening in order to protect the grounds and to ensure the safety of park visitors," city officials explained on the municipal website.

Scheduled from Dec. 9-23, the Austin Trail of Lights is Austin’s largest holiday tradition and 2nd-largest event in the city. Some 400,000 people each year go to the illuminated, music-filled event complete with vendors selling food. Those rained out of the event on Saturday are able to exchange their ticket(s) for another evening, pending availability, by contacting ticketing@austintrailoflights.org.

All other activities for Sunday, Dec. 17, remain on schedule, organizers said. Further requests can be made to info@austintrailoflights.org.

But back to the weather. After morning fog lifts, conditions will become sunny with a high near 65 degrees. Wind will be negligible at around five miles per hour. Sunday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 51 degrees, forecasters say. That wind won't be pick up, staying in the five-miles-per-hour range, according to the NWS.

Yet we're not done with the rain quite yet. There's a decent chance of rain in the coming days, growing to 50 percent by Monday and Tuesday, then falling to a smaller percentage, and then growing again by next weekend. Here's the day-to-day breakdown for next workweek by the National Weather Service:

• Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 miles per hour. Monday night will bring with it a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 57. Northeast wind around 5 miles per hour becoming calm.
• Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 68. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. By nightfall, a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. West northwest wind 5 to 10 miles per hour.
• Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 5 to 10 miles per hour becoming south in the afternoon. Nighttime will be mostly clear, with a low around 51 degrees. South southwest wind around 5 miles per hour.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Nighttime will bring with it a 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.
• Friday: A 50 percent chance of rain returns. Cloudy, with a high near 46 degrees before a 50 percent chance of nighttime rain. It will be cloudy, and the coldest day of the week at 34 — just a couple of digits from freezing.
• Saturday: A 50 percent chance of rain with cloudy conditions and a high near 42 degrees.

>>> Top photo by Danis Lou on Unsplash, bottom photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash