Updated: 05/17/2012 05:01 PM
One More "Cool" Night, Warm & Dry Days Continue
Nights/mornings have been quite comfortable lately with temps falling below normal, but it's certainly warm during the day. Highs on Thursday were mostly in the upper 80s. Fort Hood reached 91. Get used to these types of numbers.
Right now:
We have one last night where your use of A/C will be limited as temps fall nicely... heading for the low 60s in the Waco area Friday morning. It will be a clear night, and then a mostly sunny day Friday with temps back to the upper 80s.
South winds will increase Friday and Saturday with gusts up around 20-25 mph. This will draw Gulf moisture our way, resulting in a warmer Saturday morning with temps in the mid to upper 60s along with clouds to start the day, but then plenty of sunshine to finish.
Very few changes are expected through much of next week as temps continue to run near or a little above normal. Rain will also be hard to come by. A disturbance passing to our north may try to bring a few showers our direction Monday, but for now we don't expect to see any. Check out the YNN 8 day forecast for details.
Solar Eclipse Sunday... For the first time in nearly 18 years, an annular solar eclipse will take place over the USA, sure to make Sunday night a don't-miss event. The moon will move between planet earth and the sun, creating a "ring of fire" as demonstrated by this animation. The solar spectacle begins just prior to sunset Sunday, around 8:00pm, and will unfortunately come to a peak around 8:30pm -- 10 minutes after the sun sets in Austin. A partial eclipse will be visible in Austin, but it might be worth driving out west as the best views in North America happen between Lubbock and Northern California, where the eclipse could last around four minutes. Caution: you should never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, so make sure you have a way to safely take a look. There are more than a few ways you can project the sun, and NASA recommends you filter using #14 or darker welder's glass which can be found in some welder's goggles and/or helmets. Check with your neighborhood hardware store.
North area May rain totals...
2.42" Waco
2.41" Fort Hood
2.32" McGregor
1.81" Killeen-Fort Hood Airport
0.62" Killeen
Austin area May rain totals...
7.53" Buda
7.34" Dripping Springs
7.26" Fredericksburg
5.96" Lockhart
5.92" Cedar Park
5.62" Rosanky
5.57" North Austin
5.45" Austin-Mabry
5.29" Austin-Bergstrom
5.23" Downtown Austin
5.08" Smithville
4.73" San Marcos
4.60" Manor
4.56" Leander
4.52" Marble Falls
4.43" Bastrop
4.18" Taylor
3.91" Huston-Tillotson
3.68" Elgin
3.27" Burnet
3.02" Thorndale
2.73" Lago Vista
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Meteorologist Adam Krueger