Wind Advisory Issued For Central Texas Ahead Of 40 MPH Gusts

AUSTIN, TEXAS — You might want to secure the porch furniture and lawn decorations, tie down those trash cans, safeguard outdoor pets and keep on eye on your kids playing outside on Thursday when a wind advisory will be in effect alerting to gusts that could reach up to 40 miles per hour or greater.

The National Weather Service issued the wind advisory for a wide swath of Central Texas, including Travis and Williamson counties. Others regions to be impacted by strong winds include Blanco, Burnet and Llano. The wind advisory will be in effect on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. until midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Such advisories are triggered when winds reach speeds between 25 miles per hour to up to 35 miles per hour. The predicted winds of up to 40 miles per hour appear to be a downgrade from earlier forecasts, as winds reaching 50 miles per hour had been predicted earlier in the week. Some areas in near proximity —San Antonio, the Hill Country and along the Rio Grande Valley — could experience gusts of 50 miles per hour or more, Central Texas weather forecasters predict.

The specter of 40-mile-per-hour wind gusts can be viewed as something of an abstraction in the telling. For a visual aid, take a gander at the video below to see the force of such gusts:

Do we have your attention now? Here's something else to ponder if you're predisposed to blow off this advisory (pun intended): Those weighing 100 pounds and less could be rendered off balance trying to negotiate through the predicted winds. "If you are a larger person, or a heavier person, it would take a lot more force to knock you off your feet," one wind authority told howstuffworks.com in an article titled Yes, Wind Can Blow You Away If It's the Right Speed. "For a person who weighs 100 pounds, it would take a wind speed of 40 to 45 miles an hour, or tropical storm force, to move them."

Don't be alarmed, kids. We're not talking being swept up and blown across state lines, never to be reunited with parents and being left to your own devices in adopting survivalist skills. But the winds can knock a person weighing less than 100 pounds off their feet if conditions are right for such toppling, according to people who study such things.

In addition to securing one's property, residents should anticipate driving challenges in such wind, especially for tall vehicles such as so-called "bucket trucks" with aerial lift platforms. One such vehicle tipped over in North Austin on Wednesday, but it's unclear if wind played a factor.

Another danger posed by the whipping winds is the possibility they could fan outdoor flames as people barbecue or engage in controlled burns in more rural areas of Central Texas. The potential for this danger is exacerbated given the presence of dry vegetation that would fuel such blazes.

While it's a good idea to take necessary precautions, Thursday's strong breezes are just below the level of being officially classified as "damaging winds." In the "Severe Weather 101" section of its website (something like a Weather for Dummies), the National Severe Storms Laboratory says damaging winds are classified as those exceeding 50-60 mile per hour. "Damage from severe thunderstorm winds account for half of all severe reports in the lower 48 states and is more common than damage from tornadoes," officials wrote on the website.

As if strong winds weren't enough to contend with, Mother Nature has thrown in a cold front by week's end and chance of rain in the coming days for good measure. Showers, and possible thunderstorms, are likely in the Austin region on Wednesday night, primarily between 7 pm. and early into Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service forecast. The chance of showers is 60 percent, forecasters noted.

Grab the coat on Friday, as the low temperature is expected to dip to 39 degrees.

In terms of the meteorological lottery, we in the Austin area may have just drawn a pair of whammies with this cold front and wind. As we walk against powerful gusts on Thursday — clutching at our garments and holding on to our hats as we brave this winter of our discontent — other parts of Central Texas might get a delightful dusting of light snow as part of their wintry mix.

The National Weather Service says the areas more likely to get the white stuff are Burnet and Llano counties, where up to an inch could accumulate. "There will be a slight chance of rain possibly mixing in with snow Thursday night into early Friday near and north of Kerrville to Johnson City to Burnet line," forecasters wrote. "At this time, snow accumulations are not expected."

Yeah, well, good for you Hill Country. Enjoy your snow.

Back to the Austin area: After 1 a.m. on Thursday, a chance of showers will develop. It'll be cloudy on Wednesday night, with a low of around 55 degrees. Winds will be all but negligible at around 5 miles per hour. New rainfall amounts of less than one-tenth of an inch are anticipated, and maybe higher amounts possible in areas experiencing thunderstorms.

Strong winds will continue into Friday, albeit on a lesser scale, when gusts potentially reaching 25 miles per hour. By Saturday, the wind will peter out to a puny 5 to 10 miles per hour, according to forecasters.

Here's what the rest of this week's forecast looks like, as predicted by the NWS:

Thursday: A chance of showers before 7 a.m., then a slight chance of rain after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Windy, with a southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday night: A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Windy, with a northwest wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: A 50 percent chance of rain before 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Breezy, with a northwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 61. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

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