Winter Blast Headed To Austin Area This Week

AUSTIN, TX — With its latest forecast, the National Weather Service is effectively disabusing Austin-area residents of the notion that the cold weather is behind us with freezing temperatures descending to the region this week.

While chances for rain are slight, a wintry blast with temperatures in the 30s are expected this week — including freezing temps adding to the burden of hump day. So keep that coat ready to go, and take out the comforter.

Here's what weather forecasters are predicting for the coming days:

• Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind 10 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour.
• Monday night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 1 am. and 4 am. under cloudy skies iwth a low of around 62 degrees. South wind will blow at around 10 miles per hour.
• Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 79. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
• Tuesday night: A 40 percent chance of showers after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 miles per hour..
• Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. North wind around 15 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 25 miles per hour.
• Wednesday night: A chance of rain showers after 7 p.m., mixing with snow after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. North wind 10 to 15 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Thursday: A chance of rain showers, snow showers, and sleet before 7 a.m. Sunny, with a high near 58. West wind 5 to 10 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Calm wind becoming west around 5 miles per hour.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Southwest wind around 5 miles per hour.
• Friday night: Clear, with a low around 45.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
• Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
• Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

In light of the forecast, Austin-Travis County EMS medics urged drivers to exercise caution driving on bridges and overpasses as icy conditions could develop on Tuesday and Wednesday.