Dry air, dust, fire danger Wednesday — but chilly mornings are on the way

FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS

VERY LOW HUMIDITY TODAY: Relative humidity less than 15%
EXTREME FIRE DANGER: Dry air + gusty winds
MINIMAL RAIN CHANCE: Only shot arrives Sunday

FORECAST

A cool front this morning ushered in very dry air. It’s gusty, too, so fire danger will be high. There’s a Red Flag Warning until 9 p.m..

VERY DRY, DESERT AIR

While we have seen rounds of dry air before, this particular bout of low humidity is rather impressive. Relative humidity levels will dip below 10%. Factor in a west wind gusting to 35 mph and that sets up a day in which fires can spread quickly. It’ll be important to stay vigilant today. You know the drill… no cigarettes’ out the window, no outdoor burning, no chains on trucks, etc. Otherwise, expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 80.

DUSTY SKIES

West Texas dust has been kicked up thanks to high winds yesterday. This morning, the dust was the densest. While the heaviest of the dust is east of San Antonio now, there could be some light lingering dust this afternoon and evening. Should a fire develop, smoke could also cause air quality issues.

JACKETS THURSDAY/FRIDAY MORNING

Winds subside tomorrow morning. Clear skies and dry air will give us a chilly morning. San Antonio will dip into the low-40s, while the Hill Country could see 30s. Afternoon temperatures rebound into the 70s. Friday morning is forecast to be chilly, too, as temps dip into the mid-40s.

CHANCE OF RAIN?

Yes, we do finally have a rain chance in the forecast, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. The window arrives Sunday afternoon with the weak front. Odds are low (20%), but should a storm pop up, severe weather would be possible. We’ll continue to watch for this potential.