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A strong ridge of high atmospheric pressure will persist across the western and central\u00a0U.S. through the weekend, which will result in warm and dry weather for\u00a0much of the nation. As a result, we can expect clear skies over Texas, as seen in this weather satellite photo taken just before 1 p.m. Friday.<\/p>\n
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites\/CIRA and NOAA<\/p>\n
Get ready for an\u00a0early taste of summer on Saturday<\/a>, as Austin temperatures are expected to reach a record-breaking 94 degrees for the second time\u00a0in a week<\/a>. But Central Texas is also likely to experience 90-degree temperatures daily for the next seven days, which won\u2019t do much to help our lingering regional drought.<\/p>\n Under sunny skies, and accompanied by warm southerly winds of 5 to 10 mph, Austin\u2019s daytime temperatures on Saturday could soar to 94 degrees, similar to the 97-degree reading last Sunday<\/a> (a record for March 15). But that unseasonable\u00a0heat<\/a> was quickly interrupted by a strong cold front that flipped Central Texas temperatures from summer swelter into winter chill<\/a> literally\u00a0overnight.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n This weekend, though, an entirely different weather feature will dictate Austin weather. Instead of a cold front, we\u2019ll have a heat dome, according to the National Weather Service<\/a>.<\/p>\n Austin temperatures will be solidly in the 90s by 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Blend of Models, a composite weather forecast model.<\/p>\n National Blend of Models\/Pivotal Weather<\/p>\n What\u2019s a heat dome?<\/p>\n A heat dome occurs in a system of high atmospheric pressure<\/a>. The pressure causes air to sink toward the ground, where the compression of air causes temperatures to increase. A resulting \u201cdome\u201d of high pressure ends up trapping the water vapor in the warm air like a pot lid, and denying any chances for rain clouds to form in the upper atmosphere. Texas sees more of these in the summer, but a few occasionally can appear in spring and even winter.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n An unusually strong high pressure system in the middle to upper levels of the atmosphere has been crawling across the southwestern United States in the past day or so, forecasters said. The system also has been drawing plenty of warm air through persistent south winds.<\/p>\n \u201cBy Saturday, temperatures will threaten record levels with\u00a0highs in the 90s and near 100 along the Rio Grande,\u201d the National Weather Service said in a forecast bulletin posted online Friday<\/a>. \u201cThe blended (forecast)\u00a0model guidance looks to be a little cool, and we have adjusted highs\u00a0up a couple of degrees Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Skies should be mostly clear Saturday night, but balmy south winds will continue to keep overnight temperatures above 62 degrees before dawn Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe upper high will open to a ridge (of high pressure) Sunday, but not before another near-record day with highs about the same as Saturday,\u201d the weather service said.<\/p>\n Austin will continue to be sunny on Sunday, but winds will kick up to 5 to 10 mph out of the south-southwest, including gusts as strong as 20 mph. Afternoon temperatures could reach 93 degrees, which would be about 20 degrees above normal and just short of the March 22 record of 96 degrees set in 1971. Meanwhile, overnight temperatures late Sunday into early Monday should bottom out around 60 degrees amid the gusty south winds.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A weak cold front is expected to surge into Texas by Monday, sweeping through North Texas before stalling out over Central Texas.<\/p>\n \u201cThe result will be highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s Monday and Tuesday,\u201d the weather service said. \u201cWednesday and Thursday, we will creep back up another few degrees.\u201d<\/p>\n The Austin metro area, urban centers along the Interstate 35 corridor and parts of the Texas Hill Country and the Highland Lakes are in extreme drought, the second-highest level of dryness on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.<\/p>\n U.S. Drought Monitor<\/p>\n Why is this weather bad news?<\/p>\n Forecasters at the weather service also warned that the strong upper ridge of high pressure will\u00a0prevent any rainfall. This is not good, if you have been keeping tabs on Texas drought levels.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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