Austin has not exactly been a winter wonderland lately, as unusually high temperatures have plagued the city in recent weeks, peaking at 88 degrees on Jan. 2.
And it looks like you won’t need your winter sweaters too much this year — warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to continue all season due to La Niña, forecasters at the National Weather Service say.
A La Niña pattern happens when the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator cools, which can lead to warmer and drier conditions across the southern U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. Austin has been in a La Niña pattern since the fall, and as long as it persists, any cold fronts the Austin area experiences for the next few weeks won’t be long-lasting, said Bob Fogarty, an NWS meteorologist.
“We could still get cold events,” Fogarty explained. “Even though it's La Niña, you can still get nasty winter weather. It’s just going to be that way every so often.”
This week, high temperatures will be in the 80s before a cold front moves into the area on Friday, Fogarty said. The front will pull temperatures down into the 60s during the day and 40s at night. Temperatures into next week will drop into the 30s, but likely won’t hit freezing.
January in Austin normally sees highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s, Fogarty said.
“The way this winter has been going, I suspect it’s going to get warmer to the point where we don’t like it,” Fogarty said.
But it’s not all bad news – warmer-than-normal temperatures for the season could mean a high of, say, 69 degrees or in the 80s like we’ve been seeing.
For now, we recommend taking advantage of the unseasonably warm conditions. Go for a dip at Barton Springs Pool for free! Get ready for Free Week! Go sit on a patio!
