Texas

Cold and damp weekend forecast: Here’s what you need to know

March 17, 2023
Mia Montgomery

After Friday morning’s cold front sparked rain and storms across South Central Texas, cold and windy conditions have quickly rushed in to end the week.

This unseasonably cold air will continue through the upcoming weekend, with additional chances for rain in the forecast. It’s still not off the table that a few snowflakes may try to mix in with some of that rain across portions of the Hill Country overnight Friday/Saturday morning, but travel impacts are currently not expected.

Here’s what we’ll be monitoring:

Keep the extra layer handy throughout the day as highs only top off in the 50s Friday afternoon.
Friday morning’s gusty north wind should settle down a bit after lunchtime, but will still be somewhat breezy with additional gusts upwards of 20-25 mph.
A mostly dry afternoon is expected before rain chances increase again Friday night.

The downright GUSTY north wind found Friday morning should calm a bit Friday afternoon.

Rain chances increase after dinnertime as scattered rain moves in from the west Friday night and into the overnight hours.
Guidance continues to support the idea that a few snowflakes may mix in with some of that cold rain Saturday morning, mainly across portions of the Hill Country, but potentially as far south as northern Bexar County.
If we were to find some of that wintry mix, travel impacts are currently not expected as ground temperatures are slated to stay above freezing. By lunchtime on Saturday, whatever activity is left on the radar should fall in the form of liquid rain.
Still, we’ll monitor for a light frosting that may be found on elevated/grassy surfaces in those areas by sunrise Saturday morning.

Side note: You may be wondering — if temperatures here at the surface are above freezing, shouldn’t all of the snowflakes melt before reaching the ground? Believe it or not, a few snowflakes may still be able to exist closer to the surface in those conditions. It all has to do with the vertical profile of temperatures in our atmosphere.

Temperatures in the layers of the atmosphere above our heads will be below freezing (allowing those snowflakes to exist as they fall from the base of the cloud), but the layer of air where we are at the ground will stay above freezing. This above-freezing layer could be so thin, though, that it wouldn’t allow enough time for all of those flakes to completely melt as they fall, but since the temperature of the ground is >32?, whatever hits area roadways should melt on impact.

A few snowflakes could try to mix in with the rain overnight Friday/Saturday morning, mainly in the Hill Country. No travel impacts are currently expected.

You’ll want to keep the extra layers nearby this weekend (as well as the umbrella!) as the cold air and cloudy skies stick around.
Morning lows in the upper 30s and 40s Saturday and Sunday will transition to highs in the low 50s each afternoon with a few additional showers (~30% chance) on Sunday.

Lows in the cold upper 30s & low 40s transition to highs in the low 50s this weekend.

The first official day of spring on Monday won’t really feel like it in South Central Texas! Lows in the upper 30s are expected to usher in highs in the upper 40s with another chance for scattered rain.
We will start to warm things back up by Tuesday and Wednesday, though, as the humidity makes a return and highs climb into the 60s and 70s. We’ll keep you posted!

Unseasonably cold conditions continue into the start of next week before we start to warm things back up by midweek.

Download KSAT’s weather app for customized, accurate forecasts in San Antonio, South Texas or wherever you are