Temperature rollercoaster in Austin this weekend. Here’s the forecast.

It’s the kind of “chamber of commerce” weather that often tricks out-of-town festivalgoers into thinking Central Texas is calm and beautiful year-round. What they don’t see are the realities locals know well — the ongoing drought, the feast-or-famine rainfall, the threat of wildfires, triple-digit temperatures that can linger into October, and the occasional winter storm capable of bringing the city to a standstill.

The most recent storm system moves east on Thursday with clear skies, dry air and breezy winds taking the reins for a few days. 

Morning temperatures will be chilly, in the lower to mid-40s in the Austin area, but feel more like the upper 30s when you factor in gusty winds of up to 30 mph. The afternoon will come with plenty of sunshine but temperatures will remain slightly lower than average, climbing only into the mid- and upper 60s. 

Another chilly start is expected Friday morning as high atmospheric pressure settles over Texas. This occurs when denser, colder air sinks toward the Earth’s surface, creating a “dome” of air that’s been warmed by the compression, which typically brings clear, calm and dry weather.

Temperatures at sunrise will be in the lower to mid-40s, so it will definitely be chilly enough to warrant a jacket for a few hours in the morning. Temperatures won’t warm into the 60s until around 11 a.m. The afternoon will be sunny once again, with winds turning southerly. That shift in wind direction will help push temperatures back above normal to near 80 degrees.

Saturday morning will start off comfortable, with lows in the mid-50s, but temperatures will quickly soar into the mid-80s by the afternoon with gusty south winds of up to 20 mph.

Overnight Saturday into early Sunday, atmospheric moisture will begin streaming in from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of our next cold front. Clouds will increase Sunday morning, with temperatures starting in the 60s before climbing into the upper 80s to near 90 degrees during the afternoon.

While Saturday’s daily heat record of 96 degrees set on March 14 last year will remain out of reach, Sunday’s daily record high of 92 degrees, set on March 15, 2016, could be in jeopardy.

A strong cold front will push across Central Texas late Sunday into early Monday, bringing a substantial dip in temperatures to start the new week.